{"id":830,"date":"2025-12-17T10:41:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=830"},"modified":"2025-12-17T10:41:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:41:58","slug":"the-call-i-never-expected-in-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=830","title":{"rendered":"The Call I Never Expected In Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover aligncenter is-light mycontentblock has-medium-font-size wp-duotone-000000-7bdcb5-1\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;min-height:73px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"186\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-198 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1024x186.png\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1024x186.png 1024w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-300x54.png 300w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-768x139.png 768w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1536x279.png 1536w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-2048x372.png 2048w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1320x239.png 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center my-cover-title has-ast-global-color-8-color has-pale-ocean-gradient-background has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-a287677cbd56c7de0036183cf7f400da\"><strong>The Call I Never Expected In Rome<br><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a538b476bf127789b1c4f191f9f55632\">I\u2019ve been leading group tours for a long time.<br>Long enough to know that no matter <strong>how many times you explain the rules, someone will test them.<br>Rome has a way of doing that to people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    atOptions = {\n        'key' : '9e49f4ce267f7bab92bbdb38b733742b',\n        'format' : 'iframe',\n        'height' : 90,\n        'width' : 728,\n        'params' : {}\n    };\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/brillianceremisswhistled.com\/9e49f4ce267f7bab92bbdb38b733742b\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-17c7ccb60c793c3e6763dd6f8e1ec871\">It\u2019s a city that makes you feel like time is optional.<br>Streets curve <strong>where you don\u2019t expect them to.<\/strong><br>Every corner looks like a postcard begging you to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fc14e955e8a04cd80d37cba025a5ffb6\">This trip had twenty-two travelers, mostly from the US and the UK.<br>They were excited, jet-lagged, and full of that restless energy people get when they finally step away from their regular lives.<br><strong>I gave my usual welcome talk the first night.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c4d4ec41765fb10ec78b8b1277e77faf\">Meeting points.<br>Times.<br>What happens if you\u2019re late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f680b1b06926808026f581be693ae4e8\">I always say it calmly, with a smile, but I mean every word.<br>A group tour runs on coordination.<br>One missing person can throw an entire day into chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e162fc02e54c1769882801f3e4f2b9f9\">That\u2019s when I first really noticed Maribel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0f6048774bb64bde89b1c54c73b31eb6\">She was in her late forties, stylish without trying too hard.<br>Her clothes always looked carefully chosen, even for walking tours.<br>She had a warm laugh and asked thoughtful questions, but her attention drifted easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-04384430e1ec74d4eb990fbe8bdbf709\">On the first day, we stopped near the Pantheon for lunch.<br>I gave everyone ninety minutes of free time.<br>Clear instructions. Clear meeting spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6936eca93c5ff1df36452fe1f10a51f5\">Everyone showed up on time except Maribel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5c4c6363e4f5c97c159d1aef398aa420\">She arrived twenty minutes late, slightly out of breath, arms full of shopping bags.<br>She apologized quickly, said she\u2019d lost track of time.<br>I reminded her gently that schedules matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-206775ac53993c5c44d45b03020d884d\">She nodded and smiled, like it wasn\u2019t a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-10b1aac19aefbae0ba08268ebae1b3b6\">Rome can make even responsible adults feel invincible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-23292367c05b497a44b38ba2950bb1d6\">On day two, she disappeared again during free time near Piazza Navona.<br>This time, she missed the evening group dinner entirely.<br>She texted me later, saying she\u2019d found a small caf\u00e9 and time had slipped away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-376a4d5d51efd51634f57b3c2635d3cc\">I replied politely but firmly.<br>I told her I needed her to stay reachable.<br>Tours have moving parts. People depend on each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-380318ee32930fbd71750d67a094d9d6\">She responded with a thumbs-up emoji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f04960391b46fb17f73537b8c83f43ee\">By day three, the rest of the group had started to notice.<br>They asked me quietly if she was okay.<br>One woman joked that Maribel seemed to be on her own private adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-58a58ea67ca48795766732fc90c32433\">That evening, I pulled Maribel aside in the hotel lobby.<br>I spoke clearly, without sugarcoating it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0ba134995ac7b936efbcd5074d7a6f4c\">I told her I was concerned.<br>I told her that if she missed a major departure, we would have to leave without her.<br>Not as a punishment, but because logistics don\u2019t bend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f924a52c44a4aeb555be31a7fcbabdac\">She listened carefully this time.<br>Her eyes looked tired, almost glossy.<br>She promised it wouldn\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3319f2625ea80931153337bc6b99f133\">Day four was the Vatican.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-80eac4f5dc16c7cb68809ca9db7b9aad\">If you\u2019ve ever led a tour there, you know it\u2019s not flexible.<br>Tickets are timed.<br>Security lines are strict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-901a221a840b0445a3d9204a7b5aa334\">We were scheduled to leave the hotel at 7:30 a.m. sharp.<br>No exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-daf91c3f556aeb4c03608ee49b8cc6a9\">At 7:15, everyone was assembled in the lobby.<br>Everyone except Maribel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-509afa8c80020fb84dce35830138250a\">I checked my watch and told myself not to panic.<br>I called her phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dfcf8bbcceb9d847608f3b46f978eff2\">Voicemail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3789da00256b9423a6c12851b1e7ccaa\">I tried again at 7:20.<br>Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f890b39efaab7c461c2ba97abdc8bd00\">By 7:25, the bus driver was tapping his clipboard.<br>The group was shifting impatiently, whispering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8b9c27c8b67c86ca13deeefb1c2a7dc8\">I sent Maribel a text.<br>No reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-88c7e7dcba33c55607fa703e0ddad55c\">At 7:28, I had to decide.<br>If we missed our slot, the entire day would collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5da5dad9dce702e7b4d5ccc3535a9240\">At 7:30, we left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2215098f6025ea6657c0507b2916432d\">I hated that moment.<br>I always do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b7b0c59d075d9cd0b7ebcc01afc7354c\">I left a detailed voicemail explaining where we were headed and how she could join us later if possible.<br>Then I focused on the group in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9b07db742c6902c8418ba8edec93dc71\">The Vatican day went smoothly.<br>The Sistine Chapel left everyone quiet and awed.<br>St. Peter\u2019s Basilica felt impossibly vast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-68e9982a1b59c5588e75c36a8f704967\">Still, Maribel sat heavy in my thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c8cb90fdb89730d18297066fc48442d0\">She didn\u2019t appear at lunch.<br>She didn\u2019t respond to any messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a1a66f8181c68e62a146576e0217e467\">By the time evening rolled around, my irritation had turned into worry.<br>Rome is beautiful, but it\u2019s also overwhelming.<br>People underestimate how quickly things can go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24a63c037e1c37d4cb38a0d7adb64e7c\">That night, I barely slept.<br>I kept checking my phone, half expecting it to buzz.<br>It stayed silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-59cd00bf0cba3fb3df549286cbf5dffe\">The next morning, I was organizing breakfast when my phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d60d8e69d4085001252ab353dc0f5fd0\">Unknown number.<br>Italian country code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2558a5a9b1e5c3b222cdb22b9800b9a2\">I answered casually, assuming it was a vendor or the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-01d32185b5f67ddf8ecab0c208aa84b6\">\u201cThis is the tour leader?\u201d a man asked, his English careful but clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-316c6f0d717239a549438d1f676f0be8\">\u201cYes,\u201d I said, my stomach tightening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c97cb1036006a823b62cd5b4251e6023\">\u201cThis is Officer Bellini with Rome municipal police. We have a woman here named Maribel. She listed you as her group contact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0559734d8160dc19d62ef13ba82d65bf\">For a moment, everything went cold and distant.<br>I stepped away from the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-520db4fd4c2b128bad3cdb1aaa98ac4c\"><strong>He told me she\u2019d been found early that morning near a small outdoor market across the river.<br><\/strong>She was dehydrated, disoriented, and frightened.<br>But alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a307d7e8c6f99c2ddf3f6368e59927a6\">Relief hit me so hard my knees almost gave out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8a25f53bf0bc42ebdb337a7612aff4d0\">\u201cShe keeps asking for you,\u201d the officer added.<br>\u201cShe seems very upset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-874699ef06653cefdeeaf3576158bcf5\">I arranged to meet them immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-aaf979ff94823508c6658ce2a543bf93\">I told the group there was an emergency and asked my assistant to take over.<br>Questions followed me out the door, but I didn\u2019t answer them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-de8c7a7431bdc3a18e2852c63bc0e52a\">At the station, Maribel sat on a bench wrapped in a thin blanket.<br>Her hair was messy.<br>Her confidence was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7a879c7ab69ae5e96f8f09bd4e227b01\">When she saw me, she broke down completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0013f139ce9fa2266cd80e5fb7226c6f\">\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she kept saying.<br>\u201cI didn\u2019t mean for this to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-eb3bc87106cb53110626af17b1f979b4\">We stepped outside, away from the officers and noise.<br>She spoke slowly, stopping often to steady herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2c354e35c08957c69cf6a214bbac018f\">On the afternoon of day three, she\u2019d wandered into a small jewelry shop.<br>The owner was friendly, charming, patient.<br>He told her he had unique pieces not on display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c84d6b6344c50d7ea7dc66ef0fa5ecd0\">She followed him into the back room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-338cc0d80c91803fa733596bf2e30519\">The door closed behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cc71b01a7d0017e8505dfde1551a8cdb\">She said she felt the shift immediately.<br>The friendliness vanished.<br>The room felt wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d028581d42c3f2f3cb6a973e2d989d9c\">He locked the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3918676feef309d83f2ce751deeec495\">She didn\u2019t describe everything.<br>She didn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-653337c19380565a5ce5f94a07f91113\">She told me she stayed calm, waited for a moment when another customer entered the shop.<br>The distraction gave her just enough time to force the door open and run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-10ea49c868f9cc5f57b61e4bf28c678b\">She didn\u2019t know where she was.<br>Her phone battery was almost dead.<br>By the time she realized she needed help, fear had taken over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1d42f8ecb63393e5b1050c8dcc7c2b62\">She hid.<br>She walked aimlessly.<br>Her phone died that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6804323e2b5cdc4a219c9150e968d1a9\">She was ashamed.<br>Ashamed she hadn\u2019t listened.<br>Ashamed she\u2019d broken the rules and ended up alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a7ab67998e4ec78102137a72fda8a28f\">When she said she realized we\u2019d left without her, she cried again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9dba9500af6ae9d1677d47810a857a3a\">\u201cI thought I deserved it,\u201d she said quietly.<br>\u201cI thought I\u2019d ruined everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-674a28afa3b8ce4a972bec41451f634a\">I told her something I wish more travelers understood.<br>Rules aren\u2019t there to control you.<br>They\u2019re there to protect you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1161acc0be9cfcdab1348d428d9d8699\">The police took her statement seriously.<br>An investigation was opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-919b837d5d2f63c2480a230fcd6ec28a\">By late afternoon, she was released and allowed to return to the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0d3046fb7ac4b6abc41e1dbcc1931912\">Walking into the lobby with her felt different.<br>The group fell silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2488dad0cb27b4ed46c95a9fe207b3d8\">That evening, Maribel asked if she could speak to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ed008731201f66f088949fcba508d1ae\"><strong>She stood in front of the group, hands shaking but voice steady.<br><\/strong>She didn\u2019t go into details.<br>She didn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-789ab0a53586635ce8932ca8f26a299d\">She apologized for ignoring the schedule.<br>She explained that curiosity had turned into carelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f24d558cec88f334104bcd7ae6e5ea4d\">\u201cI thought being independent meant being brave,\u201d she said.<br>\u201cI learned the hard way that being connected matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e68c39afcaa7be50497958be3bec9b1f\">The room was quiet.<br>No judgment.<br>Only understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-01e056fcf7160c812c64dc48bd5fb412\">From that night on, the energy shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-410ebb38ebe6b178559c8783d8eebecf\">People checked in with each other.<br>They walked together.<br>They respected the meeting times without resentment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e45f61579aa591c6eeecf921ee991a70\">Rome didn\u2019t lose its magic.<br>It felt safer, warmer, more shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1ac6823d45a29bdbcbe23cf50f198d4\">On the final night, Maribel gave me a small box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b32739d07f1c6e99236db642154fad6c\">Inside was a simple silver charm shaped like a compass.<br>No engraving. No sparkle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f0090927a435addb39b6c0ef03116dd3\">\u201cSo I remember,\u201d she said.<br>\u201cThat wonder is beautiful, but direction matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-aafe93baf3f938696dbd474f97e25af1\">I still carry that charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4baed37b80d304137e33eb090adb4b1c\">Because travel isn\u2019t just about seeing new places.<br>It\u2019s about understanding your limits.<br>It\u2019s about knowing when to wander and when to stay close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3ddbc774cfdf004df2e79d1dd338db1e\">Freedom doesn\u2019t mean disappearing.<br>Adventure doesn\u2019t mean ignoring the people who have your back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2516e144fe13046a11f98e1aeea674c2\">Sometimes, the most meaningful journeys are the ones where everyone comes home together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3eed5a12014baf92f33fc7709496ec36\"><strong>If this story stayed with you, share it.<br>If it reminded you to look out for the people around you, like the post.<br>Connection can be the difference between getting lost and getting saved.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve been leading group tours for a long time.Long enough to know that no matter how many times you explain the rules, someone will test them.Rome has a way of doing that to people. It\u2019s a city that makes you feel like time is optional.Streets curve where you don\u2019t expect them to.Every corner looks like &#8230; <a title=\"The Call I Never Expected In Rome\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=830\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Call I Never Expected In Rome\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=830"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":832,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830\/revisions\/832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}