GL week 7

So this is it, my very last GL blog! It is crazy I feel like just yesterday I was sitting down in class and professor was going over the specifics for what our blogs should include and all I was thinking was ughh eight blogs is so many! How wrong was I, honestly I don’t even know where the time or the blogs have gone; all I know is right now I am writing my last blog and entering my last week here. Being in Rome has truly been an experience I will always remember and one in which I have gained so much.

This in particular this week I have been able to go places and experience things that still just blow my mind. Tuesday was one of my favorite days this entire trip I think. When I decided to go on this trip I looked into taking some online course and it happened that I was able to take an education class. For the education class it required that I do field study in Italy. Yes that’s right that meant I had to go and observe in an Italian school, and finally after waiting weeks and weeks I was able to go this week and observe. So Tuesday Brandon, Katie Moore, Katie Bell, and I all headed to the elementary school in Albano to talk to seven and eight year olds about Thanksgiving. Walking through the school it was obvious there were a lot of differences between an Italian elementary school and an American elementary school. I mean one thing I noticed right of the bat was there was not nearly as many technological devices both in the classroom and in the school in general. In the classroom then we had a translator who translated to the students for us. Watching the faces of the children while we were talking was so great! You could tell they were just fascinated by us being there. Afterward they had the chance to ask us questions and that was by far my favorite part. Some of the questions they came up to ask us were so cute and funny and when they asked us their questions in English it just made me smile. Being in that classroom was definitely something I won’t forget.

 Wednesday morning we went to the Papal audience which I don’t even have words to describe that experience. We had to catch the 6:36 am train into Rome in order to get good seats and as much as I was dreading the early wake-up call getting to sit in the second row was worth it! Sitting waiting for the Pope to come out the anticipation was sky-high for me; especially in that last couple minutes when the Swiss guards came out in preparation of the Pope’s arrival. Finally then when the Pope came out from behind the door it was an experience like no other. The lights shone down, everyone stood up and started clapping, and I just had goose-bumps it was just so cool! Then when the Pope gave his speech in SEVEN different languages I was mind blown again! I mean being here I know first-hand how difficult it is to learn a new language and to learn seven I just can’t even imagine! This weekend Brandon and I plan to travel to Rome and see the Pope again at Piazza di Spagna and I’m so excited. I mean to see the Pope once was once in a lifetime, seeing him twice is just unbelievable! 

Thursday then was another early morning out for us. We took a train two hours out to Nettuno and visited the American Cemetery which was another experience I won’t forget! Being there and seeing the soldiers who gave their lives’ for our country was very humbling. There we walked around and wandered for a while. We learned that twenty-three sets of brothers were buried there. From there we walked towards Santa Maria Gotti which was a church with a fairly modern story behind it. Santa Maria lived during the 1950’s and I found it very interesting that the church we were visiting was hers. Typically the churches we visit are very historical and some instances are decaying slightly. You could definitely tell this church was more modern.

Throughout the week we have been reading the book The Talented Mr. Ripley and I’m proud to say I’m done! Although I’m not sure that is much of an accomplishment; the book wasn’t hard to read at all but still nonetheless being finished is nice. While although I am nothing like Tom Ripley I feel like some of the experiences and thoughts he had I too can compare myself to and agree with. When Tom talks about Venice I feel the same way. Although I never wanted to avoid Venice I wasn’t necessarily thrilled to go, I thought I would be disappointed. However, like Tom, I was pleasantly surprised and now looking back Venice was one of my favorite spots. “He had thought only sentimentalists and American tourists raved over Venice… He found Venice much bigger than he supposed, full of Italians who looked like Italians anywhere else… and that the major canals had a transportation system of motor launches just as fast and efficient as the subway system.” I too expected Venice to be very touristy but walking down little alley ways and that wasn’t the case and I too, like Tom, thought the transportation system was very efficient, I believe it ran every 10 minutes? Whatever the wait time was it really wasn’t any different than the buses and trains we had been used to.

Closing now I guess there really isn’t much more to say other than part of me is really sad to see eight week approaching. While it’s been a great experience and I’m ready to go home and see my family and celebrate Christmas and the New Year I feel like part of me will always want to come back to Italy and experience it all over again. Like I’ve said before though the only thing to do is make sure this last week is made as memorable as possible! Ciao!