Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken. — Oscar Wilde. What happens when an American historian goes to Rome on a Fulbright, at a very confusing time in U.S. politics ? Add in a splash of pandemic and stir.
From frustration comes organization
News has begun to trickle out from Fulbrighters impacted by the suspension of the program worldwide back in March. Reading Inside Higher Education and a story on HuffPo this afternoon made me think. I noticed that most of the voices featured in the articles are student grantees. Like many of them, I was forced to […]
Self Quarantine Day 14. We did it! Tips on how you can survive.
We made it. Through the self-quarantine, that is. We reached day 14 with our physical health intact. We would not have been able to do it without the incredibly generous help of our dear friends and neighbors, who kept our fridge and pantry stocked and even responded to unusual requests. (Strawberry milkshake flavor Pop-tarts may […]
Fulbright suspended worldwide.
Well, that’s it, folks! I got a message this morning that with the elevation of worldwide travel to level 4 threat, the Fulbright program will be suspended and all U.S. citizen grantees should make plans immediately to return to the U.S. Here’s the opening of the email I received: Dear Fulbrighter: The State Department’s Bureau […]
Sunk cost fallacy
Most of us are familiar with the economic concept of “sunk cost fallacy.” That is, our decisions about what to do are often shaped by the amount of time and/or money we have already invested in a thing. We judge its value based on the money we spent on it, not the actual market value. […]
A metaphor.
Thanks to Dig Yoga, my wonderful yoga studio, I was able to sort-of practice today on a free livestream of my regular class. (Grateful beyond words for this, my first time consciously moving my tired body in a while.) As I laid in savasana with my legs up the wall, I had a thought. The […]
What happens to a dream deferred?
U.S. Fulbright Program Suspension and Required Departure. Well, that’s it. The State Department closed down Fulbright and sent me home. I don’t know what comes next. I can barely process what has already happened over the past two weeks. It felt like I was moving through some sort of bad dream – I recognized everything […]
What social distancing looks like
A Wednesday morning at one of the most famous churches in Rome, Santa Maria in Trastevere. The people are gone. Italians – famous for jumping the line and breaking rules, in the words of NPR correspondent Silvia Poggioli, have been transformed. They are keeping to the strict rules established by their government. It is really […]
My historian brain tries to process what is happening. Draft version.
A country I love is in crisis. Each day seems worse than the day before. The death count keeps rising precipitously, and more restrictions come into force. My historian brain is processing this only a little bit at a time. I’m thinking a lot about the disparaging labels some Americans attached to Italian migrants at […]
A lot can change in a day…
We ventured out today, on the first day of the nationwide travel restriction. Cafes, bars, and restaurants closed at 6 pm on the dot, as the government declaration now mandates. I noticed most people in shops and on the streets trying to follow the 1 meter separation rule. A line of a few people waited […]
While you were sleeping…
We explored the vast archaeological park at Ostia Antica. I last visited this place in 2004, and I remembered a peaceful spot where you can vividly imagine life in an ancient Roman city. We found it much as I remembered, but even larger than my memory. We also explored a bit of the more touristy […]
Adventures of a US Historian on a Fulbright in Rome 