6 am. The alarm goes off, and I slowly get out of bed and walk to the window. On the other side of the street, a coffee bar is already open, spilling a bright yellow light onto the still dark street. Another day is beginning.
After half an hour of stretching exercises and meditation, I walk over to the quiet kitchen. Taking out a one-person moka pot, I start brewing coffee and heating up milk in a sauce pan. This has been my ritual since the day I arrived in Rome and my Airbnb host showed me how to make a cappuccino.
While waiting for the coffee, I set the table with a bamboo table mat, then take out a plate and a wide-brimmed glass from the cabinet. The glass is for yogurt. The plate is for biscuits and pastries. My Airbnb host has bought packages of sweet items belonging to different parts of Italy and collected them in a bowl. Every morning, I get to pick a few from them. Today, I choose my favourite jam pastry and two kinds of tiny biscotti.
The moka pot makes a boiling sound behind me, announcing the coffee is now ready. In a china cup, I first pour the warm milk then the steaming coffee. There is nothing like a fragrance of the fresh homemade cappuccino. One big inhale, and my face melts into a smile.
As I sit down and take a bite from the jam pastry and a sip from the cappuccino, the word bliss fills my mind. The morning sunbeam comes in, and I can see the blue sky through the window. Another day is here, and I am ready for an adventure.
