Four years ago, I had moved to Rome, and while it was true that I hadn’t done so solely in search of the ancient city, it was always in the back of my mind. I was like one of the American men who found themselves thinking about the Roman empire every day—I didn’t want to just think about it every day. I wanted to live it every day.
And yet, with each passing moment in Rome, I felt some of this fascination literally diminish, like progressing from the honeymoon stage of a love affair to the more ingrained monotony of a long-term relationship. Looking on ancient sights that had once brought me to tears now left me feeling simply numb.
