sesto giorno

Monday, May 9, 2011

Ladies and Gents of the USA!

I miss you all like crazy!

We woke up at the crack of dawn this morning and took a 2.5 hour train ride into Assisi.

It was absolute paradise! As I stared out the window, the scenery was filled with rolling green hills, vineyards, endless rows of olive trees, cobblestone pathways, and old Tuscan-style buildings with shutters and flower boxes on the windows. In the months leading up to this adventure, whenever I pictured myself spending a month in Italy, THAT was the backdrop in all my daydreams. That’s exactly how I pictured this country to look and I was thrilled to finally have it meet my expectations. It was seriously a dream. Imagine a little cobblestone village on the top of this huge green hill overlooking the entire valley. It was breathtaking!

I loved taking a break from the fast-paced, tourist-infested, dirty, busy streets of Rome. It was so great to go somewhere a little more low-key and peaceful. We had the opportunity to step out of our tourist shoes and step into the shoes of the locals. More than seeing all the famous sites, I absolutely love taking the time to observe and take part in the culture. I like to see and experience the way of life in the new places I visit; to understand their lifestyle on a day-to-day basis. To me, experiencing Italy in the shoes of an Italian means so much more than standing behind a camera and a notepad gawking at naked statues. Don’t get me wrong, I’m stoked to see David, but I think we often time lose out on such wonderful opportunities to learn the culture because we’re too busy being tourists and get caught up in the “must-see’s”.

We were allowed a lot of free time to explore the area on our own, which I loved! We walked up and down all the streets, stopping in every shop, little café, and scenic lookout. It was such a relaxing day and the change of pace was warmly welcomed!

There were quite a few churches, cathedrals, and basilicas in the area that we were able to walk through. We saw the little boxes where people ask for forgiveness from their Father, for they have sinned. It was so crazy to see those in real life! I never understood that those are a legitimate and prevalent part of many people’s religion. We saw worshiping in service… Prayer, offerings, candlelight, chanting… The works! At first, it was a little spooky being in the presence of such a different culture and religion. The things they do are so different and their churches and services seem so dark. The light is so dim, the crucifix is everywhere, and the chanting is so eerie. As different as it was, the more I saw it, the more humbled and appreciative I became. This place has given me such an understanding of religion. Although we may not worship in the same way, these people are such an example to me in their incredible devotion and dedication to their church. They are some of the most passionate and religious people I have ever seen and it is inspiring to be in their presence. It inspires me to embrace my religion and put more of myself into my faith. I am so blessed to have the true gospel in my life, yet I fail to show half the devotion and passion of the Catholics I’ve seen here. It is such a reverent place and it is so humbling to be in the presence of such passionate worshippers. I can’t say I found my testimony at a Catholic church in Italy, but I can certainly say I gained a greater appreciation for religion and a desire to develop a similar passion for it.

The coolest thing happened today!!! So, I was passing these people on a verrrry narrow staircase, so we were getting pretty intimate. We’ve had yet to find anyone who speaks English, so I usually just smile and try to get my point across with my hands. Well, as one of the ladies past me, she said, “Hello!” and my entire face lit up as I said, “Hello!” back to her! I was so excited to be able to communicate with someone outside our group! She asked where I was from and after I told her I asked where they were from. When she told me Oregon, I let out a squeal and told her I’d be moving there once I got home from Italy! I had a nice little chat with her, her husband, and her two female friends. It turns out that this lady and her husband live right in the same area that Gage and I will be living in and they are actually some sort of city council members in Beaverton!!! He gave me his card and said, “Call me if you ever need anything! We have 6 kids, and we know how it is to have them move away on their own where they don’t know anyone else… We’d want someone to be there for our kids! It can be hard when you don’t know anyone nearby. If there’s ever an emergency or you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call!” It was the sweetest thing, I almost cried. (Gage, they actually live on Multnomah Boulevard! I can’t picture in my head where that is at, but I know I’ve heard Gina the GPS say it a million times while we’ve been driving around!) What a small world, yeah?? One of the ladies they were with works at the University of Oregon and she wrote down our last name so she could cheer for Gage when they play PSU! The other lady gave me her name and number and said, “I have a daughter that’s your age and she runs around with a really great group of gals. There are about 7 of them and they’re such nice, fun, good girls. It can be hard living somewhere away from home without any friends… Even if you’re married. Call me when you get settled in and I’ll give my daughter your name and number. They won’t hesitate to call you and make you feel right at home! They’d love to have a new friend under their wing. And it’ll help you a lot to get adjusted to your new home!” So… there ya go! I go all the way to Italy to find new friends in Portland! How crazy is that, though?? They were the nicest people. I was overwhelmed with shock and gratitude as they did everything they possible could to reach out to me! Like, for example, when the wife told me, “Now you do know it rains a lot in Oregon, right??” Haha, I’m sure glad I had her warning! Really, tho. They were incredible people and I think it was a lot more than coincidence that I ran into them. Even if I don’t ever end up hanging out with her daughter or calling that couple for help, it’s comforting to know there are at least 2 people in that state I can call if something comes up. And it’s crazy to think that all came to be 7,000 miles away in Italy! Funny how little things fall into place like that!

Well, it’s midnight here and we have to get up in 6 or 7 hours for another long day, so I’m going to call it a night!

I miss you all. I didn’t want to admit it until at least halfway into the trip, but I’m already a little homesick. I can’t wait to see you guys!

Ciao! Mi manchi!

Wit