It’s been about three and a half weeks since I boarded the plane that didn’t take me to London, or Dublin, or Amsterdam, or Dusseldorf. It didn’t even take me to Milan. Or Sicily. Instead it took me to Philadelphia, ironically one of the most American places I could have flown into after an almost four-month stint in Italy. A little depressing? Yes. A little exciting? Yeah, that too I suppose.

My last week in Italy consisted of soaking up as much of Perugia, my apartment, and my friends as possible, knowing full well that no matter how much I tried to commit views and buildings and smells and feelings to memory, they would eventually start to evaporate and wisp away.

Despite all my hoping and wishing that April 29^th would forget to come this year, it arrived full force and I began my journey home.

Umbra arranged for buses to pick us (those from the Institute that were returning home right away. Some stayed after with family to travel) up at 1:00am and transport us to the Rome airport. The buses arrived at FCO around 4:00am, which was great only for those who had a flight at 6:00am. The rest of us were forced to play the waiting game. The majority of us piled our luggage in a corner of the terminal and tried to keep ourselves occupied-playing cards, sleeping on the floor, watching movies on our laptops-anything to make the hours quickly pass. The flight for myself and the other LVC students wasn’t until 11:50am, so we had to wait until 8:00am before we could check in at our terminal. Tired, disheveled, and still reeling from all the goodbyes that had taken place in the last twenty-four hours, we were glad to see 11:50am roll around.  

Internal conflict made the nine hour flight home pretty difficult. You’re on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean, suspended between your new home and your old home. You’re thinking about the two places you love more than anything, except one you’re leaving forever and the other you’re returning to after four months. Which one are you supposed to be thinking of? Which emotion are you supposed to be feeling? It’s hard to think about both at the same time, to feel your heart flutter with anticipation while it simultaneously breaks into pieces.  

Landing and seeing my parents was great (as were the chocolate chip cookies and ice cold skim milk they brought me!), but immediately I was hit with re-entry.

They say re-entry into America can be harder than the adjusting that takes place when being introduced to your new country. I didn’t believe it until I experienced it. They try to prepare you with handbooks and countless pieces of advice, but I don’t think anything anyone can say gives you an idea of what it’s really like. I’ve been home for a little over three weeks and I’m still adjusting.

Example number 1: When I pay for something, I still sometimes put the money down on the counter and wait for them to return my change the same way. Even though they hold their hand out, ready for me to hand them the money, I have to concentrate and consciously place the money in their hand.

Example number two: I translate things into Italian all the time in my head. Actually, speaking and hearing Italian may be one of the aspects of my experience that I miss the most. It sometimes still surprises me to think that I arrived in Italy not knowing one word of the language and left knowing four months of it. Going to a country that doesn’t speak English definitely added another dimension to my experience. There’s something about having to fend for yourself and coming up with inventive ways to get your point across, or to get yourself from point A to point B without being able to speak or read. It’s a challenge in itself, one that you quickly begin to value beyond comparison.

Example number three: Food. The list is endless, but I’ll keep it short: here there’s more than just pizza and pasta to pick from at restaurants, I had butter for the first time in four months (as opposed to olive oil), and I get to eat breakfast food now. As great as this all sounds about American food, I ate much healthier while over there and I miss that. (Plus, nothing beats Italian food.)

These physical issues are actually the easy ones to cope with. The more difficult parts are the emotions…like how your experience is roaring in the front of your mind all day every day, or how you can never verbalize exactly what your experience was like, or that you now have a constant desire to pick up and go see things, or that it’s hard to get people to understand that this wasn’t just a vacation or a four-month long party. You lived life. You did your laundry, studied, cleaned the apartment, and cooked yourself dinner. You had good days and bad days, but there was never a day when you weren’t glad you were in Italy in your little apartment on Via Bella. It was different than being on your “own” in college, and different than visiting for a week or two.

I formed relationships and started a life there. That’s why when people ask me my favorite place I visited while abroad, I can’t help but tell them Perugia.

And as much as I miss Italy, I miss my roommates just as badly. You can bet I’m already looking into flights to visit them in Colorado.

I suppose all good things must come to end, though. Now that I’m home I have to say I’ve enjoyed seeing family and friends and catching up on all that’s happened. While there are still some days when I wake up and it hits me like a ton of bricks that I’m not in Italy anymore, I’m adjusting back slowly and surely. (Although, my computer still seems to be confused about its location. All my web advertisements are still in Italian, and no matter how many times I change my clock on my desktop, it always jumps six hours ahead. I guess it’s torn between two places, too.)

It was the greatest experience I've had in my short twenty years. I'm grateful for every second of it and wouldn't trade it for the world, the parts I've seen and the parts I haven't...yet.

I haven’t written about my weekend trips in probably about three weeks. I’ve definitely been falling behind between the end of the semester work and Caitlin coming to visit!

The weekend after Florence, Umbra had a trip to the South of Italy-Sorrento, Capri, and Naples, with a stop at Montecassino Abbey.  I signed up and paid for the trip in the very beginning of the semester. The fee included the cost of the hotel (a four star hotel, mind you), transportation, and breakfast and dinner.  It was only open to Umbra students, and two Umbra staff members accompanied us for the weekend. 

We boarded the bus Friday morning at 6:00am and drove to Montecassino Abbey, which houses Benedictine Monks. It was destroyed during World War II by the US Army because alleged Nazi’s were inside. Turns out there weren’t, and the majority of the place was ruined. It was reconstructed in the ‘60s. After we learned this, we stopped wondering why our tour guide didn’t seem to like us. Regardless, the place was pretty cool, and the views were really impressive.

After the Abbey our bus went to Sorrento, which is where we stayed for the weekend. Our hotel was a four star hotel called Hotel Michelangelo, and the rooms and bathrooms are nicer than our apartments in Perugia. (My bathroom here is literally three steps wide. The bathroom at the hotel was probably three times that. Awesome.) After settling in we went to explore Sorrento.

Sorrento is pretty small and has cute streets for shopping and eating. Sorrento is actually famous for its lemons, and therefore its Limoncello. I don’t think it’s very prevalent in the States but it’s really popular in Italy. It’s a pretty heavy liquor that you’re supposed to sip and it’s really sweet. We made sure we got some while there.

The next morning we headed for Capri, which I think is up there on the list of places to go while in Italy; mostly everyone talks of its beauty. As tempted as I was to look up pictures beforehand, I refrained. I actually really enjoy being taken by surprise every time I have the privilege to see a new place. We got there via ferry.

I guess what I was expecting was beach and a “paradise” of sorts, nothing too special. In reality, Capri has astounding cliffs (which I really liked) and cute towns built into its side. The ways the towns are set-up actually remind me of pictures of Greece.

The first activity we did was the Blue Grotto, which is a cave with no bottom, causing the light to reflect from the bottom of the water and making it glow bright blue. We had to take a boat from the marina to the entrance of the cave, and then transfer ourselves into smaller row boats with a guide (two or three at a time) to enter the cave. To the get into the grotto itself was an experience; the water was so high we had to physically lay down in our row boats to get through the opening. Once in, the guide sings a song, takes you around the cave, and then you’re done. You’re in there for maybe a total of five minutes, if that. Gosh, the things I get ripped off on as a tourist. (It was worth it though…could I really leave Capri and not be able to say I saw THE Blue Grotto?)

After walking around Capri-Town, we made our way via bus ride (and a heart-stopping bus ride at that-the bus drives along the edges of cliffs) to Anacapri. Here is where we went on the chair lift to the highest point of the island.

These chair lifts were only big enough for one person, and it literally just takes you up to the top of Capri, which is close to three thousand feet above sea-level. We were literally being taken through clouds, which is kind of cool in itself. Once up there, after taking a million pictures of the views (which of course were absolutely amazing and shouldn’t surprise any of you at this point) we explored and took the chair lift back down to civilization.

We returned to Sorrento that night and then made our way to Naples in the morning.

On the outskirts, Naples really isn’t a nice city. It seems a little dirty, way too crowded, and gives the impression of being a poorer city. The center is nicer.

Naples, by far, is the most Italian city I think I visited. I’ve never felt more wonderfully out of place. There weren’t a whole lot of tourists, and because it was a Sunday there were Italian families everywhere-the side streets, the main piazza, the restaurants-I was totally and utterly an American. There were a few side streets we climbed and took pictures of that exemplify Italy to me-narrow, steep, clothes lines strung from one side to the other, people standing outside and talking-it was beautiful, and it was what I came to see.

After Naples we took our bus back to Perugia, and my first experience of Southern Italy had some time to sink in. It’s so much more laid back than Northern Italy and even Perugia. It’s a different world than Northern Italy, and a different planet than the rest of Europe. (It’s easy to see the Mediterranean Model at work here-the farther south in Europe you go, the more you find resistance to change and to globalization. It’s a trademark that could potentially be changing in the next few generations, but for now still makes itself heard). I liked it.

My next weekend I had four days off for Easter. I usually don’t have class Friday, but had off the Monday after Easter (called “Pasquale” in Italian). Mostly all Umbra students took advantage and booked a flight somewhere. Two other LVC students, Chantelle Simeone and Dan Thomas, and I, decided we wanted to go somewhere random, somewhere we normally wouldn’t visit if we weren’t here. The answer to our problem also happened to be the cheapest solution:  Dusseldorf, Germany.

Dusseldorf is in western Germany and also happens to be its fashion capital and the home of the “Longest Bar in the World.” (It’s a college town too!) Needless to say, we were pretty excited to experience yet another culture while here. It was also a place where we could kind of be spontaneous. We didn’t have to jam-pack a lot of monuments and museums into our four days. We could experience the culture at our own leisurely pace and not have to worry about where we exactly were or how to get from point A to point B. The only thing that worried me? None of us spoke German. (I guess Dan took it in high school, but kept repeating that he didn’t remember anything).

The language barrier actually was kind of a fun problem to have, although not a major one. We literally didn’t understand things, and had to play the dumb Americans and ask for menus in English, which they had at a lot of restaurants. Once people figured out we didn’t know German they spoke to us in English. I’m beginning to see a pattern; everywhere I go people speak English.

Anyway, Cologne is a half-hour train ride from Dusseldorf, so we spent Easter Sunday there. In Cologne is where I found my favorite church, called Schatzkammer. The architecture, the sheer size of it, and the stained glass windows blew me away. I won’t even bother wasting words in an attempt to explain it.

The following weekend Caitlin Murphy, one of my good friends from LVC, came to visit me for five days. I have to say it was great to see a familiar face from home and to show her what my life has been like for these past few months.

She had never been to Italy, so we tried to fit in as much as we possibly could in the short time she was here. Saturday she flew into Rome, so we checked her luggage and did sightseeing there (the standards like the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and the Coliseum. We didn’t get a chance to see Vatican City. There just wasn’t enough time). Sunday we took a daytrip to Gubbio (which happens to be in my “1000 Places to See Before You Die book”) where it rained and snowed all day. It was still really fun, and it’s a really cute little city.

Monday was reserved for showing her around Perugia, since I had to give two presentations in my classes. This might have been my favorite day, since it’s where I live and therefore closest to my heart. I'm glad I got to share it with her. She's been very supportive of me while here, and I've talked to her about Perugia a thousand times. I'm glad she could finally see what I've been talking about.

Tuesday morning we went to Florence and waited in line to get into the Uffizi Galleries for three hours. I understand that there’s a lot of art in there, and that you can’t really leave Florence without seeing it, but three hours? Regardless, I actually did find it worth the wait. Inside are Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and “La Primavera.” I learned about these works of art as a sophomore in high school, so I naturally had a hard time believing I was seeing them in real life. (Yes, I cried a little. So many cool things have made me cry I’m no longer even slightly ashamed to admit it.)

We went from Florence to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower. Now talk about cool.

I kept hearing from people who have already gone to Pisa this semester that it’s really not that impressive, there’s nothing to do there except see the Tower, and you only really need to be there for an hour or two. After getting to experience it myself, I don’t get where they’re coming from. The Leaning Tower has to be one my favorite things here. The piazza it’s in is big, open, and has lots of grass. It’s full of tourists taking the standard pictures (see a picture below for Caitlin and I’s favorite picture!), and when we went the weather was beautiful. Call me crazy, but how can you say going to see the Tower isn’t worth it? It’s almost representative of Italy.

Unfortunately, the next morning Caitlin went home and I went back to daily life.

This past weekend two of my roommates and I randomly decided to hop a train to Spello, which is a small town about a half hour away. We had wanted to do this for awhile now; just hop a train with nothing but a bottle of water, a sandwich, and wander around a random town and its countryside. It’s been one of my most enjoyable afternoons here.

This weekend, which happens to be my last, is reserved for staying in Perugia. I wouldn’t want to spend my last weekend in Italy anywhere else.

Sorrento!

Capri!

From the top of the mountain on Capri.

Naples.

The Church in Cologne.

The stained glass in Schatzkammer that I'm in love with.

:)

As of today, Thursday, April 8, I have exactly three weeks until I go home. There are absolutely no words or strings of sentences that can describe my kaleidoscope of emotions on the subject. I guess the simplest way to put it: It’s not that I’m not happy to go home; it’s just that I don’t want to leave here.

You see, I allowed myself to stay in my “make-believe” land until I hit the one month mark, then promised I would begin to prepare myself to come home. I can’t be absent from reality forever, can I?

After being here for over three months, I’ve come to the realization that Italy really is completely different than Northern Europe. Northern Europe seems to be more (for lack of a better phrase) “with it” as far as technology, globalization, and conveniences go. For example, Italians don’t have dryers in their homes (they hang up their clothes or find a Laundromat). Unless you’re in a main part of a major city, you WILL NOT find a fast food joint (this is an Italian concept called the Slow Food Movement). Air conditioning basically does not exist, and the heat is only allowed to be on for a specified number of hours a day. In small cities like Perugia (and even some main cities too) stores close mid-afternoon for their “pausa.”

Despite this, Italy is by far the prettiest place I’ve ever have had the privilege of being. Beautiful people, beautiful landscape, and beautiful buildings, this place can have you frustrated one minute and sighing with utter contentment the next. It’s a place that runs on its own terms, making it charming, precocious, and unreservedly original all at the same time. Solely because of the simultaneous satisfaction and restlessness I feel while here, it will be hard to leave Italia.

(Especially now that spring has hit. There are outdoor cafes and people everywhere; Perugia has kind of “come alive.” Perugia has a set of steps outside of its Duomo in Piazza IV Novembre where people sit for hours or on their lunch break for a beer or a bite to eat. It’s sort of the “place to be” and we’ve already put in a good amount of time between classes and at the end of the day, just talking and people watching.)

Before I make my grand exit though, I have to finish my classes. In the past couple of weeks I’ve had a couple field trips which have given me further insight into Italy and the way it ticks.

For my Business in Europe class, our professor took us to a small city called Todi, which houses The Todini Winery and the Relais Todini hotel. We got a tour of their winery (we literally saw everything from the grape-picking to the fermentation to the bottling) and then took a short walk through the countryside for a tour of their five star hotel. Let me say that if you want to see real Italian countryside, Todi is the place to do it. When I imagine Italy, Todi’s panorama is what comes to mind. The pictures of Italy you see in movies really do exist.

Our main objective was to ask questions about their marketing strategies, both national and international. After organizing and analyzing the information in our groups using SWOT analysis and the Four P’s, we’re to make a presentation on how to better their marketing approaches. The suggestions will then be translated, bound, and sent to the company. How cool is that? My group’s focus is the hotel, while some other groups are supposed to focus on the winery. I learned a lot about how Italian companies work; they don’t seem to be as concerned with making money or throttling competition. A lot of companies are family-run and family-oriented. I think the suggestions our class will come up with could actually be helpful!

I’ve also been going on field trips to Montessori, elementary, and middle schools for my Human Development in Culture class.  In groups, we meet and talk with the students (in English so they can practice. They start learning English around eight years old here.) and observe a specific aspect of Italian ecology. My group is concentrating on the prevalence and importance of family in the everyday life of Italians. After gathering information based on our interactions, we’ll write a report and make a presentation. It’s fun to talk to the kids and see how the schools are run. In some schools, the students only go to class in the morning until early afternoon (like 1:00pm), but go to class on Saturdays too. Some schools have class all day two or three times a week, but half days the rest of the time. It depends on the school. One thing we’ve noticed is that there really aren’t any organized clubs or sports. Sometimes a church or an ambitious parent or teacher will organize activities, but other than that we haven’t come across as many extra-curriculars as there are in the States. Then again this could just be the schools we’ve gone too.

We’ve been learning about the role of women in Medieval times in my Medieval Culture class, so today we visited a modern day convent, whose order has been around since then. The nun (who spoke Italian and had our teacher translate) has not left the convent for close to thirty years. As a matter of fact, we sat in chairs in the lobby of their convent and talked to her through the bars of a gate; they literally are not allowed to leave. It was interesting to hear how at peace she was with the fact that she hadn’t left the convent since she was twenty-three. To each his own, I guess.

In addition to classes, I was also volunteering at UNICEF this semester, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts. It ended about two weeks ago, which I was sorry to see happen. In my seven sessions, I completed one whole doll and tied up loose ends on multiple other dolls-hair and clothing, mainly. Originally I was under the impression that people could buy the dolls, which were then sent to children in third world countries. This isn’t the case. The person who buys the doll gets to keep it, but the money goes to vaccines for children in underprivileged parts of the world.

Once I learned this I was doomed. I completely fell in love with the doll I made and couldn’t bear to part with it. So I bought it for €20 and took her home with me. I named her Siena, which was the first city I visited while here. This doll isn’t just a souvenir I bought in a random store. It has a story and a connection to real people and experiences. It’s a link to the Italy I’ve created while here. I think I value my doll more than anything else I could bring back with me.

UNICEF was a lot of fun, mainly because the little elderly Italian ladies spoke no English, forcing us to speak Italian with them. Before the end of my last session I exchanged addresses with one of the ladies named Elena, who suggested we be pen pals. I’m supposed to write to her in a little bit of Italian and a little bit of English, and she’ll do her best to do the same. She’ll be another ongoing connection to my life here.

Now that UNICEF has come to end, my classes are now ready to follow suit. I have four more days of class left (next Monday through Thursday), reviews and special events the week after that, followed by finals week and the end of the semester, all culminating in a flight back home.

My next post will consist of the past couple of weekend trips I’ve taken: Sorrento, Capri, and Naples, and Germany (specifically Dusseldorf and Cologne) for Easter.

This weekend though, I have Caitlin Murphy, another LVC student, coming to visit me for five days! We’re going to Rome, Florence and Pisa, stay a day in Perugia, and then do a daytrip to another town in either Tuscany or Umbria. I can’t wait to see a familiar face from home and share what my life has been like for the past three months. It’s one thing to tell people about this place, and another to show them. 

Todi!

More Todi!

UNICEF! :)

Two weekends ago I was fortunate enough to go to Venice, which is one place in Italy for which I had no expectations. Of course I expected the canals and the water and the distinct beauty, but I was also told there were too many tourists, it was really expensive, I would get lost no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, and that Venice has a distinct smell. As a result I wasn’t sure how much I was really going to like it.

Well…I loved it. Let’s be serious, at this point there’s not going to be anywhere I go that I don’t like.

The two girls I went with had already seen Venice and were specifically going to see Murano and the glass-blowing. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to see as much of the main island as I wanted to, so we parted ways for the day as soon as we arrived at the train station. My guide book suggested a walking tour of Venice and promised to take me to places most tourists don’t necessarily get to see. It would end at Piazza San Marco and its Basilica, where I could then take a water taxi to my hostel to meet my friends for dinner. To top it off, the weather was perfect. I didn’t even have to wear my jacket.

I wandered around for close to three and a half hours, taking side streets, seeing the Jewish Ghetto, small random churches, and eccentric shops and cafes. I sat down on the side of a canal for half an hour and hardly came into contact with anyone. I just watched the boats go by and enjoyed the weather, took in my surroundings and enjoyed the view.

The Basilica of San Marco is astounding. Some of the outside and the entire ceiling inside are mosaics, which I love probably even more than frescoes. It’s like everything glitters.

After San Marco, I took a water taxi down the Grand Canal and found myself an outside seat for prime-viewing pleasure. It amazes me that literally no cars are used there-everything and everybody is transported by boat. I knew this mentally before getting there, but I guess didn’t really comprehend it until I saw it.

The next day after walking and boating around Venice in the early morning, we hopped a train and stopped to see Verona before heading back to Perugia. Verona is a cute but really trendy city that is home to Italy’s second largest amphitheater and the House of Juliet. (Verona is, after all, the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet). The house had the famous balcony and everything.

Then this past weekend I went to the famous Florence with my roommates and again fell in love (like I said I don’t think I’ll go anywhere that I really don’t like).  Complete with Michelangelo, shopping, waffles with Nutella, and enough art to make any tourist go cross-eyed, Florence seems to find a way to settle itself into your bones and make you feel welcome and relaxed before you even know what’s happening.

Early Saturday morning was reserved for going to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. When you first walk into the gallery, you stroll around the initial room, trying not to wonder where the statue you really paid to see is hiding. After exiting the first room and turning the corner you stop dead in your tracks:  there he is at the other end of the room, massive, perfect, obviously still but disconcertingly alive, too. You walk across the room with your eyes fixed on the David, passing by Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures (yes he’s that important) with your mouth hanging open. Finally you reach him, crane your neck, and just stare.

Flawlessness is the word that comes to mind. Everything from his hair to his fingernails was seamless and unspoiled. You could look at him for hours and not get tired of it.  

I know most have learned about Michelangelo in school, studying his sculptures and paintings and influence on others. Until coming here, I’ve acknowledged he was a genius and a vital contributor to art. The Sistine Chapel, the David, the Medici Chapels, ok, yeah, I’m sure they’re great. But seeing them in real life is unbelievable. You understand why people revere him and his work and why he’s studied in schools all over the world. He was some sort of Midas. Can you tell I’m becoming a fan?

After the Galleria dell’Accademia, we went to see il duomo, the Medici Chapels, Il Ponte Vecchio (The Old Bridge), and then walked around, eventually ending up at Piazza Michelangelo, which has the most spectacular view of Florence. My roommates and I sat on the steps for an hour, just enjoying the view. It’s easy to enjoy views here. I don’t think anyone could possibly get tired of them. A certain Shakespeare quote always comes to mind, which I’m sure you all know: “I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”

That night my roommates and I treated ourselves to a really fancy dinner right on the water. We made reservations at a restaurant called The Golden View and I have to say it’s going down as one of the coolest experiences I’ve had so far. The environment was everything I expected from a fancy restaurant: a huge open window overlooking the river, dimmed lighting, a jazz band, fancy waiters, and beautiful people. The waiter brought us Prosecco with our menus, which was a good thing because it took us a half hour to order.

When you eat out in Italy, most people order two courses, one dish from the primi piatti list (which is usually just some sort of pasta), and a second dish from the secondi piatti list (which is usually some sort of meat or fish). None of us usually do that, though, because it costs twice as much money and one course is typically enough to fill someone up. However, we didn’t follow that rule at this restaurant. My first course was a really good spinach and cheese ravioli, while my second course was chicken with four cheese and truffle cream sauce with avocado. It was absolutely the best food I’ve had since I’ve been here.

We sat there for three and half hours not wanting to leave. We talked with our waiter (who brought us free Limoncello!) and of course…enjoyed our view of the river.

Basilica of San Marco in Venice.

Venice at sunset.

The famous Romeo and Juliet balcony at the House of Juliet.

Il Duomo in Florence.

Il Ponte Vecchio in Florence.

This may sound slightly overdramatic, but at the risk of coming across as histrionic, I’ll say it anyway:  my ten days of spring break could have quite possibly been the best ten days of my life.

I’m not quite sure where to start or what to say. There’s almost too much.

I guess we’ll begin with some general observations:

1. Italy is a completely different planet than anywhere in Northern Europe.
2. Living out of a backpack for ten days isn’t nearly as difficult as it sounds.
3. It’s amazing how many different people you meet while traveling.
4. It’s equally as amazing when you realize that you’ll never see them again.
5. I want to live in Ireland at some point in my life…grad school perhaps?

Before I begin, please note that despite the fact I’m extremely relaxed here, I still printed out the name, address, and phone number of each hostel, as well as directions to each hostel from every airport, train, and bus station we would be using. I also made copies of European travel guides with all the sites, complete with maps. I was like a general preparing for battle. Some things won’t change, I guess.

The adventure began Friday, February 26^th, around 2:00pm.  We caught a shuttle to the Perugia Airport and waited to board our flight to London-Stansted Airport. Our hostel was not technically in London’s city center, but a five minute train ride away.

Our London sightseeing included:  The London Eye (which I went in), Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby (which was closed for renovations), and Buckingham Palace and the Gardens. We also went to the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester Square and saw a play called “Blood Brothers,” which is one of the longest-running plays in history.  One of the main characters was actually Mel C from The Spice Girls (for those of you who remember them). She was quite good and the play was great.

Out of what I got a chance to see while in London, Big Ben was my favorite. I took a million pictures of it. I’m obsessed. I actually liked London more than I thought I would, though. It may be a big, old, city, but it has an air of youth, mischief, grandness, and merriment-quite different than Rome. I would like to go back.

The next stop on our trip was Dublin, Ireland. Our plane left from London-Stansted at 6:30am on Sunday, which required us to take a 3:00am bus from Liverpool Station. Needless to say, we just opted for staying up all night in London. Not a bad decision, in my opinion.

London was a lot of fun, but I was holding out for Ireland. I’ve been waiting for years (it seems like all of my life, really) to get there. With my last name and an extended family of pale and ruddy faces, curly hair, and the gift of gab, storytelling, and endless laughter and humor, Ireland was all but calling my name. I’ve been talking about Ireland ever since I got to Italy and my friends were all anticipating my reaction.

Unfortunately, two of the girls who were supposed to come to Ireland with us booked a flight out of the wrong airport and couldn’t alter their flight, so they stayed in London. Our group dwindled from nine to seven.

Our day in Dublin consisted of a three hour free walking tour (which was quite informative, despite our exhaustion), and then a trip to Trinity College so I could see the Book of Kells. We finally ended with a tour of the Guinness Brewery. Ireland already was surpassing my high expectations.

Our day activities were fun, but it was really where we ended up that night that basically sealed my love for the Emerald Isle. My psychology professor here at Umbra is from Ireland, so before departing for spring break I asked her suggestions on what we should do while in Dublin or Galway. She gave me the name of a pub in Dublin called The Celt and said it had live music every night and was always crowded.  We actually stumbled upon it accidentally. It turns out it was right around the corner from our hostel-we found it on our way to dinner. Talk about luck of the Irish.

It was everything I imagined an Irish pub to be, and totally different than the Italian night life. There were three people sitting in the corner playing music and singing (think a woman’s beautiful lilt, a man’s fiddle, and hand drums). Everyone was dressed casually in jeans, sitting and standing around talking, laughing, dancing jigs, singing and clapping along, and drinking beer. I’ll admit it, I totally teared up. In Italy everyone is dressed to the nines, kissing each other on the cheeks, and eyeing each other up. It was a nice change of scenery.

The next morning we made our way to Galway, which is essentially a college town. They have cute streets, shops, and pubs everywhere. After checking into our hostel we grabbed lunch from a grocery store and walked right along Galway Bay to watch the sunset. Out of all places I went to on spring break, Galway Bay tops my list with its different colored houses, boats, and scenery.

Tuesday we took a tour of The Burren (we saw a castle, the Irish Dolmen, the home of the fairies, and had lunch at a pub) and the Cliffs of Moher. The tour we took originally never picked us up at our hostel like they were supposed to, so to make up for it we got our own personal tour guide and bus. Amazing. The Cliffs of Moher were unbelievable and have to be my second favorite place from spring break.

Wednesday we spent the day walking around and shopping before leaving for the Dublin Airport Thursday morning. Although it broke my heart to leave Ireland with all of its beautiful landscape and friendly, laid-back people, five of us were now on our way to Amsterdam!

Amsterdam was unlike any place I’ve ever been. It’s beautiful with its cobblestoned streets and open canals lining the city. I learned a lot about their culture while there, mainly through a nice tour guide named Michael, whom we all met on a bike tour of the city we took called “Mike’s Bike Tours.” He’s actually from Minnesota, but moved to Amsterdam about ten years ago. Go figure.

In Amsterdam there are actually houseboats on the canals that that sell like real property complete with electricity and plumbing. Some of the houseboats aren’t up to par with their amenities, however, so they have until 2012 to get their act together before the government interferes.

Everyone in Amsterdam rides bikes. They’re parked along every canal, in front of every building, at all times of the day. There are bike lanes, even on the main streets. (And be rest assured that the bikers have no qualms about running you over if you’re in the way. I didn’t know there was such a thing as bike rage). In the recent past, the government had instituted a program where they provided a certain number of bikes to the citizens of Amsterdam for an exchange program. A person used the bike to get where they needed to get to, left it wherever was convenient for them, and someone else could just randomly come by and take it to get to where they needed to go. I guess the majority of bikes ended up broken beyond repair or at the bottom of the canals, so they discontinued the program, but the concept of riding bikes stuck.

The most obvious cultural difference is that pot and prostitution are legal in Amsterdam. The prostitution is evident in the Red Light District, where real women in their undergarments are on display in full windows. According to our tour guide, the government wanted to “clean up” the Red Light District, so they bought about one hundred of the windows and put high-end fashion displays in them. I’m not quite sure how much that’s working…do they think people are paying attention to the windows with clothes in them? I think it goes without saying that we didn’t spend too much time in the Red Light District.

Marijuana is found in “coffee shops,” designated by green and white signs in their windows, but it’s not a big deal there at all. The government only gave a specific number of coffee shops marijuana licenses, and if they screw up, they lose their license with no possibility of getting it back.  You can bet that there’s no drug-dealing in high schools and on street corners, and apparently if you even so much as mention any hard drugs in a coffee shop they throw you out, out of fear of losing their license. (Michael our tour guide, gave us some statistics, but I’m not sure how accurate they are). Apparently, about 60% of people in the UK have tried marijuana, about 40% of people in the US have, but only about 22% of people in the Netherlands have tried it. Take it for what it’s worth.

In addition to “Mike’s Bike Tour,” our sightseeing in Amsterdam included:  The Heineken Brewery, The Vincent Van Gogh Museum, The Anne Frank House, The Pancake Bakery (because apparently Amsterdam is also known for their pancakes?! They were awfully good!), a canal cruise, and the Artis Zoo, Planetarium, and Aquarium. 

Sunday morning our trip came to an end and we returned to Italy:  the land of pizza, pasta, bad internet, and people who don’t understand the concept of lines and queues. We had returned home.

Despite the fact it was absolutely refreshing to be in English-speaking countries (everyone in Amsterdam speaks English just as well as they speak Dutch), as well as countries that seem to be a lot more modern and “with it” than Italy, spring break reinforced my decision to come to Perugia. While Ireland and England were wonderful and have their own little cultural differences, they still speak English and still have all the up-to-date amenities and customs. Italy is completely distinct and unique, and I believe that I’m better off being here than somewhere that I could potentially mistake for America any day of the week.

Spring break also strengthened my appreciation for life and learning all over again. It’s amazing that I still feel awe in everything I’m looking at…you would think I would eventually become immune to it. Not so far.

It also made me really aware of my youth, of being twenty years old with not a whole lot of responsibility. I can stay up all night and do things I can only do now at this point in my life. My grasp on this concept is quite bittersweet. As someone very wise used to tell me all the time, “Don’t get old.”

No worries. I don’t plan on it.

Big Ben, Parliament, and the Thames River.

Galway Bay, my new favorite place on the planet.

Ely Kirkhoff, Chantelle Simeone, and I showing some love for LVC at the Cliffs of Moher.

A canal and some houseboats in Amsterdam.

This week has been really busy with homework and mid-terms…probably the most since I’ve been here.  But now that it’s over, I have some time to write about last weekend and my plans for Spring Break, which I begin today!

My trip to Rome on Friday proved slightly difficult due to an oh-so-common occurrence in Italy:  a train strike.  When the train system goes on strike, it’s usually only for a few hours at a time, but that’s enough time to mess everything up nonetheless. Last Friday in Perugia the train strike occurred from 10:00am-2:00pm. Unfortunately, the train strike extended to the Roman train system too, which includes the metro…also the easiest and most convenient mode of transportation in Rome.

Friday morning, Chantelle Simeone (another LVC student) and I caught the 6:00am train and arrived at 8:30am at Rome Tiburtini Station.  From there, all Chantelle and I had to do was take the metro to Rome’s main station, Termini, and change metro lines in order to get to Vatican City.  It would have taken us fifteen minutes, tops.

Instead, upon our arrival, we learned that the metro system was on strike from 8:30am to 12:30pm.  Now Chantelle and I had to find a bus to Termini and then find a bus from Termini to Vatican City.  In the pouring rain.  In a language not our own. 

Now I was in Rome the second weekend I was here and so I had some sort of idea of how to get around, but at Termini Station there are quite literally hundreds of buses that go through there. As a foreigner, it’s almost impossible to figure out the number of the bus you need and which platform requires your presence.  It’s even harder to figure out when there are masses and masses of people trying to do the same thing, all who are equally annoyed by the train strike.

Three confusing conversations, two extremely packed buses, and almost two hours later, Chantelle and I arrived in Vatican City.  We observed St. Peter’s Square, trying to convince ourselves that we were actually there.  The square itself is impressive, and oddly familiar from all the televised events and movies that take place there.  We stood in an extremely long line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, but it went very quickly.  We went through security, got our first glimpse of the Swiss Guard, and took our first steps into St. Peter’s Basilica.

Initially, it’s extremely difficult to not be overwhelmed by the grandiosity of the Basilica. The marble, the expanse of it all, is very intimidating. Grandeur is the first word that comes to mind; after all, it is the second biggest basilica in the world. 

Immediately to your right is Michelangelo’s Pieta, which is behind glass. (Fast fact:  It’s the only work by Michelangelo that has his signature.) Chantelle and I took our time, examining all the statues-many of them ten times the size of a normal human being-and the detail of everything from the floor to the ceiling. 

Our next stop was the Vatican Museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel.  After a short walk and a quick stop for lunch, we followed the signs and the crowd to the Museums. Like everything else in Vatican City, they were extremely impressive.  There was an art section, an Etruscan art section, an Egyptian section, rooms of marble heads and marble statues, and the apartments of a past pope, designed by Raphael. You could spend an entire day in there and still never get to see everything. There’s so much to take in you eventually feel it all begins to look the same.  This is an unfortunate phenomenon because you’re really only there once, but your eyes and brain can only take so much.

All routes through the museum lead to the Sistine Chapel, which is what most people pay for a ticket for anyway.  The rooms leading up to the Sistine Chapel seemed to go on forever.  The anticipation was killing me. By the time we reached the actual entrance my heart was pounding and I was telling myself to calm down. Chantelle shared my excitement and awe. 

When walking into the Chapel, your head automatically snaps upward.  The detail and the enormity of it is amazing. I would love to pick Michelangelo’s brain someday. How could he conceive the proportionality of what he was doing? How it would look from close-up as opposed to how it would look on the floor?  And the Last Judgment on the back wall is remarkable. From ceiling to floor, it truly is a masterpiece.  Chantelle and I spent about an hour examining the ceiling and the back wall, talking about how we couldn’t believe we actually got to see it with our own eyes.

The metro was up and running by the time we were done, so we hopped on and were going back to Termini Station.  Chantelle hadn’t been to Rome before and is going later in the semester, but the Trevi Fountain is top of her list, so we got off on the appropriate metro stop and went to see it.  This is the third time I’ve seen it, and it being one of my favorite things in Rome, I wasn’t complaining.  I can’t believe I’ve seen it three times. I didn’t think I would see it even once in my lifetime.

The train ride back was a little annoying…we sat on the train for an extra hour due to “technical difficulties.”  I have to say I had my fill of the train system by the time our day was over.

When I got back Friday night, I had visitors at my apartment.  Two of my roommates were gone for the weekend, but my third roommate was here.  She has a friend from Merano, Italy, who went to her high school for a year on an exchange program.  He came for the weekend and brought three friends.  They’re all around twenty years old, and actually do not consider themselves Italian…they call themselves German-Italian.  I’m not quite sure of the entire history of their town, but it’s very close to the Austrian border (they technically live in the Alps). It has something to do with World War II and what country it technically belonged to before and after the war.

Anyway, German is their first language, although they speak Italian just as well, and they all know a fair amount of English.  They spent the weekend at our apartment, cooking schnitzel, teaching us German words, smacking each other, calling each other names, and totally entertaining Lindsey (my roommate) and I for two whole days. They’re probably the funniest people I’ve met since I’ve been here. I was sorry to see them go. Since they live in the Alps, Lindsey and I might just have to make an excuse to go see them later in the semester…

On a completely different note, I leave for spring break in about ten minutes! I’m going to London from tonight to Sunday morning, Ireland (specifically Dublin and Galway) from Sunday until Thursday, and Amsterdam from Thursday until Sunday.  I’m traveling with nine other girls for London and Ireland, and then five of us will be going to Amsterdam. I don’t think I’m even going to attempt to verbalize how excited I am. Nothing I could possibly put into words will convey what I’m feeling.

Except based on flight restrictions and the amount of money it costs to check a bag, we’re all only taking a backpack. For ten days. I’m not sure if this amuses me or grosses me out.

I’ll recount my escapades upon my return home to Perugia. 

While Central Pennsylvania got hammered with snow last week (and LVC had two consecutive snow days!) Perugia had some snow too. I can't say it was quite as impressive as three feet or anything, but pretty nonetheless!

Along with the majority of Umbra students who needed a break after a previous weekend of Carnevale activities, I spent my weekend in Perugia. Friday I went to Bevagna for my Medieval Culture and Society class, and Saturday my roommates and I went to a big open market (they have a really big one every Saturday morning in Perugia) and did some homework. The weather on Sunday was beautiful so I took a walk, and then went out for Chinese food and chocolate crepes with my roommates for Valentine’s Day. Yes: Chinese food in Italy, and yes: the chocolate crepes here are delicious.

I like traveling and going away for the weekend, but I enjoy staying in Perugia just as much.

My field trip to Bevagna on Friday was quite interesting. Bevagna is a small Medieval town about forty minutes outside of Perugia. Our teacher took us to an ancient Roman bath, a museum, an old Medieval theatre which is still being utilized, and an old Medieval house with a large waterwheel beneath it. We also went to a Medieval fabric workshop, which had a large wooden machine that spun the string. The machine had to be pushed manually in order to work. I have to say that was pretty cool to watch.

Then we had dinner, which was probably the best part. We entered into the house of a “wealthy merchant” from Medieval times and were given costumes, complete with headdresses. (Against my better judgment I’ve posted a picture below…it’s slightly embarrassing.) The food was interesting, to say the least. First we were given little terracotta cups with wine-soaked fruit, which we ate with overly large toothpicks. Soup was up next, but fortunately we were given spoons; at first we were a little wary because we thought we were going to have to drink it out of the bowls. The actual main course was more or less served party-platter style. We stood around a table with our giant-sized toothpicks and speared mini pieces of unidentifiable food.  The majority of it was actually pretty good, except we honestly didn’t know what it was we were putting in our mouths. Even when we tried to ask, we received smiles and nods…not too comforting, as I’m sure you can imagine. Regardless, it was a lot of fun to see and experience, and definitely supplements what we learn in class. I get to physically see Medieval architecture and Medieval ways of life while learning about it. You don’t get to do that in America.

In fact, learning about Italy in Italy is one of the greatest things about going to class. My Human Development in Culture class highlights differences in interaction, traditions, and what concepts are universal despite the fact people all over world have grown up in different environments. Not only am I able to directly apply all of that information to my adjustment here, but also to my now constantly-changing world viewpoint.

My professor in my Business in Europe class emphasizes how differently the economy functions in Italy as opposed to the United States and how to gauge distinctions when dealing with a company from a country dissimilar from your own.

As far as my Italian class goes, I’m not quite sure how you can top learning Italian in Italy. I get to practice every day!

Despite the fact that I still think I’m on vacation sometimes, I really do enjoy going to class here.

This weekend two of my roommates have a class field trip to Pompeii until Sunday, and on Friday my third roommate has a class trip to Florence. I have a day to myself on Friday, so another LVC student and I, Chantelle Simeone, are going to take a daytrip to Rome to see Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel. I’m having a really hard time containing my excitement.

Tomorrow I have an Italian midterm, so I should probably start studying. Next time I’ll be sure to update about my second trip to Rome and what I have in store for Spring Break, which is only 10 days away!

I said it was embarrassing...

This is the room where we ate our Medieval dinner!  

I can sum up Carnevale in two words:  unbelievably surreal.

Like I mentioned in my last entry, there are Carnevale celebrations throughout all of Italy, but the biggest one is in Venice and the second biggest is in Viareggio. Viareggio is on the coast (which means beach!) and cheaper than going to Venice. To avoid the chaos of Viareggio, though, we opted to stay in Lucca, which is a 20 minute train ride from Viareggio.

Friday morning two of my roommates, two other friends and I caught the 6:40am train to Lucca, which had a transfer in Florence. This train from Perugia to Florence was different than the ones we had previously taken. Our ticket specified a certain car and then a different seat. The seats were split into “sections,” or little mini rooms. (Causing my fellow travelers and I to deem it a “Harry Potter train.”) As a result, we had no idea how to find our seats and walked up and down the train twice before we asked someone where we were supposed to be sitting. Not fun for 7:00am.

It was down-pouring upon our arrival in Lucca. Despite the fact we had directions from the train station to our bed and breakfast, it took us about an hour to find our accommodations. It turns out that our bed and breakfast was fabulous. Our room included our own bathroom, a table, daybed, a TV, couch, and breakfast both Saturday and Sunday morning-all for 15 euro a night. In addition, the owner of the bed and breakfast was extremely hospitable and accommodating.

Not wanting to waste our day because of the rain, we decided to walk around Lucca anyway. After grabbing some lunch at a café, we made our way to Lucca’s main attraction:  the massive wall surrounding the city. It was built in the 16^th and 17^th century to keep out Lucca’s “old enemy,” which happens to be Florence. The wall literally surrounds the city. There are four entrances or “doors” to the city. It’s the only way you can enter. We tried to go to one of the famous towers (it has seven oak trees growing out of the top of it) but it was pouring and we were soaked, so we opted for some churches instead. After a day of sightseeing, we grabbed some dinner and called it a night.

Saturday morning we went to Viareggio via train. We walked to the train station on the wall, which has a path for strolling, biking, and running. We arrived in Viareggio at about 1:30pm with some other Umbra students who were going to Carnevale and headed straight for the beach. We had blue skies, sun, and a much warmer temperature than Perugia. One of the coolest things about Viareggio’s beach is that there are snow-covered mountains directly next to it. To see the ocean, sand, and snow-covered mountains in one snapshot is beautifully disconcerting. It’s almost as if your eyes are playing a trick on you…then you remember where you are and that of course it’s possible. It’s Italy and I’m living a dream for four months.  

I actually was so excited about the beach that I removed my socks and boots and took a walk in the water with one of my roommates. Yes, my feet were cold by the end, but it was totally worth it.

Carnevale is set-up directly next to the beach, kind of like a boardwalk. There are Ferris Wheels, food, shops, and confetti (which is totally my favorite thing about Carnevale). They have a stage for singers and dancers. We bought our masks from a vendor (see below for a picture!), walked around, and settled for sitting on the beach and watching the sunset over the water. Can you say contentment? Saturday was fun, but it was nothing compared to Sunday.

Sunday was the actual day of the parade, and luckily the weather was perfect. The train from Lucca to Viareggio was packed (there were no seats left by the time we got on), and we made sure to put our masks on the second we got off the train. Walking down to the where the parade was taking place provided us with our first real glimpse of what Carnevale was all about. There were people of all ages-from kids to grandparents-dressed up in costume. Smurfs, Spiderman, Tigger, Indians, and Pirates all made appearances. My group grabbed something to drink at a corner restaurant and then headed for the parade.

There were people EVERYWHERE. The parade started at 3:00pm, and the floats were incredible! Every single one was pulled by a vehicle that looked similar to a John Deere tractor (which amazed me because the floats were really big and ornate!) and all of them had decorations and parts on them that moved. The parts that moved weren’t motorized either. There were people dressed up and in charge of pulling a cord to make the parts on the float move.

Despite the fact that all the floats were very elaborate, they were all very different. There was a float dedicated to Michael Jackson (complete with a large head and a bunch of people dressed up like MJ on the float singing “Beat It.” See below!), a dark, scary, float with Berlusconi (they’re not quite as worried about censorship here), dragons, clowns, robots and pirate ships. There were people on every float dancing, singing, and throwing confetti.

The streets aren’t roped off for the parade like they are in America. You’re able to go up and touch the floats if you want. The crowd just moves out of the way when a float goes by, and then moves back into the street when it’s passed.

The only thing I could think about when watching the parade was that I would never be able to believe I was actually there, literally like a dream. Colors and confetti and people and music and costumes-how can I believe it was a reality? But I was there; I witnessed it, experienced it, and I have a mask and pictures to prove it.

This weekend I have a field trip to Bevagna for my Medieval Culture class. We’re being fed a Medieval dinner, which apparently means we must eat it in Medieval fashion (no silverware maybe?) and are given Medieval costumes we are forced to wear upon arrival. Needless to say I’m pretty excited.

My roommates and I also may go to Gubbio, a town quite close to Perugia, for a daytrip depending on the weather.

This weekend will also, unfortunately, have to include homework. Midterms are coming up soon, so I have to start cracking down.

As much as that makes me cringe, midterms also means Spring Break is around the corner…and Spring Break means London, Ireland, and Amsterdam!

My mask!

One of the floats.

The Michael Jackson float.

The Berlusconi float.

The costumes were incredible.

It’s been a little over a week since I’ve last written, but despite the fact I’m in another country, nothing monumental has really happened. This week marks my fourth week here. A whole month. I can’t believe I’ve been here for that long already.

I’m currently sitting here at the Umbra school with Dan Thomas, another LVC student. We’re reflecting on certain conclusions we’ve reached since arriving here:

1.  Rome, despite it having remarkable monuments denoting important human achievement, is still a city. Dan compares it to New York City. His observation: You’re walking down 5^th Avenue and bam! There’s the Coliseum.

1. Yes, we’ve been here a month, but we’re still adjusting to another culture. We’ll probably be adjusting for the rest of the semester, up until the very moment we leave.

1. Here you’re aware of your reputation as an American. As a result we’re much more careful with how we act and what we say when out in public.

1. The chocolate here is better than anything you’ll find in America. In Hershey vs. Italy, Italy will win every time. (Except Dan seems to think some Hershey products are still superior in their own right. He might be in a “Go America” mood at the moment, though…)

1. There are dogs everywhere, but they’re the most well-trained dogs you’ll ever come across. Even the strays are well-behaved. It’s not uncommon for people to bring their dogs into bars, cafes, or stores. No one thinks anything of it.

1. They also celebrate Valentine’s Day here. They’ve had Valentine’s merchandise for sale since we got here in January. No difference from America in that respect.

1. We’re still struggling with the concept of having to do homework. We’re in Italy. What’s homework?

1. Despite the places in Italy we’ve been so far, we’re grateful LVC has an affiliation with Umbra and sent us to live in Perugia. The bigger cities are nice, but you’re definitely able to immerse yourself more into Italian culture here. It’s smaller, cheaper, and less Americanized.

This weekend starts Carnevale. This is basically the Mardi Gras of Italy, except it’s much longer than just a day or two. Given that Italy is more or less a primarily Catholic country, the days leading up to Lent have much more pomp and circumstance than they do in the States. It begins this Saturday and continues until Ash Wednesday, complete with activities, parades, and of course, masks. Every town and city has some sort of festivity, but Venice and Viareggio have the biggest celebrations.

Needless to say, my friends and I are off to Viareggio tomorrow morning to take part in the merriment this weekend. I’ll make sure to write all about it next week!

(The picture below is of the Fontana Maggiore, which is located in the Piazza IV Novembre here in Perugia.)

Despite all the differences between Italy and America, I find myself taking comfort in the fact that some things are universal. Some things don’t change no matter what culture you’re in or where you find yourself.

I began volunteering for UNICEF Monday night. Anyone who was interested was invited to meet in the lobby of Umbra to walk together to a middle school, where the local UNICEF is stationed. Only three Umbra students showed up, but two graduate students from the University of Perugia also came along. I can volunteer for UNICEF every Monday and Thursday until the end of March. Each session is about two hours, and if I attend twelve hours total (which equals going to about half of the sessions), I get a nice little certificate from Umbra commending me on my willingness to participate in extra-curricular activities.

UNICEF, for those who may not be familiar with it, (United Nations Fund for Children) mobilizes resources around the world to help meet basic needs and opportunities of life for every child and teenager. They do this through programs and projects for human development.

What we had to do was truly simple: sit in the basement of the middle school, with a few elderly Italian women, and make dolls. These dolls are then “adopted” by someone. The money paid for the doll is used to buy vaccines for children in third world countries, and the dolls (from my understanding) are sent to children in third world countries also.

The most fantastic thing about this experience is that not one of the UNICEF volunteers speaks a word of English. This doesn’t seem to matter at all, though. You have something in common with each other: doing something for the benefit of others. You’re sharing a good deed. Volunteering-and a degree of altruism-seems to be found everywhere. Yes, there are negative universalities found everywhere. But I’m glad to find positive ones too.  

Volunteering for UNICEF, even if it’s only been for a couple hours so far, made me feel complete. Useful. Whole. I feel like me again. After being so involved as a volunteer at home, I’m realizing I’m drawn to that type of work here, too. Some things really don’t change. In a foreign world where I’m out of my comfort zone, volunteering is proving to be a reassuring and calming solace.