ROME – Here's my recipe: buy a cheap ticket to Italy, wrap up your day-dreaming, take your four wheels (I mean your wheelchair, not your Ferrari), cram in ambitions, surround with inspiring people. If you follow that advice, you’ll find yourself within tantalising grasp of your Roman dream, which might just come true - like mine did.

The Eternal City enchants everybody and, in my case, its charm has driven me to the daring idea to write a not-so-mainstream guidebook.

 What makes mine unique? My introduction to the famous Roman cobblestones came on a crisp night in February as I left the capital’s airport. At that point I wasn’t convinced that our relationship would last the holiday.

 The stones were clearly to be my nemesis – in fact I’m pretty sure that every lady in high heels and every gentleman riding a Vespa can empathize with how I felt. At that moment I would never have imagined that the endless fight between those little stones and my wheelchair would later become the inspiration for my book. My friends and I had only three days to discover Rome, so we were eager to begin.

 Despite our struggle against time, we missed the last metro from Anagnina. The blow beckoned another: due to the lateness of the hour, even the elevator wasn't working. This mechanical failure did, however, end up introducing me to an aspect of the Italian mentality that I still love – even if at that moment, it unfortunately failed to lead me towards any of the train platforms. The handsome controller who stopped to help us said something that would come to sum up perfectly what I perceive to be the Roman attitude: "Sorry Miss, it’s Rome, it’s not my fault! But we’ll manage one way or another, follow me!”

 The controller led us to a taxi, started to haggle and managed to negotiate an affordable price. That introduction to Rome taught us how to enjoy the Dolce Vita over the following days. At every turn, we tried to be both calm and full of energy because, as we had learnt, that is the combination that makes Italy so magical. It worked. We relished every moment – especially those that presented hidden obstacles, because in Rome they become fun.

 On our way to the Trevi Fountain, for instance, my wheelchair got stuck on a huge mound of Earth – and, alarming as it sounds, it ended up being one of the funniest situations I’ve ever found myself in. 

 A dozen local people tried to fish me down whilst laughing and remaining relaxed. It was right after this scene, as we tucked into well-deserved post-traumatic pizzas, that I was struck by inspiration. I told my friends: “My Rome is worth a book, because it’s totally different from the city that other people experience.” When I got back home I could only praise that amazing city. Some of my friends, however, reacted more cynically.

 They planted a seed of doubt in my mind: what if the Rome I had experienced was just the city offered to tourists, what if daily life there wasn’t so great? "Allora”, the optimistic Italian in me replied, I would have to find out for myself and make my plans clearer and more specific.

 The guidebook I would write would contain as much as possible about every day life in the city. I decided that I would move to Rome, conduct research, live a hopefully fulfilled life and write about it. I was driven by the conviction that if you really want something in life, you have to keep on pushing for it because as you struggle you become somebody who deserves to succeed.

 It’s the rule of fate.

 So – I started hunting for opportunities to make my idea a reality. My long journey to Rome started when I contacted the editor-in-chief of Italian Insider, Mr. John Philips. Our correspondence led to another introduction with the senior editor of Il Messaggero, Signor Jacopo Orsini. My proposal, to write a Roman guidebook for disabled people, was written about on the website of Il Messaggero.

 Right after the publication, a serious offer arrived from the Eurispes market research organization, who proposed to support me as I lived and worked in the city. I would be able to return to my second home.

 Gian Maria Fara, the director of Eurispes, had put his trust in me, which made me even more motivated to do my best and see my plans come to triumphant fruition. I embarked on my first official business trip to Rome. So far I have had the chance to write in time-honoured publishing houses and meet professional writers and journalists. Their experience, advice, support and above all their knowledge have enriched my experience tremendously.

 I can safely say that this ‘professional summer tour’ has been the best start I could have wished for. I’ve already collected some buzzwords during my unforgettable stay in the Eternal City, which will become the pillars of my story.

 Some of them captured a moment worth an entire chapter, like the area known as the "Pincio.” Others will hopefully come to evoke my whole life here, like "Cosi é!” which means something like "That’s how it goes" or "Never mind.”

 It’s probably impossible to translate perfectly - you just have to feel the spice of the words, to breath them in. Everything else – the apartment and other practical matters – has been organized by Eurispes.

 My mission is simple, - to organize such buzzwords into their own tales in a natural progression from season to season. So watch out! This article is just a sneak-peek. You'll find more to surprise and delight you either here at Italian Insider or in my upcoming book.