How do I start? This experience has already changed me… I will return more confident and independent than ever before. Today I stood in the BigCity airport with no family, friends, cell phone, computer, or any way of getting help from those people who care for me. At first it was a scary feeling until I embraced the adventure. On the flight from BigCity to Newark, NJ a girl from Scotland named K sat next to me. Turns out, she’s not only an accomplished world traveler, she also went to the college in HomeTown and loves the city! We combined just enough talking, laughing, and looking out the window to make the trip pass quickly. Before we parted I gave her a HomeTown key chain I’d gotten with my dad for just such occasions. We met again in the airport randomly and quickly spend even more hours chatting about differences and similarities of our religions (me as a Catholic and her as a Born Again Christian). The experience was enlightening and confirmed my thoughts that this trip will be a spiritual one for me. (K and I became Facebook friends and still talk and she is still an amazing world traveler!)
The sun setting in Newark as I left the United States for the first time.
On my way to boarding the plane to ROME!!! I met two girls from my program. AE and KN. We met up again after a long, long flight. I finally achieved my life goal of experiencing the line between darkness and dawn. It was as elusive and incredible as I’ve always dreamed. Before the sun went up all the way, we flew for a long time over the northern Atlantic Ocean. I don’t know if it was a sea of ice or clouds which was so beautiful…either way I feel blessed to have experienced it. When we finally landed it was nice to have two people to go through customs with and to wait with at the baggage claim. I’d made a sign that said “College Orvieto” on the back of a blue paper and waved it around while I walked. that was how we acquired the sisters and finally Wl. He was representing for all the men. He was excellent when leading us around and asking directions. He was also a big help lifting all the girls’ overweight bags into the overhead storage bins for when we got on the trains. We had to catch two trains to get to Orvieto…
Orvieto Train Station
More later, so tired….
faeriereader 