A Week of Firsts

When you study abroad, you tend to rack up some firsts: 

FIRST time out of the United States.
FIRST "Scusi, Scusi!" as the tram jolts to life and I stumble into an unsuspecting Italian woman.
FIRST Italian pizza.
FIRST gelato (of many).
FIRST glass of Italian wine.
FIRST Italian coffee.

FIRST Sunday with Pope Francis.

The typical and definitely delightful firsts are all there; 
however, the unexpected ones nudged themselves into my week as well:

FIRST time walking to school.
FIRST time getting hopelessly lost..alone.
FIRST time cooking real dinner (without a microwave).
FIRST orange.
FIRST time making an omelette.
FIRST time hanging all my clothes to dry. 
FIRST time using Face time. 

Some of those are pretty ridiculous, I do admit. Yes, I haven't eaten an orange before (well technically since the golden days of kindergarten). No, I have only ever made scrambled eggs.

When I look back on a day, a week, a month, or a year and realize my firsts, I can't help but smile. 
Each first feels like a small "victory."

I don't know about you, but when I look back on my day, sometimes I can't even remember what I did. The day passes by in such a blur that it barely registers. There are days that seem to last a lifetime, but many days seem to last but a second. Then, I find myself staring into the dark abyss of my bedroom ceiling in the middle of the night wondering, "Where did my day go?"

It's gone. Done. No revisions. 

When I look back and see those "firsts," those "victories," I have an answer to that scary question. 
"I ate an orange."

With each day here in Rome, I refuse to let the days blur, to let them lack a "first."