[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Me in the Piazza Navona"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Me in the Piazza Navona" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6303212439/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6211/6303212439_0fd93bbb1e_b.jpg" alt="Me in the Piazza Navona" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

I think that part of the magic of traveling is seeing something new and doing something different. On vacation we can be whoever we want (or imagine) ourselves to be.


At home it's just us in our messy-mixed up lives. We work, we clean, we hang out with friends, we run errands and we pay bills.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Me, lots of people and the Colosseum"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Me, people and the Colosseum" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6309979362/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6093/6309979362_e04cee9dbb_b.jpg" alt="Me, people and the Colosseum" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Me in front of The Colosseum"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Me in front of The Colosseum" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6309479289/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6043/6309479289_890513854e_b.jpg" alt="Me in front of The Colosseum" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

If it wasn't already clear to you, I had a really great time in Rome. It was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. So for the last couple of days I've been thinking about why this is.  I think it boils down to this:
<ul>
	<li>Being in Rome gave me a chance to relax and not think about work.</li>
	<li>Being in Rome reminded me how much I like to get out and explore. How much I like discovering something new.</li>
	<li>Being in Rome got me excited about food (and wine) again.</li>
	<li>Being in Rome provided an opportunity for me to be silly and playful.</li>
</ul>
The thing is the parameters of a holiday are such that they inherently provide many of these benefits. So now that I'm back in Sofia and swamped with work, life and commitments, I can't help but wonder: how can I work some of these benefits into my day-to-day life?

So I made some decisions.
<ul>
	<li>Build one night a week into my routine without homework. Leave work at work and just have a night to myself.</li>
	<li>Get my camera out, a comfortable pair of shoes and go exploring for the sake of exploring in Sofia. Look for interesting things I didn't know existed rather than going somewhere with a purpose.</li>
	<li>Cook simple wonderful food. Five ingredients or less and pair it with good but inexpensive wine.</li>
	<li>Say yes more often to invitations and have fun doing it.</li>
</ul>
Sofia may not have the Pantheon or the Colosseum but so what?! I can best parts of this experience and apply it to my life in Sofia.