I met so many interesting people in Rome. There was Riccardo, the Italian lawyer who lived and worked in Washington, D.C.--adorable, worldly, and hugely simpatico during the week of the attack.

Takahiro, the Japanese man who studied with me for twelve weeks. He had a brilliant grasp of the grammar, but spoke very little in class. Generally, he embraced just one phrase in Italiano: non capisco. To Taka, I say this: you capiscoed more than you realize.

There were my two beautiful teachers: Chiara and Nadia. With them, I not only experienced three fabulous months of learning, but more cappucinos, ciambellas and acqua minerales than I can count.

How did I learn so much about the world? I need only list the names of just some of the people I've grown to know, my cittadini del mondo: Tomer, Gregers, Jay, Nina, Hiromi, Maita. Ipollita, Michele, Valeria, Cristina, Nichole, Romero.

There were also the places and things. Per esempio, the cobblestones that cover every street in Rome--the proof of its age. I walked over so many cobblestones, that I am sure that the soles of my feets have little grooves in them. There wasn't a day when I walked on those ancient stones, that I didn't feel the history in them.

There were the many bariste, almost always male, who make the most beautiful espressi and cappucini in the world. With finesse.

There was Gina--my friend and la padrona a casa. She shared her home with me, but also her life. She cooked for me, washed my clothes, and kept my room neat and tidy (when I wasn't looking). She talked with me even as I massacred her language, listening with humor and patience. She comforted me through the good and the brutto. I probably learned more about being Italian from this lovely, simple woman than from anyone.

Better authors than I have written eloquently about this ancient city. But, none of them have lived the same moments as I. To my friends, my family, my readers, all of you who have visited rulingwoman-dot-com more than 400 times, I thank you for sharing these experiences with me.

Of course, there are many more adventures to come. Ruling Woman is not saying goodbye. She is just changing addresses.