Lover of the Light.

As my eustachian tube adapts to the varying altitudes along this mountainous and scenic-filled train ride back to Venice, my emotions also suffer a series of highs and lows. From sadness to happiness. Excitement to relaxation. And stress to subtleness. I fear the work-load that awaits the week to come. But I'd rather suppress the thoughts for at least six more hours (when this peaceful train ride comes to an end). Gosh, I wish I could bottle up the immense happiness I feel and share its vibrance with everyone else. This past week has been one of the best weeks of my life. To think that I would travel as much as I did and see as much as I saw had always been forever unthinkable. There were moments when I wished my eyes had a larger visual field so that I could encompass a panoramic memory to last a lifetime. (or until I am struck with Alzheimer's…hardy-har-har)

Onward, as we are spending today, exactly a week ago, we boarded a plane to bring us into the beautiful country of Italia. I remember sitting in our hotel room during our excursion to Vienna, searching for the cheapest city to fly into (40 Euro roundtrip to Venice was the winner!). Once that was taken care of, we purchased and Italy Interrail pass to cover for our city-hopping and other transportation needs. With many beautiful cities to choose from, Florence and Rome/Vatican City came out on top. We felt as if Florence had the Tuscan enchantment we hoped to experience, while Rome would serve as the glorious tourist capital (we also had a short-lived stop in Pisa on our way to Rome). Our hopes were not met. They were exceeded. And I speak in plural because I am 987,723,024% sure that my amazing girlfriends share similar thoughts and opinions. I would like to describe one day from each city visited. It's a tough selection, but knowing my wordy self, it is the safer option.

Settling into Hostel Archi Rossi was a joy in itself. The environment was chic and hip. And the comfort level was also great. It was there that we came across a brochure titled Fun In Tuscany. It offered a horse-back adventure through the country side, wine tasting and lunch, and a tour through the medieval town of San Gimigniano. We apologized to our bank accounts in advance and booked the day away. It's silly to think of it as an expense now, for we received so much more that putting a price tag on it now would not do it justice. Cristian, our tour guide for the day, welcomed us into his sketchy white mini-van the next morning. I remember securing my pink pepper spray in my hand…just in case (four girls, one big guy…you'd be weary too). Cristian turned out to be an enthusiastic, driven individual. His eyes glowed with passion and his mouth said the words: you have to do what you love, because if your heart is in it, it no longer feels like work. I came to the conclusion that many Italians had that same mentality-a great way of thinking that I can relate to. The first adventure came to me as a totally new experience. I had never been on a horse, and I hadn't a clue what to do. As I hoped on, I was proud to do so with a hint of grace. Our "instructor" gave me a nod and said "perfect." The rest….was not so perfect. He handed me the reigns, hopped on his horse after the rest of the girls were situated in their own horses, and he led the way. Caramelo was a diva. That was the name I gave him after the creamy, beige complexion of his hair and sweet heart. He wasn't made to be tamed. He took joy in escaping into bushy little paths and quickened trots. Me, being the chicken sh** that I am (excuse the vulgarity of that last phrase), panicked a bit, but I quickly learned that spontaneity was his nature. He was nature. And he embraced it elegantly. I may have been scared at his sudden spurs a few times, but well, that made it all the more memorable.

Rome is home. Today I awoke with a tightened feeling in my chest, knowing that I was to leave Rome and all of its glory. Its grandeur derives from its historic features planted within the city, its rich character, and diverse persona. It had so much to offer-complexity and excitement that a lifetime of exploration would not suffice. On that note, it was Tuesday evening that we arrived to the magnificent city. It's funny to think that our original plan was to visit Rome first and save Florence for the end. A sold-out Mumford and Sons show in Florence flipped our plans back to a more geographical strategy. Anywho, we decided that Wednesday was to be the warmest of the days and would be spent visiting the Colosseum, Palantino, Roman Forum, and leisure outdoor exploration. However, the morning was gloomy and rainy. We decided to be flexible and visit the Vatican Museums and spend the day in Vatican City instead. In all honesty, as a Catholic, it filled me with great joy to see my strongest beliefs represented in a historic city. But….even I felt drained towards the end. Everything was beautiful, a little unreal. And it makes sense. It was Godly, something humans can not fully understand but eventually will. Back to the excursion, we entered St. Peter's Basilica and admired its beauty. A little after five, we exited and found a sea of umbrellas covering the entire square for "smoke watch." Consumed by the excitement, we waited around and made friends in the wet and cold weather. An hour passed and our bodies begged for food; we convinced ourselves to come back and watch the black smoke later that evening and walked over to Hard Rock Cafe. As we waited for our food to be served, we heard the news of the deeply anticipated white smoke! My world shut down. I could not believe what was happening. I still can't. Out of all places, any time, and everything else, I was there. We gobbled down our food and sprinted through the crowded streets. We had an hour before the new Pope would be announced, and we hoped we'd arrive in time. To our slight disappointment, the rest of the world was doing the same thing. We didn't get past the tall columns with the metal detector stations. We also lost sight of Stephanie for a good ten minutes. Lauren opened her unique Texas A&M umbrella, and luckily, Stephanie was able to find us. As we went against the exiting, immense crowd, not only were we suffocated, we also couldn't catch a glance of the presentation of the new Pope. We finally got into the square through the South end, at which time the peak of the hype had disminuated. Crowds of people snaked through the square chanting "Viva, Viva El Papa Francesco!" Flags from every country colored the night. The rain had stopped completely. It was a feast for my eyes, ears, and heart. Even though we missed sight of El Papa Francesco, we were blessed to be sharing the glorious moment and the thriving love of the environment and people all around. It was a love connection that can't be matched. After the long, rough day we had had, I knew something great had to wrap it up. Maybe it's my overly confident optimism, but I refuse to believe in bad days. It reminded my planner/control freak ways that there are many, many things I can not and will never have control over, like weather. And that God's plan, will always be greater than anything I have in mind for myself. 

I dread the expected 3 a.m. arrival to "Hogwarts" (we are traveling in our very own cabin, I anticipate an abrupt dementor visit at any moment haha). From rain, to shine, to the fluffy snow that awaits in good ol' Deutschland, I chew on this milky almond and appreciate my spontaneous Spring Break. I thank God, my family, my friends, my awesome school, and endless blessings. Oof.