This is me.
I wrote a post a week ago or so entitled "It's windy outside." This is one of the products from that day.
Metra is a great photographer. She developed the film and I got a copy to take home. It's going on my wall. But I took a picture to share because I thought it was cool.
Alright, I know my blog is getting a little text heavy, but I thought I’d write a lil’ more.
This week: I barely made it through stressful midterms and the planning of Spring Break. I was accompanied by a lovely cold/allergy of some sort.
Umbra was open late this week, and provided me to be online late, around 9 and 10pm so that it was noontime in Cali and I got to chat with certain people, which made me really happy.
I’ll probably have little to no internet access next week because Spring Break will include lots of travel. I will very soon meet up with Ikuma Lumeya from FPU! She is coming to visit and I am so excited to travel with her and to see someone from home. Ikuma is awesome. My roommate, Metra, will be traveling with us as well.
Thursday night I'll be in Rome and Friday morning I’m headed to Frankfurt, Germany where I will spend one day there, and the next few in Munich. We’ll be checking out Gothe’s house (for all the literary nerds), castles galore (hopefully), a walk on the “Romantic Road” connecting Frankfurt and Munich, a bike tour in Munich (which sounds amazing), etc.
We head to Venice early Tuesday morning. We will spend the day there and fly out later that Tuesday night to Paris where we will be staying with Ikuma’s family. Then it’s back to Rome on Saturday for Ikuma and I. We will see the sights.
Monday begins the last seven weeks of class. I’m kinda looking forward to the end of class only because I’m looking forward to the few weeks I’ll have in Europe to travel after. This will be a glorious thing.
Also
Thanks for actually reading my blog. I often don’t know who or how many people actually reads this stuff, but it encourages me when someone tells me that they do or leave a comment. I don’t expect everyone to spend time on this, I know I don’t often have the most worthwhile things to say, haha.
But I’m grateful for friends and family who are kind enough to read.
That’s about it.
"And he was amazed at their lack of faith." Mark 6:6
Isn't it crazy to think that Jesus is sometimes amazed at our lack of faith?
I just made the best nostalgic music mix which compliments this blog greatly.
I had a hard time sleeping last night (Sunday night) 1. Because there was a lot on my mind, 2. Because I'm allergic to something in my room and I don't know what it is. I ended up getting only a few hours of sleep and this led to the next day.
I suppose that I forgot to turn on my alarm because I ended up waking up to a roommate using a hairdryer at 9:30 Monday morning. I flipped out of bed because I had class at 10. I rushed to and fro the apartment sneezing and blowing my nose from allergies and five minutes till class I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror to realize that my shirt was on inside out. This is how I knew that today was going to be a backwards day.
Surviving my 10 o'clock Italian class leaking nose and all, I ran to writing class to find that the teacher had moved our class to 2. My fellow classmates and I were not too happy about this, so Sarah and I decided to go to our favorite lunch time stop, Parma. When we finally got there, I remembered that I forgot my wallet at home. No lunchtime Parma for me. Sarah went back to school, but I stopped at my apartment to take a nap and make a nutella and jam sandwich.
Just as I laid down for a nap, Sarah called to tell me that class was canceled. Terrific, I thought. Maybe it wouldn't be such a backwards day. I remembered that I brought Benadryl with me in case I ever wanted to fall asleep on a plane ride, so I took it in hopes of curing my allergies and laid on my bed as the warm sun hit me perfectly in the afternoon. I slept for a good 2 hours and then I groggily woke up to remember that I should be taking advantage of this time by studying for midterms.
I went to my final class for the day and spent a half an hour on the internet before coming home. I still had allergies and all I wanted was to relax and make a good dinner before hitting the books one more time. So I walked up to my apartment on Via della Cupa and dug around in my backpack for my keys.
What else would you expect on backwards day, other than forgetting both your wallet AND keys at home? Yes, my cell phone too.
So there I was, standing outside my apartment building at dinner time with an itchy nose and sneezes that came ever so randomly. I sat down on the steps and looked up at the darkening sky. I remembered telling my roommate the day before that I wanted to make weekly goals to try to accomplish for the rest of my study abroad trip. Part of this week's goal was for me to take 10 minutes out of each day to simply sit, and be still. I don't want to get caught up in the busyness of life as a SA student that I forget to enjoy where I am.
The stone steps under me were cold as they pressed against my jeans and my warm laptop battery was against my back. I'm in Italy. I don't think this has really hit me like it did today. Being here, on this adventure, has always been my dream, ever since I was a child. And now I'm in this beautiful place, living in this beautiful building, looking at apartments with patios on the top floor that over looks the city. I always wanted to live in an apartment like that. I wonder what their life is like.
As was sitting out there with no way to get into my apartment, but it was actually good to be forced to be still. Lately I've been thinking too much about things of which I have no control, worries of my future work, boy girl relations, family, all things of the future. But I have no control over these things. What will happen, will happen. Just like being locked out of my apartment. I have no control, but things will be okay. I can only take life one step at a time, trusting that God will help me through it. Why worry about things that you can't control? Instead, enjoy the moment that you are in. Like sitting on the steps, looking at the city.
Eventually, our neighbor came and opened the door. I followed her in and luckily my roommates were home when I knocked on the door.
Ironically, this was part of my set Bible reading for today:
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."
Mark 6:30-32
What if you turned the corner and found this?
Notice the fresco at the top. It's old.
I found a wonderful park.
The dog was chasing the birds.
This reminds me of that song, "Better is one day in Your courts, than a thousand elsewhere..."
Graffiti is sad, but it can make for great pictures.
I took this from a window. I couldn't go in, but I heard someone praying out loud in Latin.
On my way home, I found this shop with a t.v. playing a soccer game and people on the street were watching it.
I wrote this for Creative Writing class. I thought it might make an interesting post. Let me know what you think.
***
As I take a stroll down Via dei Priori my head is hardly turned for any man who loiters the street because I know how a true Italian woman walks. Although I have a desire for assimilating into this culture, there is only one exception to this unspoken rule and this exception has salt and pepper hair.
Forget the "ciao bellas" and wandering eyes of Italy and think of something a bit more polite, yet no less flattering. Although it may be uncommon, consider the gentleman that one might find here. There are many stereotypes applied to the men of this country and many of them are true. However, even stereotypes have exceptions. My exception lies at the delicious lunch-time stop, Parma.
In this small bustling store, there is a short, neatly put together, Italian man with salt and pepper hair. He has a blue collared shirt tucked under his white and black Parma uniform and his fashionably pressed jeans lead to his very Italian shoes. He does not know my name or exactly where I come from. All he knows is that I frequent the store he has worked in for years and that I sometimes have trouble with the door.
An obstacle in Italy for me is often, simply understanding which way the door opens. In the States, if there is a handle on the door, you would generally pull it. But no, this is all too complicated in Italy.
One late night I visited Parma for dinner; and this gentle Parma man was standing behind the counter. As I accidentally pulled against the handle, he scurried toward the glass doors and opened it for me. Such a small gesture could not have made my day more, that is, until I saw what he did after I paid for my sandwich. He opened the door, for me, again.
And still, whenever the store is not busy and Parma man can see me approaching the door, he will come and open it for me. Even after taking my money, he will lean over and pull on the handle with a very kind smile and "ciao, buongiorno." Although, I'm not sure if Parma man believes me to be completely incapable of opening doors as a whole, but such a matter is not relevant to me.
With more than one occasion for me to stroll past Parma, I often look through the window and happen to see Parma man. He catches my eye and simply winks to acknowledge my passing. Although other Italian men might have other motives, I am convinced that Parma man's intentions are purely friendly as he simply says "ciao" with respect. And it's refreshing.
Who knows if I'm not the only one to receive such attention, I'm probably not. However lame it sounds, it makes me feel special and it's this very small act that keeps me coming back for more Parma sandwiches. (Well, that and the sandwich itself.)
It is true, Italian men are charming in more than one way and it is such a pleasure to find such gentlemen. So, whenever I take a stroll down Via dei Priori, I nonchalantly search for the salt and peppered Parma man. If he is ever spotted, it usually makes my afternoon.
First of all, frankly, i see nothing wrong with sunbathing through a window because it is simply freezing outside. See, I'm turning white! I miss the California sunshine; I hope we get it here soon!Thank you for emails, comments, messages, im dates and non-dates, letters, postcards, everything thoughtful, and per me mama e papa e nona e nono per gli pacci. I hope that you all have a wonderful day and know that you all mean more to me than you might realize.
*Check below for some Venice pictures, a story might follow, but i'm not sure yet. I have some good stories.
Today has been such a self reflective day. A little earlier, I was looking at my pillow. It is striped with orange and yellows and white, and I found a particular color that stood out to me. This color was a mix between an orange and pink, and I desperately wanted to write as a million memories and reflections and profound thoughts, came rapidly roaring into my head. But alas, now as I look into the pillow, that color is no longer there. What a strange thing.
Looking back on the past month or so, it's cool because I have been able to see God in a different way. It's crazy how BIG our God is. He is everywhere.
I was on a bus ride in Tuscany and passing the beautiful farms and landscape I was so amazed. I looked into the sunlight and realized, 'this is such a new sight for me, but for you, God, you've always seen it. You created it.' It was such an amazing thought and I guess I was feeling lonely for friends and family because I was instantly comforted, knowing that he was there with me, and looking over the same thing as he has in the past, many times.
When I was on my overnight train ride to Venice, I was cold and uncomfortable. It was a new way to experience the night. Then I started thinking about God and how there have probably been many other people just like me riding on a night train in Italy cold and uncomfortable, while I'm a million miles away tucked into my warm bed. And he is both places. He brings me comfort when I'm in my warm bed in Fresno, as he can bring anyone else comfort on their night train ride in Europe. He is so BIG.
And he is the God of everyone. Every person I meet, pass on the street, recognize from the shops near my apartment. He loves them and knows every hair on their head, every thought in their mind. We are all one big family, it's just that many people haven't realized that yet.
I wish I had more realizations like these.
that's me
This is for my brother.
We stopped to have lunch.
Got lost and found a garden.
There is a couple out there. It was cute.
Happy Valentines Day!
We came home too late but it was good because we saw the sun set while on the boat ride home.
Beautiful San Marco's square, i wish i could have seen it during the day.
I absolutely adore this outfit. I wish i could take it off the manican and wear it for the rest of my life.
