Strangers on a train

These days I’ve been going to Rome more than ever, especially now that my friends go to La Sapienza, the first and oldest university in Rome. I love that city, it’s so fascinating with its ancient monuments and beautiful ruins that still surround the entire city especially this time of the year when all the Christmas lights are on and garlands decorate the windows of stores and restaurants inviting you to take a step in and look around.

One of the things I enjoy the most when on my way to Rome is sitting on the train, looking out of the window and listening to the conversations people have between them. It’s not that I’m a nosy parker or maybe I am, just a little bit. I think it’s a good way of learning something more about the stranger standing beside you in for that ride and that you probably won’t see ever again. Sometimes we discover what they like, other times we learn about their insecurities, we hear about how their day went and how happy or sad they feel. In other words, those strangers become part of our lives even if for a very short period of time. We are all just strangers on a train trying to reach our own destination.

Listening to other people’s conversations sometimes feels a little wrong, like I’m intruding in their personal life, but when I’m wearing my black coat and my scarf I feel so covered up that I could almost pass by unnoticed. I don’t know why, I guess that’s the way this coat makes me feel. After all, if you think about it, all the best detectives, journalists and writers are always depicted wearing a coat, be it a trench coat or a regular coat, it’s still a long, warm and cozy garment that wraps us all up.