It's Not "Goodbye", It's "See you Later"!

Ciao friends!

Sad to say, but this is the final post for my journey in Roma. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it for all of you!

By the way, I am safely back home in the US! It's good to be back. You will see why at the end of this post... :)

Let's travel back in time a little bit before parting ways...

Where to even begin!? I have been thinking of what to say for this final post, and I thought I would share a few things that I have learned in my time here. Some of them will be more deep, but most will be ones to create a laugh! Here we go! Let's see how much I have learned in 4 months! Enjoy!

1. "You never know, if you never try"- Countless number times, there would be once in a lifetime opportunities that would present themselves and every time, I would keep this phrase in my mind and didn't pass up any of them that came my way. I experienced things I never thought I could and would. All I had to do was say yes and try it out, and amazing experiences came out of them without fail! 
2. Italians dress for the season, not the weather- this is mostly true for winter time- they bundle up in really nice full winter coats even though it is still nice warm weather. To be like a true Italian, I have fallen into there dressing habits and needless to say, I have been hot as heck in my wool coat, with the sun beating down on my head...but hey, I am in Rome and I do as the Romans do. 
3. You DO NOT drink out of of coke can straight (bottles are more accepted because they have a cap). You ALWAYS put it into a cup before drinking it- you don't know where it has been, and to put your mouth on it... yuckie. If you do this, your cover has been blown and they know you are American. 
4. Pope Francis is worth waking up early and waiting 5 hours for. If you need to practice your patience, go to something where he will be there. But I promise you leave with a smile on your face and joy in your heart. Enough said. 
5. This one is a hard thing to read (harder to hear in person from an Italian): Spagetti and Meatballs and Chicken Parmesan is not an Italian invented meal. It is Americanized, sad to say. Didn't find it once while in Italy. And I looked hard. Sad, I know. Broke my little heart on the very first day. 
6. Having ice cubes in your drink does not exist! What! Crazy! I actually didn't notice it for a while. One day I was like, "Oh, I haven't had ice in 3 weeks! Woah. I miss it!" There would be very few times that they would give ice (probably because they knew we were American), but I never counted on it! It was a nice little treat if I did get an ice cube or two. 
7. The concept of forming lines barely exist in Italy. Its a free- for-all. So you can just go to the front and shove your way through and they won't really get too mad...even if they do, you probably won't understand it... so oh well... :)

* I am currently sitting on my flight back to the US as I write this! I'm about 2,000 miles away from Philly, my connection spot. So excited! I'll be home soon! By the time you read this, I will be home safe and sound*

We went out to dinner out last "free" night to our favorite restaurant that we probably went to about 50 times in the span of 115 days- we told them it was out last night being there, in hopes that we would get really good service. Needless to say, the service got really good!! They asked if everything was good (Tutti bene!?) about 5 times during a span of 15 minutes. Then at the end, they asked us if we wanted Tirmasu, and he sold us on it, so we split one. It was amazing to say at the least. Two minutes later, they bring us 2 Lemonchellos. These things are dangerously good! They originate from Italy but have become popular in the US. I liked it but my friend didnt so much, so I had hers, and then they came back and asked if we wanted another! They said, "It's free!"....we passed. We had already split a bottle of wine... We checked the bill and sure enough the Tiramisu and the lemonchello's were free. After this, they said in Italian (which I understood completely), "You are the two most beautiful girls from the Universtiy that come to Spaccio". This melted our heart, and then we realized once again that it was our last time there. A great way to end, and a great memory made!



I am skipping ahead because there is too much I did in the last day and I don't want you to be reading forever (and I can't type that much, quite honestly!) Just know that I was busy and getting my last minute sights in before time was up! I got to most of them (at least the ones that meant the most to me).  We went to the Christmas tree lighting and unveiling of the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square which was very pretty.

The Seminarians from the NAC invited us up for breakfast on Saturday morning, which consisted of pancakes and Frigidaruim gelato on top. DELICIOUS! It was a nice way to start off the last day, and a chance to spend some last few moments with these amazing spiritual fathers who have been with us all semester.

After this, we only had about 4 hours until we had to get ready to go to Mass and dinner. Not a lot of time for what I was hoping to do. I really only had time for 2 of the 3 things I had in mind. So I said, "St. Peters or Villa Borguese Gardens?" St. Peter's means so much to me, so I went there and waited in line for almost an hour, and spent great time in prayer one last time before leaving. A dopo, San Pietro!


Final dinner time!! It was delicious! One of the Seminarians actually sat next to me which was nice! A nice 4 course meal we had. I will miss it! Then our director stood up and said, "Congratulations, you are done. It has been a great semester! We wish the very best for you". A cry fest broke out among almost everyone. Our group got really close and it was hard to leave each other. To this moment, it hasn't really hit me that I am in the middle of the North Atlantic ocean and not coming back to Italy.... It's been quite the blessed experience!

Best for last- I didn't finish packing until 2 am.... only slept for about an hour and woke up at 6am. Turned out our flight not only got delayed from 11:35 to 12, but worse- 11:35am to 1pm. We were already at the airport a 8am when we we informed of this lovely piece of information. So we sat there for 5 hours. Brutal. Good news is that one of the seminarians was actually at the airport too, so we met up and spent some of that time together before he had to board his flight. That was a really nice thing for him to do. It meant a lot to my friend and I. Even better, when I got to Philly, I only had 30 minutes to get through Customs, get my luggage, recheck it, go back thru security, and get on my flight. The phrase, "Keep calm and carry on" kept running through my mind, as I wondered how this was going to work out. I hear, "Final boarding for San Diego" (I just got to the rechecking bag line at this point..uh oh. This isn't good). I get through security, and I am looking for my gate, which was A6. I see A1, A2, A3, A4, A5,... A7, A8.... WAIT! WHERE THE HECK IS GATE A6!! Just when I realize that A6 is missing, and I need rush to find it, I hear, "This is the last call for flight to San Diego, doors close in 2 minutes" OH, NOW THIS REALLY ISNT GOOD! WHERE IS A6!!!!!!!! I finally see it ahead of me about 300 yards, thankfully, and I start running like Forest Gump with 2 bags on my shoulders! Out of breath at this point, I get up to the counter and they say, "Great, you made it! You are the last one, they are waiting for you". I stepped on the plane and all eyes looked up at me.... SORRY GUYS... BLAME THE AIRLINE... NOT ME! I sit down and try and catch my breath and calm down. I need a stiff drink at this point. The attendant comes over and says, "would you like a cocktail"? In which I respond, "Yes, Vodka and Sprite please and thank you". Down the hatch it quickly went and before I knew it, I was out for the count for most of the flight. Geeesh. GET ME HOME! I touched down in San Diego with joyful tears in my eyes and a very grateful heart. Seeing my parents was the best sight I'd seen the the last 24 hours. I've never been so happy to be home in my life.

La vita e bella! Ti amo Roma, a dopo! 

(Life is beautiful! I love you Roma, see you later)

Well, this is where I say goodbye. Thank you for taking the time to read this and journey with me. Wherever you are in the world, I too, wish you the very best and hope that you grab the bull by its horns and adventure about as much as you can in this big world. It truly is an amazing place, that has so much to offer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Peace and Blessings to all,

Anne 

Where's the wine at?!?

Caio friends!!!!! 

This girl is officially finished with this semester!! 

It was quite the 7 LONG days. Too much to do, too little time, too little of sleep and not enough chocolate. Despite this, I GOT THRU IT ALL!!! I can now leave it all behind, and remember that I did the best I could and there's nothing I can do at this point but hope I got good grades.

Last night, we had "Late Night Breakfast", CUA Rome style. For those who don't know, it is something really awesome that colleges and universities do during finals week. So they have a massive breakfast at midnight for us who are still studying and need food (and a break!)

Since we weren't at CUA to join in, we made our own here in Rome. We had pancakes, one-eyed Egyptian pancakes, eggs, bacon, OJ and fruit. It was DELICIOUS!!! Then I studied until 1am and went to sleep fat and happy! :)

So... at this moment in time, I am starting to pack. I just bought another small suitcase (carry-on size, but I am checking it) because I know that I am going to have to pay regardless for the weight.... might as well have another bag and distribute the weight instead of forking over $100 and get noting out of it. 

For the next 3 days, I will be seeing and doing a few things I still haven't done yet in Rome. 1) see the CLOSED Trevi Fountain. Yes, it is closed and under construction, unfortunately. It has been since the week we got here and won't be open at least until late next year. So, I have been here 4 months and never have seen it-there was no point. So I have to do that before I leave, as I need to throw a few coins in the little pool they have off to the side for good luck, love or to come back to Rome! 

2) Scala Sancta- Holy Stairs. I thought I was going to do them at the beginning but that obviously didn't happen. I think it is a good way to end this time here in Rome! 

3) Villa Borgese Gardens- they are beautiful and a must see I hear and I love nature. So that is happening!

T-3 days left and then I embark on my 17 hour flight....I am soooo looking forward to that... But really. I can't wait to see my dear family and celebrate Christmas in a week, see my dog, see my adorable niece and eat Mexican food! 

TIME TO CELEBRATE! WHERE'S THE WINE AT!!??? :)

Peace and Blessings!  

Pope Francis always wins...

Ciao friends, 

Wowzers... a lot has been going on since the last time I posted about 10 days ago... 

This will be one one of the last posts I will write...sad it coming to an end, but this girl is going home in 1 1/2 weeks and I couldn't be more ready or excited (as much as I LOVE Rome, it's time to go home and be with family and of course celebrate CHRISTMAS!!)

BEFORE THEN, THOUGH... I still have a few great stories and pictures to share! 

Though time is very limited, and I have more things to do than I have time, I am still finding things/places to do and see that make my soul happy. This past weekend, we had a 4 day weekend! Who doesn't love those!!! A friend and I went up to the Cupola of St. Peter's because I promised her I would go up with her, which I was happy to do, as I love being up there- it was my third time going up, and this time kicked my butt. I think I consumed too many carbs last week. It was a struggle. But I made it....  

After that, we got Gelato (of course...) and went to Piazza Navona to see the Christmas market they have up. A lot of fun Christmas things going on around here....It's great! This is procrastination at it's finest......

THEN..... I found out that Pope Francis was going to be in Piazza di Spagna on Monday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. So I went of course. Write a paper or go see Pope Francis???? Pope Francis won. And I am glad he won because I kinda got this close to him that day.....Ah. It was amazing, as always. I left there with a huge smile on my face and a bit more motivation to do work. He is a good person to see to start off the week. 

IT GETS BETTER...LIKE A LOT BETTER..AND IT HAS TO DO WITH POPE FRANCIS. YOU READY FOR IT??? YOU MIGHT WANT TO SIT DOWN FOR THIS....

I WENT INTO THE PAPAL RESIDENCE TODAY!

To explain how this came to be...I was chatting away with one of my priest friends when he looks up and sees two of his Capuchin friends. We get up and say hi, and I thought that would be the end of it. Not even close. Boy, were we in for a suprise! We took a picture with the Cardinal and then asked what he was headed to. He said, "I have a meeting with the Holy Father in 20 minutes". I am thinking to myself, "No big deal or anything...casual meeting with the Pope". Now, this Cardinal is a special Cardinal for many reasons, but I will just say the 2 main ones: If Pope Francis was not chosen as Pope, this Cardinal most likely would have become Pope. Again, "No big deal or anything....I am just standing with a very holy man that the Church recognizes as someone who is qualified to be Pope." Then my priest friend asks one of the best questions that was like music to my ears, "Umm... so.... could we maybe come with you to see the Papal Residence and the chapel inside...? There was silence for a second. He responded, "I mean, sure, why not? Do you have the time?" In my mind: Ha! Do I have time time? Who are we kidding here? No, I have 2 papers to write and 3 finals to study for. BUT, will I make time? Absolutely, positively YES. I responded to him, "Yes, I have nothing to do right now, lets go"! We get there and he says, "Welcome to the Papal Residence". In my mind: "Wait, so you're telling me that the Pope lives here, and is here right now, and I am about to go inside? So.....AM I GOING TO MEET THE POPE!!!???" We went into the chapel that Pope Francis celebrates Mass every day. And to the the room where he eats his meals.  We asked where His Holiness was and he responded, "he is right above us, one floor up". Again in my mind: "Um... So... could I maybe go upstairs???" Unfortunately, we did not meet Pope Francis. I know... it's a bummer. BUT, I GOT TO GO INTO WHERE HE LIVES, WHICH IS AWESOME! And then we went in the back door of St. Peter's Basilica and everyone looked at me in a funny way as if they were saying, "Who are you to be with 3 priests, and coming through a blocked off area with guards that we all desperately want to know where it leads??" I felt pretty dang important at that moment!  IT IS GREAT KNOWING PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES.....A blessing I sure as heck was not expecting when I woke up this morning. Thanks God! 

Then I came home and did that HOMEWORK I have... I kinda hoped it would get itself done and wouldn't be there when I got home.... HAPPY FINALS TIME! LESS THAN A WEEK AND I WILL BE FINISHED WITH THE SEMESTER! Then time to pack and get ready for my long journey home. I'll post again in a week from now. Until then, have a great week/weekend.  

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. 

PACE E BENE! :)

Anne

Espana gobble gobble!

Ciao friends! 

A few days late, but a very Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I hope everyone had a blessed day, full of delicious food and quality time spent with family and friends! It was hard being away from home, but we made the most of it in Spain! If anything, we have some funny stories to share!

When we got to Avila, it was bitterly cold, raining and really windy. It got down to 39 degrees. I wasn't prepared. So I bought a beanie, gloves and a scarf. Its been so warm in Rome that I didn't think twice about packing too many cold clothes....That was a harsh lesson learned- my San Diego body was not having this bitter cold! (and to know it was 90 degrees in San Diego on Thanksgiving. Wow.) It got so cold that we purposely spent an hour in a museum looking at art just to get out of the cold...Brr!! (oh and we got back to Rome and it was 70 degrees and humid...beanie, scarf and gloves, already back in the closet)

There wasn't much to do in Avila besides St. Theresa's museum and convent and the Cathedral. As were were trying to figure out what to have for dinner, we ducked into a small bar and had a quick snack and a beer. Now, what I ate in that 20 minutes was far from what I had imagined having on Thanksgiving day... It was Pigs ear and a beer. I thought it was something else, so I was all excited, and my friend got it too. When I tasted it, I said, "this is not what I was expecting, I wonder what this is" and she was like, " Yeah, this is Pigs ear". Me: Oh my. Umm. Interesting. I'm not a fan.  Her: Well I am happy, I love Pigs ear!" Thanksgiving lunch: Pigs ear and beer. Okey dokie. We are off to a great start on the whole "trying to have a Thanksgiving feast".... Oh boy. 

We went back to the apartment because we were frozen and had some time to kill before dinner. So we decided to do our hosts dishes for her because we knew she wouldn't be home until late and she was really busy, and the fact that we didn't have anything else to do.  Then we had a nice cup of hot tea and hung out with her little fluffy dog, named Chewy. Amazing!

Off to try the "feasting" again. This time, we got it right. We had a nice 3 course meal, consisting of hot lentil soup (which tasted like my dads, so I felt like I was at home which was really nice), veil and potatoes, flan and a bottle of wine all for 20 Euros. This meal was DELICIOUS! Our attempt at the feasting was successful! We went home and ate our eclairs and went to sleep. Happy Thanksgiving, indeed! 

The View from our room in Avila

 

             Off to Madrid now- we spent the rest of the weekend there. It was much warmer than Avila, which we were very happy with! Still rainy and cloudy, but you can't have everything... 

We walked around everywhere! Through many parks, which I loved because of the Fall leaves and how they all were pressed against the floor due to the rain. It was quiet and peaceful. Just what I needed. The food we had was absolutely delicious! 

Funny and slightly creepy story: On Saturday, we were waiting for our friends at 9:30am, and this drunk guy comes up to us and says, "you look like them, who are waiting for?" I ignored him and stared at the ground as my friend proceeded to get this guy to leave. He said, "Be careful, you look like one of them" One of who, we asked ourselves. Then we realized. He was calling us prostitutes. He then asked, "do you want to come with me? I will pay for you two." NOOOOO! EWW. With our disgusted faces, he finally left. We turned to each other and said, " Did we just get called prostitutes? We are fully clothed and look nothing like one! Ok then. Good morning Spain!" Quite interesting start to the day... Then later, a guy walked passed us and called us movie stars... definately on the other side of the spectrum... But we took the movie stars one as a compliment! Oh Spain...  

It was a long few days, but still grateful I had the opportunity to go to Spain! 

Off to writing 3 research papers, studying for and taking finals and enjoying my last 3 weeks in Roma!! Please keep me in prayer. 

Count down until home: 20 days! 

Peace and Blessings!