The Friends I Made in Bologna

I could walk the streets of Bologna in my sleep. My route into the city from the little studio apartment I rented near Giardini Margherita is as familiar to me as my walk to elementary school. The park, the old city gate, two of my favorite gelaterias ever, Via Guerrazzi to walk to class, lots of oranges and browns and reds, Piazza Santo Stefano, and then the heart of the city: the Due Torri and Piazza Maggiore.

Part of why Bologna is so special to me is because of the people I met there. It took time to find my people, but the ones that stuck with me— Julie, Lien, Lucille, and Maria— made it well worth it. 

Lien and Maria were first, and I met them early on through some other Americans, but it would be months before we grew truly fond of each other. And when we first met, I was like all the other UC girls, I wanted to be friends with them. They were like the older, honorary hot dude in high school.

Lien and Maria were the picture of the cool, effortless, beautiful, fun, cigarette-smoking European girl (though only one smoked sometimes) who’s confident and owns the city with her radiance and energy. And life— and my persistence— kept nudging us together. 

I met Lucille in the basement of an Irish pub that she stole a whiskey glass from. And I was immediately taken by her. She looked like she came out of an indie European coming of age movie from 2001. Here was this girl with long curly hair, wearing black, edgy arm warmers, a tight black shirt, and baggy low rises that showed off her midriff, who ordered whiskey sours and immediately made herself a friend to me. And I only grow fonder of her.

Lucille would invite me to join her at one of the many grand, quiet libraries on Via Zamboni, where Lien and Maria would always be, the three of them working on their theses. And so gradually, I inserted myself into their group. I’ve always hated doing so, but the discomfort was rewarding. I’ve made lifelong friends.

We’d all chat on study and snack breaks and then I ran into Maria a few times, Lucille invited me to Giardini with Lien and a friend from home, we made dinner at my apartment, and finally Lien, Maria, and I were planning a trip to Sardinia together. 

Then I met Julie, the German who looks like she could have walked out of Valinor with her pearly complexion, willowy height, and clean beauty. We were fast friends and ended up in Amalfi together, where our friendship locked in. She’s an easy friend, but every time we were together in person, her fast German-accented rambling and my awkwardness felt almost like the clumsiness of the first time.

These are the most lovely women that I would love to spend every day with, even if it was simply laying out on the cobblestones of Piazza Verdi on a study break. And Piazza Verdi is where I said goodbye to them at 1am before packing and flying home.