Erin Byrnes

My travels to Italy from the U.S. went as smooth as I wanted it to, until my second night in Rome. The first two days were a whirlwind of taking pictures, eating incredible food and relaxing in the city squares. We finally worked up the energy to go out on the town the second night. Since I wouldn’t have service outside of our Airbnb, I decided to leave my phone there for the night in hopes to not lose it. However, when we got back to our place, my phone was gone. At first I wasn’t phased because I knew I had alarms set in the morning, and I assumed I would find it then. To my surprise I heard no alarm. I immediately checked “find my iphone” on my laptop to see it was farther away from where we were the night before. Seeing that it was in a residential area, I knew it was a lost cause. After calling my parents to let them know of my misfortune (from my laptop) I knew I’d have to buy a new phone. With the help of my three friends, I found an Apple Store in Rome. 

I was able to get a phone but a new question I had was how I could get my number back. I was able to buy an Italian SIM card at a TIM store down the street, but it obviously wasn’t my number. At first, I planned to call my phone provider to get a new SIM card shipped to Sorrento; but when I was setting up Outlook on my new phone, I saw an email from my dad saying he already called my phone provider and he got a SIM card with my American number. Up until that point I forgot my family was spending a week in Sorrento. I guess I got so wrapped up in getting myself here that I forgot my family was coming in hopes of meeting up with me. He said he could just give me the card when they got there, so I just worked around having a different number for a week. The nice thing about having an Italian number was I had great service so I was able to navigate better upon arriving at Sorrento. Overall, it was an easy fix, despite the new phone setting me back 1500 euros. 

A week later, I met my family for dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the sea. They were enjoying their trip, with a highlight being the food. I got my American SIM card from my dad, along with some sunset pictures.

Looking back at the phone fiasco, I knew I seriously lucked out with my family coming to visit me and having the funds to buy a new phone. 

What I Learned

Knowing that Italy is a prime tourist destination, it makes sense that Rome is the second city you’re most likely to be pickpocketed in (Brighton, 2018). What still surprises me is it was taken from our locked Airbnb. Since that incident, I’ve been carrying my phone with me at all times, and checking the valuables in my purse constantly. Something else that makes a difference is I have a cross body bag that zips shut. A lot of times I’ll keep an eye on the zipper in large crowds, and I’ll usually hold my purse while walking around. I’ll also try to limit what I put in my pockets, since most of my pants pockets are loose. Another way to secure valuables is carrying a money belt or fanny pack that you can tuck into your shirt or pants. 

Obviously this wasn’t something I was planning to write about because I never thought something like this would happen to me. I know this sounds cliche but it could happen to anyone traveling.