Jaycee Grider: life shots in Viterbo

After being away for a little over a week traveling around Europe, I was happy to come
home to Viterbo. This is an understatement. I was ecstatic to walk through the gates of Porta Romana. My cheeks hurt I had been grinning so big just from seeing the city waiting there for me. I took the next day to relax and rest. By relax, I mean I did three loads of laundry, tons of homework and then took a long walk to get out of the hours. I’ve been making a habit to go on walks since I arrived here and more often than not I carry my film camera in my hand or at my side in a small purse. On these walks, I wait for things to pop out to me or for the right moment to present itself. While I love taking photos of the beautiful cityscape and architecture, I have habituated to romanticizing the way people sit at their windows or in their balconies. Leaving Viterbo for a small amount of time really made me appreciate these small moments I have been gifted with or been witness to during my time here.

Since returning, I’ve had the chance to look back at some of the first photos I took from
my Canon A-1, a 35mm film camera, and I chose these photos for this assignment because
each one felt like the normalcy I have become accustomed to here in Viterbo. Each day, I pass by many of the same men and women at their windows, watching the world pass below them.
Sometimes they are chatting over the phone or with a neighbor from another nearby
window/balcony. I love it. I love the strong sense of community and the quick interactions. How lucky am I to experience your moment in time in your city.

*The author
My name is Jaycee Grider and I am from Reno, Nevada, USA. I study journalism back in the states at my local school: the University of Nevada, Reno. For the next three months, I will be living here in Viterbo as an exchange student and I’ll be traveling around Italy as well as surrounding countries. Thus far my travel abroad experience has been wonderful. Viterbo already has a very special place in my heart.

Mi chiamo Jaycee Grider e vengo da Reno, Nevada, USA. Studio giornalismo negli Stati Uniti presso l’Università del Nevada, Reno. Per i prossimi tre mesi, vivrò qui a Viterbo come studente di scambio e viaggerò in Italia e nei paesi circostanti. Finora la mia esperienza di viaggio all’estero è stata meravigliosa. Viterbo ha già un posto molto speciale nel mio cuore.