The return:
I awoke at 4:40 Italian time on Wednesday, which was 10:40pm on tuesday in Chicago. We left at 5:15, and headed to the airport in Rome. Once there, we said a bitter goodbye to Matt, Garrett, and Annie. The rest of us went on our way, heading to Washington Dulles. As luck would have it, Carissa and I ended up sitting together on the plane, which was so nice. On the ride over to Italy I was sitting between two old men, and it was much less enjoyable.
After 10 hours in the plane, we arrived in DC. We made our way through customs (which went remarkably smoothly) before parting ways and making connections to our home cities. There were a good many tears shed (though not on my part) as we said goodbye to the people we had spent nearly every waking moment with over the last 4 months.
After a 2 hour layover, I hopped on my second flight to Chicago. On that plane ride, I sat next to a nice young man on his way home after 6 months of missions work in S. Africa. We had a nice chat, and before I knew it the plane had landed in Chicago. My dad met me at the airport, and we drove 30 minutes back home. Tara and my mom met me, and as much as I really miss everyone from the program, it was good to be home.
Unfortunately, the jet lag has been a pain. Wednesday night and last night both I woke up at 3am more or less ready to start my day. And by 3 in the afternoon I was ready for bed again. But the adjustment has been getting easier, and I'm slowly getting used to being back in the United States.
The last few months have been some of the best of my life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. But I'm looking forward to Christmas and meeting up with Gordon in Virginia next week!
Buone Feste, and arrivederci!
venerdì 18 dicembre 2009
martedì 15 dicembre 2009
Finito
Today is my last full day in Italy. The last three and a half months have been wonderful, unforgettable, and perhaps life changing. While I'm excited to go home, I'm so sad to be leaving this place. I'm leaving with wonderful memories and fantastic friendships, and I couldn't ask for anything else.
Tomorrow we leave at 5:15am, which I'm not looking forward to, and I should arrive in Chicago approximately 22 hours later. Once I get back and settled in I'll add one more update. For now, Italy-it's been a privilege. And now it's time to return.
Tomorrow we leave at 5:15am, which I'm not looking forward to, and I should arrive in Chicago approximately 22 hours later. Once I get back and settled in I'll add one more update. For now, Italy-it's been a privilege. And now it's time to return.
domenica 13 dicembre 2009
pictures from the weekend
View of Orvieto from the top of the hill we were on
The ice rink next to the duomo
sabato 12 dicembre 2009
the final weekend
Our last weekend in Orvieto and things couldn't be better. Megan and I finished working on our group project friday morning, and therefore had the rest of the weekend free. Thursday night Carissa and I started watching the mini series Dinotopia (made about 10 years ago...) and Garrett later joined us. The whole thing is like 6 hours long, so we didn't finish it until today. It's completely cheesy and ridiculous but it was fun anyway.
Last week they set up an ice skating rink next to the duomo, and this weekend it finally opened. So last night most everyone went out ice skating before dinner. We took the Doll kids too (though coming from Israel, they weren't very good at skating). It was a wonderful time, followed by gelato afterward (because it's never too cold for gelato).
Morning came early today, as Carissa, Kate, Garrett, Lexi and I woke up at 6 to watch the sunrise. Now, the sun doesn't rise until after 7, but we were on a mission of epic proportions. We set off at 6:30 and trekked across town, down an elevator to Scalo, and walked (or hiked...) for an hour before arriving at the Cappuccini Monastery across the valley. It was quite the hike up a very steep hill/mountain. But, despite my having an asthma attack and nearly dying, it was beautiful. Nothing could compare to watching the sun come up over an olive grove at the top of a mountain. After an hour of hanging out, we set off back down to Orvieto, stopping for a nutella cornetto at a cafe first.
This afternoon was spent watching Christmas movies and eating macaroni and cheese. Overall, a near perfect day.
I took pictures of both the ice skating and the sunrise this morning, but haven't uploaded them yet, so if you check back tomorrow I should have them posted.
Last week they set up an ice skating rink next to the duomo, and this weekend it finally opened. So last night most everyone went out ice skating before dinner. We took the Doll kids too (though coming from Israel, they weren't very good at skating). It was a wonderful time, followed by gelato afterward (because it's never too cold for gelato).
Morning came early today, as Carissa, Kate, Garrett, Lexi and I woke up at 6 to watch the sunrise. Now, the sun doesn't rise until after 7, but we were on a mission of epic proportions. We set off at 6:30 and trekked across town, down an elevator to Scalo, and walked (or hiked...) for an hour before arriving at the Cappuccini Monastery across the valley. It was quite the hike up a very steep hill/mountain. But, despite my having an asthma attack and nearly dying, it was beautiful. Nothing could compare to watching the sun come up over an olive grove at the top of a mountain. After an hour of hanging out, we set off back down to Orvieto, stopping for a nutella cornetto at a cafe first.
This afternoon was spent watching Christmas movies and eating macaroni and cheese. Overall, a near perfect day.
I took pictures of both the ice skating and the sunrise this morning, but haven't uploaded them yet, so if you check back tomorrow I should have them posted.
martedì 8 dicembre 2009
Twosday
Today is Two Times Tuesday. Instead of the usual three hours of class in the morning, we had 6 hours of class. Yes, that's right. The equivalent of 2 weeks of class crammed into one painfully long day. 6 hours of discussing the characters in EM Forster's Where Angels Fear to Tread. It was awful.
But it's done, and the rest of the week will be normal class hours.
This is my last full week here, and it's getting crazy. There's so much I'd like to do, but hardly any time to do it.
Last night a few of us went out after dinner, because the Christmas lights were finally turned on and it was absolutely beautiful. Nearly every street is lined with Christmas lights. The whole city was lit up, and there was live music and the shops were open late. It was so much fun.
giovedì 3 dicembre 2009
Thirteen Days.
That's what I've got left. Thirteen days of espresso, 13 days of breakfast cookies and frutti di bosco jam. 13 days of studying literature, 13 days of waking up to fog in the valley. 13 days of Loconda del Lupo, 13 days of cuddle puddles.
Out nearly four months, only 13 days remain.
In the last 94 days, I've grown accustomed to certain things that will be very strange to leave. Like living in a cold 800 year old monastery, and having the heat turned on for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening (except for when it breaks and doesn't come on at all...). I've gotten used to living in an Ikea catalog and looking out my window to see a mountain. 3 day weekend are the norm, and reading 3 books a week is not unusual.
As we wind down and begin preparations for the end of the semester, we are all faced with conflicted feelings. While I'm excited to go home and see everyone and spend Christmas with my family, I'm terribly sad to leave everyone and what has become home in the last 3 months. As much as it's nearly impossible, I'm trying not to think about leaving, and concentrate on making the most out of these last days in Italy.
I'm halfway through this last class, and it's been pretty good so far. Very challenging, having as much as 150 pages of reading in one night, but it's interesting. So far we've read Daisy Miller and the Aspern Papers by Henry James, The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and we are currently reading Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster.
Yesterday, a few of us experienced something great: Italian Cinema. Or more precisely...American cinema dubbed in Italian. Laugh all you want, but we went to see Twilight in the theater here. The second in a ridiculously stupid series about vampires, New Moon was just as funny as we had hoped. 7 of us went, and we were the only ones in the theater. It was a good thing, too, since we talked throughout the entire movie. Since we don't speak much Italian, we had knew very little of what was going on in the film, so we just made up what we thought they were saying. It was pretty fun, and let us make use of the little Italian we did know.
Speaking of Italian, our final was yesterday. The class is pass/fail, and it all depends on the final exam. Unfortunately for me (and several others) it was harder than i had imagined. So whether or not I passed is still up in the air...we'll see what happens.
Out nearly four months, only 13 days remain.
In the last 94 days, I've grown accustomed to certain things that will be very strange to leave. Like living in a cold 800 year old monastery, and having the heat turned on for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening (except for when it breaks and doesn't come on at all...). I've gotten used to living in an Ikea catalog and looking out my window to see a mountain. 3 day weekend are the norm, and reading 3 books a week is not unusual.
As we wind down and begin preparations for the end of the semester, we are all faced with conflicted feelings. While I'm excited to go home and see everyone and spend Christmas with my family, I'm terribly sad to leave everyone and what has become home in the last 3 months. As much as it's nearly impossible, I'm trying not to think about leaving, and concentrate on making the most out of these last days in Italy.
I'm halfway through this last class, and it's been pretty good so far. Very challenging, having as much as 150 pages of reading in one night, but it's interesting. So far we've read Daisy Miller and the Aspern Papers by Henry James, The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and we are currently reading Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster.
Yesterday, a few of us experienced something great: Italian Cinema. Or more precisely...American cinema dubbed in Italian. Laugh all you want, but we went to see Twilight in the theater here. The second in a ridiculously stupid series about vampires, New Moon was just as funny as we had hoped. 7 of us went, and we were the only ones in the theater. It was a good thing, too, since we talked throughout the entire movie. Since we don't speak much Italian, we had knew very little of what was going on in the film, so we just made up what we thought they were saying. It was pretty fun, and let us make use of the little Italian we did know.
Speaking of Italian, our final was yesterday. The class is pass/fail, and it all depends on the final exam. Unfortunately for me (and several others) it was harder than i had imagined. So whether or not I passed is still up in the air...we'll see what happens.
pictures from thanksgiving
The desert served to us: fruit salad in orange baskets
The enormous turkey that served somewhere around 40 people
Iscriviti a:
Post (Atom)
