Becoming Reacquainted with Home

I can now say that I am home. I have been home for a little over a week. The past few months feel like they have been a dream. For the past three months I really have been living in Italy. It feels like I have been barely been gone, though. Just to reinforce that, when my flight from Pittsburgh back in September left, I bored from gate 6. Then when my plane landed in Pittsburgh last week, I arrived at gate 6. The same gate. I felt like I had just stepped outside for a few minutes.

There were some adjustments to being home. For one, I had to reacquaint myself with driving. In Rome I could hop on a bus to get wherever. In some ways I have grown fond of those buses. I will admit I hated how crowded they got. Yet they freed me from the responsibility of focusing on the road. That newfound free time could be used to talk to my friends. I missed driving, though. The car is much less cramped and I know that the car will get me to where I am going much faster than a bus.

Being at home makes speaking much easier too. Everyone here speaks English. It is a relief not having to think about how to say what I want to say. Speaking Italian everyday was for me, though. I thrived under that challenge. Theres definately pros and cons to both.

Beyond any of those, the biggest adjustment to coming home is see how much those I left behind I have changed. While I was seeing the world, life at home continued. My parents continued going to work, my friends continued going to class, new relationships formed, some relationships ended. Life continued racing ahead. Mine had raced ahead as well, in a different direction, though. Coming back home, so many disjointed paths have rejoined. Making sense of it all, though, brings alot of joy. We all have so many stories to tell each other. The places our paths took us, what adventures we had, the foes we conquered, and the friends we made: all this brings new light to the friendships I am finding again after three months.

In many ways I am returning to a home the same and a home different. I am coming back a person the same yet different. Seeing how life develops from this point will be a joy-filled time.

Grace that will lead me home...

I never thought I would be able to say it, but I am leaving Rome tomorrow. I can barely believe that I am writing my blog about this. Leaving Rome has brought such a flurry of emotions to my thoughts. I really do not know just how to feel. Should I be sad to leave? Should I be happy to start a new period in my life? Should I be so happy to go home that I can think of nothing else? Processing these thoughts further divides me, but I know that by doing that I can find understanding.

The first thought I feel is sadness to leave. After I have been living in Rome for three months, I can truly say that it is beginning to feel like home. I love the rush of people around me, the flocks of tourists, and the many foreign languages being spoken around me. In Rome Baptist I have found a steady church. I am beginning to become established there; I was just starting to make friends and build a church family. In addition to that, I greatly enjoy the 16 other Geneva students with whom I live. Though we come from different crowds, we have become so close. And now in the end the bonds are beginning to strengthen. As the end comes, much is beginning.

The second thought I feel is happiness to be home. I have a great family to welcome me home. Talking to my mom, she has told me how excited she is to cook me real American food. I must say I am looking forward to that. I have great friends waiting for me at home. Seeing them again we are going to have such a great time catching up and telling each other stories. I have also great friends waiting for me at a great school called Geneva. These past three months could seem really long when I thought about home.

As I stare at the suitcases in my room and the piles of stuff waiting to be packed, I find it exceedingly difficult to put my thoughts about leaving into words. It is a difficult divide, to want to stay here and go home. Many times in life, your loves become further spread out than you can reach. If you have something great in one place and something else in another, you cannot keep both. You have to choose. That choice is painful. As hard as it is, as much sadness as it brings me, I can truly say that God has been with me through the whole thing. When I was homesick his daily grace gave me the strength to move forward. And now that I am torn about leaving Rome, his same grace is with me. Whether I am in Rome or Washington, God, the love I will always be able to reach, is with me. In that is comfort. It is like that famous hymn, Amazing Grace, says, "And grace will lead me home."

A Blissful Moment in the Town of Vernazza

A few weeks ago I discovered one of the most beautiful places I have seen in all of Italy. Surrounding this town are deep green olive orchards set in terraces climbing up the hills like stairs. The quiet town is girded by rocky mountains on almost every side. On the other side the gentle and constant sea greets the village. In the town itself there are many streets, only one main street and many serpentine back streets. All of the buildings are painted in vibrant shades of red, blue, orange, or green. This pallet of colored houses blends perfectly to give the eye a worthy treat. The best part of the village is that it seems almost undiscovered by tourists. The locals go about their daily lives with mirth and joy. As they go about their business, they often take breaks to sit down with one another and share a good, hearty laugh. Their business does not drive them; they are much happier spending time together. Noise pollution does not exist in this town. It is blissfully absent of cars and walmarts and mcdonalds. They only noises to be heard for miles around are the happy chatters of locals and the waves rubbing along the beach. This is the village of Vernazza.

On one quiet Friday night I came into this sleepy town. I started off my evening by exploring the nooks and crannies. Each new corner had some new discovery to offer: I found focaccia bread for only 1 euro (about $1.50), little coffee shops that make neat designs on the foam using brown sugar, and a coastline that makes your heart skip a beat. The waters were a clean, deep blue that pierced the eye and drew it in. When I saw the sea, I could do nothing but stare. Its calming waves washed away distractions as I remained staring into its far-reaching mystery; indeed, the waters seemed to spread out to the heavens. So my friends and I watched the water for at least half an hour.

After I was introduced to the sea, I went with my three friends Jessica, Shaila, and Maria for dinner. We found a small seafood restaurant. What we expected to be a normal dinner turned into an epic hour long sing-along. While eating our food (I got gnocchi al pesto) the proprietor of the restaurant and a friend were playing the guitar and singing, respectively. Upon finishing, the proprietor, who was called Piva, handed the guitar to us. In his accented English he urged us to play something. Well, Maria was the only one among us who knew how to play guitar, and on top of that she only knew a few worship songs by heart. So, in a small Italian restaurant in a town few people know, four voices, raised in unison, sang "Blessed Be Your Name." This song is about thanking God for whatever life brings. In that moment I was truly grateful to Christ for bringing me to such a beautiful place. After praising God in that restaurant for a few songs, we passed the guitar back to Piva and his singing friend Jonny. We thought we would get our bill and leave after that. We were wrong. Piva gave all for of us free limoncello's (its an Italian drink) and beckoned for us to join him in singing. Now none of us knew any of these Italian songs, but we did our best and improvised alot. We were soon joined by a college professor on sabbatical and a Swedish opera singer. How else could this night have gotten anymore fun?

After that exciting adventure, the four of us headed back to the shore for one last look before bed. Amidst our walk to the shore, we encountered again Piva, Jonny, and the professor. The party continued on. It didn't last too long because Jonny was trying a little too much to put the moves on the professor (a female professor. just thought it would help to clarify at this point). So we kindly moved to return to our hotels. You would think our night would end at that point. Well, there was more. We were intercepted by some others who had been at Piva's restaurant. They invited us to join them in some random guy's wine cellar. So the four of us and the professor went down to the wine cellar of Giacopo with three other Americans.

After that we were able to finally get some sleep. Funny thing is that this all happened on just the first day. Our second day was very fun, but toned down in comparison. We spent it taking a scenic hike from Vernazza to the neighboring village of Corniglia.

Soon after arriving in Corniglia it was time to leave already. The time I spent in Vernazza will never be forgotten. I enjoyed for just two days getting lost in the beauty of Vernazza. Like the sea did for me the first night, Vernazza swept away the distractions of homework and responsibility. If even for just two days I was able to live unhinged in the heart of a shimmering Italian village. I will never forget that moment in blissful Vernazza

Scaring Up a Good Time

I had just spent the last ten days frollicking around Western Europe and school had just begun again for the second half of the semester. I was worn out from all the traveling and school. Through all this business I had overlooked the celebration of halloween. While children throughout America were going from house to house and receiving delicious sweet treats, I was running to catch a train from Paris to Rome. It was an adventure. Celebrating Halloween was far from my mind. Little did I know what was in store for me.

The Monday after I returned from Paris started out as a normal school day, but there was a special element thrown into the mix: some of the students had planned a halloween party. We were all supposed to dress up in our best costumes. I was sort of excited but I really did not know what I would wear. About halfway through the day my friend Sarah Henderson approached me and asked if I would join with her, Lisa Lyon, and Erik Ancil to dress up as a homeschooled family. I immediately loved the idea, so I gave a resounding, "HECK YES!" (cultural description: at geneva there is a stereotype that homeschoolers are kind of nerdy and socially awkward. as a disclaimer I will note that I know many homeschoolers who defy this stereotype and are in no way nerdy and/or socially awkward. if you are homeschool, please don't be offended. We did it in good fun). Sarah was the dad, Lisa was the mom, Erik was Isaiah, and I was Jeremiah (cultural description: many homeschoolers have biblical names).

So the party began and the costumed guests came in. There were many creative and memorable costumes that evening. One person dressed as Waldo. I am proud to say that I have now found him (he actually turned out to be a her). Another person, Danzak, came as one of the bag ladies from the central terminal in Rome. It was the creepiest costumes I have seen in a while, but it was very good. It inspired lots of laughter from the group.

As the night continued on, we had a miny trick or treating. We went to the doors of our guests, Nancy Pelaia and Dr. Cole. They had for us free Geneva Semester in Rome hoodies and Geneva towels. Very good treats.

The halloween party was a nice break from the tedium of the daily schedule. We had alot fun dressing up and eating gratuitous amounts of candy. As a group, I must say that we know how to have a good time.

Ten Day Break

On Friday, October 23 I began what could possibly be the most exciting part yet of my life in Europe. From then until November 1st I was completely free to travel around Europe. Nothing limited where I could go; nothing limited what I could do. These ten days met me with open possibilities. Without hesitation I grabbed hold of these chances and took off.

My adventures took me to Austria, Germany, and France. Each place was different than the other. A beauty so individual was something each place possessed. The food, people, and languages were never quite the same. Yet these differences made traveling more exciting. Now to tell you about my time!

The trip first saw me and Erik to Salzburg, Austria. The train ride there, unfortunately, was miserable, long, and cramped. But, thankfully, that was not to set the tone for the rest of break. When the train stopped, we were in Vienna, Austria! I wish I had had more time there, but I had to rush to get my connecting train to Salzburg. The haste was well worth it, though. When we arrived in Salzburg, we were met by a quiet Austrian town. This was quite a change from the bustling city of Rome. The people were more reserved and the town was still. Even the weather was very sedate, for it was neither too hot nor cold nor to light nor too dark. During our time there we saw the old city, ate wurst, and accidently walked into a youth movement demonstration in the city's main cathedral. oops. That is the second demonstration I have stumbled into during the trip. The highlight of Salzburg was eating dinner at a beer hall, in which monks brewed the beer. The schnitzel and wurst were unspeakably good. Erik and I even met two random other students from America and talked to them during dinner. It was a nice conversation.

Unfortunately, our time in Salzburg came to an end. From there Erik and I separated. He went toward Bensheim and I toward Munich. After a delightful train ride through the Austrian and German countryside, I arrived in Munich. I met up with my friend Timon and stayed at his place for two days. During that time he took me to a real German high school, gave me a tour of the city, and gave me authentic German food for dinner. It was very good. Like my time in Austria, Munich came to a close and I had to move on to my next destination: Wiesbaden.

After saying goodbye to Timon, I met my cousin Keith in Wiesbaden. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner, ate real American food, and watched a movie. The time spend with him was really fun. It was good to see him; we haven't seen each other for awhile.

After Wiesbaden I went off to Paris. That city was absolutely huge, yet I did not find it difficult to navigate the city. the subway system was very helpful. During my time in Paris I saw Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre, the Arc du Triomphe, Champs D'Elysse, Notre Dame, Saint Chappelle Chapel, and Versailles. The gardens in Versailles were especially memorable. I was able to use that time in the gardens to just sit and reflect. It was relaxing.

Now I am back in Rome for the second half of the semester. This means I have only a month left. It will be difficult in some respects and the pressure will be on to finish strong, but I know I can do it! I am ready to tackle this semester and make the most of my remaining time in Rome!

Firenze: City of Sunset

Last weekend saw one of the most beautiful cities my eyes have ever been laid upon. It is a medieval city with streets so narrow that cars can barely get through. It is a city with so many shops that the whole city is a like one open air market. It is a city blessed by culture. Within the confines of two of its museums, the Academia and the Uffizi, lie hundreds of masterpieces from artists throughout the age. In that city I found Michaelangelo's David and Boticello's Birth of Venus. In short the city is breathtaking.

This city is Firenze (also known as Florence). I have some really good memories from this city. It is the place where I bought my first leather coat. It is also the place where I tasted some very good pizza. I also had an important realization there: this time in my life is such a great adventure. I would not want to trade it for anything. Truly a blessing.

The most unforgettable part of Firenze was the sunset. On Friday night, our group took a bus to a high point overlooking the entire city. As we emerged from the bus, our eyes caught sight of a sky ablaze with evening pastels. The sinking sun cast its majestic rays over the entire city. The Arno River, which runs through the center of Firenze, reflected the twilight colors. The deep oranges and reds of the sunset were complemented by the earthen colors of the city. Seeing the sunset lights on the city was like watching a beauitful dance. The sun's colors took the lead and Firenze followed its lead by complementing with colors of its own.

Firenze was truly a beautiful city. I would only be blessed to return there another day.

A Weekend In Budapest

This past weekend was an unforgettable adventure for me. I was in Budapest, Hungary. The city, the people I was with, the place we stayed all these plus more made my experience there unforgettable.

My decision to go to Budapest was not made until two days before I left. I was originally going to go to Germany that weekend. But plans fell through. So some other friends from the group invited me to go to Budapest with them. How could I resist? In Germany I had a slight idea of what I could expect. Budapest, though, was completely unknown to me. A great mystery awaited me.

When we first arrived in Hungary, we were met by a surprise. The proprietor of the hotel in which we were staying had agreed to pick us up from the airport. It was only for a small fee of 20 euros for all five of us. I had expected him to be a middle-aged man. What I saw, though, was a 24 year old, the same age as my brother. Needless to say, Marton, which is his name, turned out to be a great proprietor and guy. He took us to our apartment and then gave us two days worth of sight-seeing in the city.

Our experience in the city began quickly on Friday. We embarked on the tour Marton had laid out for us. Starting off, we went to an indoor flea market. There were many varieties of Hungarian food, clothes, toys, decorations, and many others to buy. The amount of stuff in there was overwhelming in a good way.

After that we spent the afternoon exploring the city, seeing different churches, seeing a museum, and watching an impromptu comedy group.

The day ended with all of us going to a palinka and sausage festival held on the grounds of Hungary's royal palace. While we ate delicious pretzels, we watched the city lights of Budapest shimmer in the background.

The next day we went to the Parliament building. I thought we would go see a big, pretty building then go somewhere else. That expectation was smashed almost as soon as I walked off the metro by Parliament. The group of us walked right into an anti-communist protest! I could not understand what was being said but it sounded very exciting.

After we finally broke away from the protesters, we went to Margherit Island, which lies on the Danube River. It was a nice time in which I got to enjoy a fall walk with friends and get to know them better. All around us the cool wind blew and leaves began to change their colors. The fall in Budapest reminded me so much of home. Even though Italy is gorgeous, it lacks the beauty of autumn. I have always loved that season in Pennsylvania and now Hungary.