{Taken in front of the Pantheon in Rome, October 1990}

“Fortune favors the bold.” ~Pliny the Elder

I’m back on the topic of Italy again as I prepare for another flight across the Atlantic. Since this has been a more frequent topic of conversation lately, I’ve had the chance to share a few stories from the last time I was in Rome, which was on my first overseas journey in 1990 for a six-week backpacking adventure with my best friend. After exploring places like Paris, Munich, and Florence together, I decided to go further south in Italy, and ended up taking a few days in Rome on my own. And it was there that I had a transcendent experience with a can of Coca-Cola.

If you’ve never gone backpacking through Europe on a college student budget, here’s a quick snapshot:  You sleep in hostels, where you may or may not have your own room and your nearest bathroom is likely down the hall. Your diet consists of bread, pizza, and water. If you are in Munich for Oktoberfest, the only other addition to that diet will be beer. You get around on public transportation and on foot, and the majority of your entertainment is nothing more than people-watching. You wash your clothes in the sink, and you carry your own tissues to avoid having to pay for toilet paper in public restrooms.

In other words, it’s a blast.

By the time I reached Rome in the fall of 1990, I had been traveling for over a month. I made a new friend within an hour of arriving in the city – that’s another part of the backpacking experience, fellow backpackers are your instant friends – so had someone to pal around with for my first couple of days there, but after he left I was on my own for another day. I walked all over the city, stumbled upon the Coliseum by accident (such a thrill!), and finished the day enjoying a rather chatty few hours sitting on the Spanish Steps. (Tip for the introverts out there – if you’re looking for a place to sit in a quiet, meditative space for a spell, head somewhere else. It’s a friendly bunch over there!)

That day, sitting I don’t even remember where, I decided it was time to splurge – big time. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, I had the entire afternoon to myself, the crowds were happy, and I was thirsty. And there was only one beverage that would satisfy me:  Coca-Cola.

I’ve had plenty of cans of Coke since then, but my memories of consuming them vanished the instant I took the last sip. It is only this one – from a sunny day in Rome when I was 22 years old – that has stayed with me. It probably cost no more than two dollars – a mighty sum when trying to find places to sleep for only twenty – but it was an expense that made me feel downright regal. The bright red logo, the cold, metallic can, and the spectacularly sweet bubbly goodness that I savored from my very first sip to the last swoosh down my throat. Every gulp was confirmation that I had what it took to live a life of bold dreams and fierce independence. I decided to risk my budget and throw caution to the wind, and all it took to satisfy that longing was one can of Coca-Cola. Who knew such a simple purchase could inspire such bravado? Who knew it would end up being one of the most delicious moments on a journey jam-packed with what was new and exciting and exhausting and exhilarating?

But that is the joy of travel – the unexpected twists and the unanticipated gifts that lay waiting in the smallest of spaces – as small as a twelve ounce can, as brief as a swig of soda.

Christine Mason Miller is an artist, writer and explorer. Her next book – Desire to Inspire:  Using Creative Passion to Transform the World - is coming this November. She’s pondering a stop in India as part of her book tour.