The object I chose that best represents my family history and me is a small ring. It is not an antique having been passed down to me through my family nor does it hold any real worth besides the forty euros I spent on it. But, the memories it holds for me are irreplaceable. I bought it over the summer in a jewelry store in San Marino. When I bought the gold ring with a magenta gem stoned colored focal piece, the adjustable band was sized to fit around my finger perfectly. The thin gold band connects to a gold circular perimeter that encompasses a magenta piece cut into a circle with triangular cuts on its surface. The gold circular perimeter is molded into two circles of tiny beads. The perimeter has four clasps that hold the circular focal piece keeping the ring in tact.

I bought the ring while on a trip last summer. It was a trip I had been waiting my whole life to make. My mother’s parents came to America in the 1950’s from San Marino. While members of my family have been able to make trips back to San Marino, I had never been fortunate enough to visit my grandparent’s homeland. Because I had never been to San Marino and experienced our culture for myself, I always felt this disconnect from my family and our culture.

However, San Marino has a sort of trip available to descendants who live abroad. The trip is sponsored by the government of San Marino making it free for me to make the trip I had been waiting for. So, in June I traveled to San Marino and spent four weeks soaking in the culture and beauty of my grandparent’s homeland. While in the main city center, I came across a few stores that carried Marlú jewelry. I felt as if this ring kept following me around San Marino and finally made the decision to purchase it my last week in San Marino. With the ring and my time in San Marino coming to an end, I could also feel the gap between my family and culture closing.

When I look at the ring, it brings me back to those four weeks. I think of the friends I made from Argentina and France who also participated in the trip. I think of Claudio trying to help me print my train tickets and his hotel where we stayed and ate most of our meals. I think of Sarah, Ava, and Arianna who I traveled to Florence and Venice with after getting no sleep and trying to navigate the European transit system. But, most importantly the ring makes me remember all of the beauty and happiness that San Marino provides in its people and architecture.