Week Six was the halfway mark of my visit to Rome and the one-month anniversary of the attack on America. It was also the week when the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan and putting out warnings to Americans living abroad.

When I saw Bin Laden's video screed, I got angry and so afraid that I changed my morning routine of walking to St. Peters Square. I thought if ever there were a target in Rome, it would be the Vatican. But that night, something clicked in me. I realized that this is precisely what Bin Laden wants. For us all to live in terror.

The next day I resumed my life as normal--vigilant, but undeterred by fear. That same night, I attended a class at my Italian school, where I learned how to cook a typical Italian meal, Eggplant Parmigiana, with students from Japan, Canada, Israel, Seattle and Westchester. After a delicious dinner and a couple bottles of wine, my Israeli friend cried out: Ballare Sul Tavolo!! What's a girl to do?

A long walk and two l'autobus later, I found myself standing in front of a rope at a trendy Rome nightclub at one o'clock in the morning. Undaunted, I walked up to the man behind the rope and simply said (with some license): “We are just two people from New York and we simply want to dance.” Bingo! We were in and we danced for hours.

I had to smile: I haven't lost my touch. Steve Rubell would be proud!

A PHOTO OP