Piazza Navona

Today was our last full day in Rome. I woke up feeling a bit under the weather. We met up with Mr. and Mrs. Gray in order to get to Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) where we were meeting everyone else. The three of them attended mass at a side altar, but I opted for some alone time in front of the main altar. Soon after the mass ended, everyone else arrived. I really wasn’t feeling too great, so it was decided that I would ride with Mr. Dumas, Fr. Michael, and Sarah (who was also sick) in a taxi to the other basilicas. At Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Fr. Michael managed to show Sarah and I the relics of the cross before and Italian man informed us that a wedding was about to take place, so we would have to leave.

I was able to text the others, who were walking, and told them to meet us at San Paolo Fuori Le Mura (St. Paul’s Outside the Walls). We waited in the cold for a while, until Fr. Michael could hunt down a taxi. He would walk at least a mile if not further to get to a taxi stand, in the rain no less. Taxis can be difficult to track down in Rome, but Fr. Mike always came through for his grandpap. While we waited, we were able to see the bride arrive and I’d even venture to bet that we were in the background of some of their pictures. On the way to St. Paul’s we got to see the pyramid and the Roman baths.

After St. Paul’s, it was decided that we would go to Piazza Navona, which was the last place on my list that I really wanted to see. The four of us got there way ahead of everyone else. Mr. Dumas sat in the middle of the Piazza while Fr. Mike, Sarah, and I wandered around the different vendors that were set up. At one of the stands I got a crepe and they gave Sarah some cotton candy for free. We had fun with our treats and went to get Mr. Dumas a gelato. There were street performers dressed up as statues and one was supposed to be Santa. Mr. Dumas gave both Sarah and I a coin each to put in the can the man had. Sarah was not keen on the idea, but we slowly approached him. When we got close enough, Sarah threw her coin, but missed the can, so I picked it up and put mine in as well. The man thanked us and asked if we wanted a photo, but Sarah didn’t, so we headed back toward Mr. Dumas. He thanked us for giving the money and I think he enjoyed watching Sarah. We then looked at different nativity pieces offered by the vendors. Italians are big on build your own Nativity scenes, so many stands offered different pieces. My favorite were sets that were made from roots. If I could have transported one home, I probably would have. I bought myself a pretty scarf that matches my coat quite nicely at one of the stands. In addition there were a lot of witches for sale. If you clapped near them, they would cackle and bounce about. I pulled this from another blog as an explanation for their presence:

The befana legend is nice, though: On their way to Bethlehem, the magi stop by her house, the cleanest in the village, and ask for shelter for the night. When leaving the next morning, they invite her to join their search for a special baby. Befana declines, she’s too busy cleaning. After they leave, she thinks for a bit – and decides to go along after all. She finishes her work and follows the men. But she’s too late. She never finds the baby.

Come 6 January, Epiphany, she’s still flying about on her broom, searching. On that day, Italian children leave a glass of wine and some nibbles for la befana. And she, in turn, leaves a present for the children in every house she looks. After all, anyone of them might be baby Jesus.

The rest of the family met up with us and found a place to get me soup, minestrone, since it was the only thing I had really wanted to eat. Brother Joel had found the place, and the man who ran it had his mother help make some of the dishes. The food was absolutely delicious and filling, it really hit the spot. Afterward we made our way to the metro and onto the train in order to go to The University of Europe where Fr. Jason teaches. On the train, the Mitchell’s played a few rousing rounds of hangman, which made the journey entertaining. It brought color onto the train, where what lied beyond the tracks was quite dull. Once at the university, we had mass and then visited the shroud exhibit. Fr. Jason explained about the replica of the Shroud of Turin and the studies done on the burial cloth of Jesus. That’s something I would like to read more about.

We then said our goodbyes and waited for a taxi with Mr. and Mrs. Gray. As much as I wanted to go home, I really do hate goodbyes. I would see most of them at the airport and stateside, but I was sad to leave Fr. Mike, Fr. Jason, and Brother Joel. They are all such wonderful men of Christ and their presence was a comfort. Between having them and the Mitchell family, I couldn’t have traveled to Italy with a better group of people.

Once back at our metro station, we went for cappuccino and pastries with the Grays for our last night in Rome. It was the best cappuccino I have ever had and the almond tart was to die for.

Strikes, Shopping, & Sistine Chapel

On Friday, we slept in, foregoing a mass at St. Peter’s in the grotto and the cupola tour. It was the day we walked to the Vatican because there really was a strike for the metro and buses and we found out it was actually faster to walk than to go to the next metro station, like we had been doing all week. Since we got there early, we went back into St. Peter’s and I was able to take some decent pictures since there was better lighting. Grandpa enjoyed being able to spend some time there and well as getting some prayer in. It was overflowing with tourists though; it was kind of insane. If you took the time though, you could see the amazement on people’s faces as they took it all in for the first time. It was like seeing kids on Christmas morning and being able to share in the excitement over and over again. Once our time there was through, we met up with the rest of the group at the Christmas Tree so we could go tour the Vatican Museums. They are extremely extensive, but Fr. Jason gave a good tour. The Sistine Chapel was something to see. I must admit though that I have very little attention span for museums. I would rather be out roaming the streets, so you will not find a detailed review here. I will say that the rooms were overwhelming, especially the Vatican Rooms. I like simple things, but the walls and ceilings were covered with intricate and extensive artwork. One could probably spend a week in one room and not be able to take all of it in. I was almost relieved to leave, it was such a sensory overload.

That afternoon, I slipped out for some alone time and headed for the taxi stand by St. Peter’s. I waited for quite some time and managed to get a taxi to the Piazza de Spagna. Once there, I saw the Spanish Steps, but I had a goal to find the Lion Bookshop, one highly recommended as a good English bookstore by my guidebook. I walked down the street it was on and then backtracked, only to find that it was closed permanently. Feeling a bit defeated, I went and climbed the Spanish Steps and then went back down them to the taxi stand. The line was insane, and the metro strike was due to end at 5:00pm, so I waited for it to open. When I got back to my stop, Cipro, I went and bought a bottle of water and a bottle of wine. Once of the few things that made me feel Italian on this trip was walking home from the store with a bottle of wine. Once home, Grandpa and I decided to go finish our Christmas shopping. After completing it in and around St. Peter’s, we decided to try and find a restaurant that the Gray’s had recommended earlier in the week. We walked up and down the street a few times and as I was hoping in vain that they had a cell phone I could call, we ran into them and they pointed us in the right direction. It was a quaint little restaurant where we split a bottle of white wine and ate the best spaghetti I have ever tasted. When I ordered, the waiter encouraged me to speak Italian confidently, which is difficult but it was highly amusing. The waiter, after we declined dessert, brought us some sort of almond treat, which was tasty. We were in the restaurant rather early at 7:30pm, most of the customers didn’t start wandering in until we were finishing up and getting ready to leave. It was quite American of us to eat that early, but we were starving and tired. All in all, it was a frustrating day that took a turn for the better.

Assisi

We took a bus to Assisi on Thursday. It was nice to get out of Rome for a day, that’s for sure. Upon arrival, we visited Saint Mary of the Angels, it was a pretty church. Along the lines of the Franciscans, it was a church built up around an existing church. The Porziuncola was given to St. Francis from the Benedictine Monks. There was also a small museum and a display of Nativities to look at. We had lunch with the Grays and I had some kind of zucchini wit potatoes and carrots, which was delicious. We then took the bus up the hill to Assisi where we visited St. Francis. His tomb is in the basement of the church. After praying there, Michelle asked me if I wanted to go up to a castle, so I agreed. Brother Joel led Michelle, Theresa, David, Kevin, Joe, Jeremy, Peter, and I in what we thought was the right direction. Peter and Jeremy disappeared into a shop, so Joe went back to look for them. As it turns out, we were taking the long way around, so we headed back to the main road. At that point I decided I needed alone time, so I left the group to go shopping for my mom. I found her a crucifix and as I left the store, I ran into Linda and Krista. Krista and I went to a cafe where we indulged on cannoli. When it was time to meet the bus, we met up with a few of the others. We got completely turned around, as the signs in Italy are confusing, and the bus ended up coming to meet us to take us back down the hill for mass. I spent the ride home with Andrea which was fun.

Papal Audience & The Scavi

On Wednesday, we woke up early in order to go to the Papal Audience. We were about two hours early, so I took my time wandering around St. Peter’s square just taking all of it in. Once the rest of the group met up with us, we went into the auditorium where the audience was to be held. I sat with Grandpa and Andrea, who kept Sarah entertained with rock, paper, scissors, and I Spy. When the pope finally came onto the stage, everyone kind of went wild. He addressed everyone there in different languages such as Italian, German, Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese. It was pretty cool, but I had trouble staying awake as I hadn’t slept well the night before. I went to lunch with the Mitchell’s afterward. The cafe we ate at was utter chaos. It was nice to have the boys there to interpret for us. We had to order at one counter, pay at another, and go back to the first to get our food. As we ate, Fr. Jason relayed to us what was being said on an Italian news station. They were discussing the difference in the north and the south economies, which highly interested me. Basically the north works and supports the south, and they were debating about where the north ends and the south begins.

After lunch, those of us going on the Scavi tour met up at the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square and headed back toward St. Peter’s. I toured with Mrs. Mitchell, Linda, David, Kevin, Krista, Theresa, Joe, Jeremy, and Andrea. Our guide was excellent at explaining the layers of the Scavi and how they would have been throughout the centuries. It started as an above ground cemetery for Pagan families. It was basically a city unto itself with streets weaving among the tombs. She explained that often families were buried together and in cases the coffins were reused. There was one family that actually had their slaves buried outside of their tombs. As time went on, secret Christians would leave symbols on their tombs to denote that they were of the Christian faith, many of them the first converts. At some point, Constantino decided to build a Basilica on the site of St. Peter’s tomb. In order to do so, he had to level the hill it was to sit on and he used all of the dirt to cover up the cemetery in order to build a foundation for the church. It was only in 1939 when Pope Pius XI left in his will that he wanted to be buried by St. Peter, that the Scavi was even found. There were five archeologists who worked in secret throughout WWII to uncover what they could. St. Peter’s bones weren’t found in the original burial site, but outside the right wall. They found his bones, but not his feet. It is assumed, that since he was crucified upside down, they cut his feet off in order to make for a hasty burial. I definitely want to find a book on the Scavi and read up on it.

After the tour, we went to St. Anne’s for Fr. Jason’s first mass. Mgsr. Herbein joined us. Fr. Michael’s homily dealt with parents and grandparents, their’s in particular.

After mass, we went with the Grays again to see the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon at night. It was cool to see them all lit up.

Cappuccino, Mass, The Tiber, and A Castle

We attended Fr. Michael’s first mass at Di Guadalupe. Before we could do so, we had to wait for the current mass to end, so we got cappuccino at a bar across the street. We then sat in a vacant room at Di Guadalupe and everyone chatted while Jason and Michael signed mass cards for everyone. There were plenty of jokes about how much they would be worth and the value of them before their first mass as opposed to after. The mass was very intimate and Fr. Jason’s homily about Michael and brothers in the Bible was extremely nice. There were plenty of Legionnaires in the back singing throughout the mass. It was honestly one of the most heavenly sounds I have ever heard.

Afterward, we went back to the apartment that Pete and Bonnie Dumas, Mrs. Mitchell's parents were sharing with Linda, Mrs. Mitchell's sister, and her kids. Everyone chipped in money and the boys went out to negotiate pizza prices. The view from their apartment window was amazing. It looked out onto the Tiber and the traffic below. If I had been staying there, I probably could have just sat and stared out the window for hours, which is basically what I did while I was there. I spent time with Mr. Mitchell, Ben, Peter, little Michael, Sarah, Anna, Allie, Andrea, Krista, Michelle, Theresa, and Jen before the pizza arrived. It was delicious and on a thin crispy crust, Italian style. My favorite was probably the cheese with tomatoes on it. Once all twenty pizzas were devoured, negotiated at a price of 7 euro a piece by Fr. Jason, we organized ourselves to make the trek to the Castle of Sant Angelo. On the way there I got some pretty good pictures as we walked along the Tiber. I had wanted to go on a walk along the river, since it was something I enjoyed doing with the Liffey in Dublin and the Thames in London. People always go with the cliche, “I like long walks on the beach”, but I personally like long walks along rivers. Fr. Mike and Fr. Jason gave us an excellent tour and history lesson. The view from the top of the castle was amazing. Jen and I had fun taking pictures with her daughter Allison and we managed to get left behind in the process, but we eventually caught up with the rest of the group.

When we finished at the castle, we walked over to the Vatican and Fr. Michael gave us a tour of St. Peter’s. The Pieta statue just about moved me to tears. He explained the vandalism and repair of the statue, which is why it is now behind glass. He also explained the optical illusions within St. Peter’s to make it seem more welcoming and homey. The letters of the words that Jesus spoke to St. Peter that run around the top are four feet tall, but they don’t look it. There are also statues on the top and bottom of the pillars. Those on top are actually twice the size of those on the bottom, but they look to be the same size. We were also able to see a couple of the popes whose bodies had not decomposed, but were in contact behind glass coffins with their own altars.

After leaving St. Peter’s, we all went to buy religious articles to get blessed by the pope. I got rosaries for my family along with a sweatshirt for my sister. The whole group of us ventured to Old Bridge Gelateria for an end of the day snack. I got nutella, amaretto, and chocolate. It had to have been one of the most delicious combinations ever.

Ordination Day

My third day and night in Rome was very eventful. The night before I had received a text from Michelle Mitchell saying that there would be a metro and bus strike that day. I had woken up at some point during the night to a storm that went on for hours. When it was time to get up and go, I tried calling all of the taxi numbers in my guide book, but they all either disconnected or rang busy. Grandpa and I decided to start walking to the taxi stand near St. Peter’s, but as we went we saw the buses were running. Taking a chance, we went to the Cipro metro station and the trains were running. My prayers had been answered, we would be making it to the ceremony on time. It was the ordination of Jason and Michael Mitchell. The ceremony was gorgeous and the ordination itself included the laying of hands, anointing of the hands, robing, and consecration of the bread and wine.

That afternoon, we met up with Chuck and Mary Ann Gray for lunch. I had a tuna and tomato sandwich and it was delicious. The man serving it to me said, “For the beautiful lady.” I didn’t even hear him say it, perhaps it’s because I was too distracted by the food coming to me. We went to the Trevi Fountain, which was one of the things I had been most looking forward to seeing. Mr. Gray took a picture of me throwing a coin into it, which promises a return to Rome. We ventured to the Parthenon, which is such a breathing building. It was actually built with a hole in the ceiling, so when it rains, it pours into the building. The center of the floor was roped off as it was wet due to the storms from earlier in the day. I enjoyed snapping pictures of the architecture. The Gray’s then showed us Santa Maria as well, which was a gorgeous church, but it was too dark for my camera to do it any justice. It is also the church that has the elephant with an obelisk on top of it. There was scaffolding over it though, as they were restoring it.

That evening we went to a restaurant near the Vatican with everyone to celebrate the ordination. The food was excellent and so was the company. I sat with Andrea, Theresa, Jeremy, Peter, Michelle, and Grandpa. We were first served appetizers of ham along with deep fried vegetables, rice, and fish. Next came two different kinds of pasta, one in tomato sauce and another in a cheese sauce. The main course was chicken and potatoes which was quite delicious. For dessert, we were served an array of tarts with fruit or peanuts while those who wanted it got gelato. Shots of limoncello were passed around as well for those of us old enough to have it.

Afterward, I met Brother Joel and we talked about Ireland. He lived in Dublin for two years, which I am jealous of with my mere four months residency there. Being in Rome made me miss everything about Dublin. The metro made me wish I was on the DART, the Italian accent and language made me long for the Irish accent, when I saw a Despar I wanted it to be a Spar, and the list went on and on. I think revisiting Dublin will be my next trip abroad.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum...

On Sunday, I left the Mitchell’s apartment before they went to mass in the hopes that I could shower at our apartment and go to mass with Grandpa. When I finally made it up to the apartment and rang the doorbell, there was no answer. I waited for about twenty minutes before deciding to go down to the church. I waited outside for the 9:00am mass to end and sure enough, Grandpa had gone to the earlier mass. We went back to the apartment where I was able to shower before leaving for the Colosseum. It must be noted here that one of my favorite parts of Rome was crossing the street. The drivers won't stop if you are just standing on the side of the road, but if you are in a crosswalk, they have to stop. If they hit a pedestrian, they lose their license for life. Basically, Grandpa and I would wait for a line of traffic to go by, and then step into the road. More often than not, the line would not have a huge break in it, so I would do my best to judge how far the next car had to go to stop at the speed it was driving along at. There are roads where pedestrians have to wait for lights, but there weren't any of those between our apartment and the metro station. We got pretty good at it by the end of the week.
The Mitchell's met up with us at the Cipro metro stop and we headed out together. When we got to the Colosseum, we were waiting to meet up with the rest of our group. We just took everything in. It was a beautiful morning, so there were plenty of people out and about. There were reenactors dressed up as gladiators taking pictures with people and eventually marching around. There was a police band playing down by the Arch of Constantine, so Grandpa and I went down to check them out. They were really good and made me wish I still played flute.

As we wandered back up toward the Mitchell’s, it had been decided that we would just go inside and hope to meet up with everyone else inside. Of all the things I saw in Rome, there were three that I couldn’t believe I was seeing, the Colosseum being one of them, St. Peter’s and the Trevi Fountain being the other two. The history alone that took place in the Colosseum is hard to comprehend, let alone the fact that the building has withstood thousands of years. In a way it was strange to look around and think about the history and then turn and look at the modern world zooming past outside it’s walls. I took some time to myself just to look at the 21st century passing by the ancient walls. If I had been by myself, I probably could have spent the better part of a day just wandering around and looking out from the inside. The weather had other ideas for us, however, after we met up with the rest of the group, it started to pour down rain. We took cover within the outside part of the Colosseum. Everyone chatted, but I just watched as the rain poured down onto the ruins. Rain makes everything more beautiful in my opinion. (If you share this view, watch Midnight In Paris, he’s constantly talking about how beautiful the city is in the rain.) I tried to capture that beauty with my camera, but that moment will just have to live in my memory. Hannah and Anna kept playing in the rain. Hannah wanted to go out in it, but Anna didn’t. I managed to get a picture of them when it wasn’t raining so hard. Once the rain let up, we all proceeded to the Roman Forum. I managed to get some nice pictures of the Colosseum with the Arch of Constantine along the way.

Like most things in Rome, the Forum involved stairs and hills. I was able to take some time to myself once we got to certain areas just to wander and explore. Even for being December, some of the flowers were in bloom and were gorgeous. Trying to imagine what the Forum used to be was a bit more difficult than the Colosseum, because it was more expansive and it was in more of a ruin state. It was still like stepping back in time though, which isn’t something I get to do everyday in the States. It’s probably part of the reason I love traveling in Europe so much, because the history is so rich and it goes back thousands of years.

At a certain point, we all tried to decide what we were going to do next and what was going on later that evening. I followed the Mitchell boys along with Linda to exit the Forum. I turned around at the top of a set of stairs that they had all proceeded to go down to see if the rest of the group was coming, but they weren’t. When I got to the bottom of the steps, Ben asked if I had seen them coming, but of course I hadn’t. We waited for a while before splitting up and trying to find the rest of the group. I tried calling Amy’s cell phone, but it was off so I left a message. We decided to get on the metro and go back to our apartments. On the way, my phone rang and it was Amy. Turns out, they had been looking for us for an hour too. Once logistics were figured out, it was decided that I would just go back to our apartment and wait for Grandpa to get back.

I was a bit distraught when I got off the metro, so I called my mom and talked to her. When it was decided there was nothing I could do but move forward, I went back to the apartment and took some time to properly settle in, since I hadn’t really been there other than for showering. I unpacked my suitcase and decided to start boiling water for pasta. From traveling, I had some laundry that needed done, so I figured out how to start the washer, which was below the stove top. A bit of exhaustion had hit me at that point and I had a reminiscent feeling of being in Dublin just doing day to day tasks. As slid down in between the wall and the washer to watch my clothes spin, I really just wanted to stay in that moment for a while. That moment of European domestic life. I find that I miss living small and conservative. I miss the independence I felt when I was abroad and the freedom to travel. Public transportation is something that people in large cities take for granted until there is a strike, but it’s something I miss every day living in small town USA. Taking a train or a bus somewhere new isn’t an option. I love being able to get on a metro and go a few stops to a completely different part of a city. The simplicity of staring at my spinning clothes was about all I could take at that moment though. As I sat, something occurred to me, earlier in the day when I had been ringing our doorbell, I noticed that most of the shutters had been opened for the day. When I came back, they were all closed as it was night, regardless of the fact that you can close your windows up so no one can see in and the shutters are just there for appearance any more. I pulled myself up by grabbing onto the counter and made my way into my bedroom where I partook in the Italian way of pulling my shutters closed before shutting my windows up for the night. At least I would be able to sleep in a completely dark room, which is more than I can say for my room at home with sheer curtains.

Then I proceeded into my grandpa’s room, where his window was still open and as I looked out it, I saw that he was below with Amy and her kids. I called out to them and hurried down the stairs to let him in. The water had been boiling for a while by that point, so I threw pasta in and heated up the sauce. It was pretty good and a much needed meal in after a long day. We discussed the day and talked about the ordination which would occur the following morning. Later that night I got a text from Michelle saying that the metro and buses would be on strike and that we would have to get a taxi. I immediately pulled out my guidebook and found numbers as well as taxi stand locations. I spent part of the night trying to teach myself some basic Italian so I would know how to tell a driver that we needed to get to San Giovanni.

Goodbye Home, Hello Rome

On Friday, December 9th, after a mishap of driving to Ohio because 60 has been changed to 376, we made it to the Pittsburgh International Airport. The other group flying with us was sitting just a few rows over at the gate, but I didn’t approach them until we got to our layover in Philadelphia. I asked if they were traveling to Rome with the Mitchell’s and they said yes. Introductions were exchanged and then we headed for the gate for our flight to Rome.

When we arrived in Rome, the taxi had not been set up for our apartment, which was my fault. Tom Mitchell saved the day though and took us back to his apartment along with Ben, so we could wait to check into ours. The ride into the city center was intriguing. I find that entering a city for the first time, I love to just observe. Roman drivers are insane, which was making Grandpa nervous, but I was entertained. The vespas just weaved in and out of traffic and there were no real traffic lanes. Our driver honked his horn just for something to do, since the congestion in the streets was too much for impatience to make a difference. There were two other groups of people with us in the van who had to be dropped off before us. Finally we made it to the Mitchell’s apartment where we were able to relax for about a half an hour.

When it was time, Andrea and Mr. Mitchell, took us by metro to our stop. Walking to our apartment was rough with our luggage due to there being a lot of steps and going up hill from there. I usually pride myself on packing light, but I definitely didn’t on this trip. They were both good sports about it and even volunteered to take us to the grocery store. The store itself was insane that afternoon, there were people everywhere and we had gone without a list, so Grandpa kept coming up with other things we would need. The store wasn’t big, but trying to figure out where stuff was became frustrating with jet lag creeping up on me. There were quite a few flies buzzing about the store as well. At the checkout, poor Andrea who was helping me unload the basket of groceries onto the belt, dropped a can of spaghetti sauce and it smashed all over the floor and us. The Italian man who came to clean it up made light of it and said, “Now all we need is some spaghetti!” He probably didn’t know it, but that basically made my day and put a smile back on my face.

After a much needed shower, we met up with the rest of the group to go to San Giovanni In Laterano where the ordination was going to be held two days later. It was a gorgeous church with ornate ceilings, beautiful statues, and marble floors. Andrea and I each got audio guides and toured the church together. We learned about Constantine and his role in the Catholic Church as well as the placement of prophets and apostles within the building. The church also had a Papal Door which is only opened during jubilee years.

That night, I went on a pub crawl with Ben, Joe, Linda and her kids, David, Kevin, and Krista. We spent some time near the Colosseum, which is gorgeous at night. Seeing it for the first time as we emerged from the metro station was breathtaking. To kill time, after being pestered by men trying to sell light up gadgets, we went to an outdoor cafe for drinks and pizza before joining the pub crawl. It was right across the street from the Colosseum and I kept glancing over at it in amazement that I was in Rome. The whole experience was rather surreal. When you live in a small town like Franklin, being in a city with a landmark that is known worldwide is incredible. A couple of the servers were curious as to how we all knew each other. I became a Mitchell cousin because it was easier than trying to explain how I had ended up with them in Rome. The pub crawl itself wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I think of a pub crawl in the Irish sense, where you sit around a table with drinks and socialize. This was more of a club scene type of thing. It was definitely fun just to cling to the wall and observe everyone. I wasn’t interested in drinking too much, especially on my first night in a foreign city with jet lag, so I just had a couple of drinks. Since we were only given one key to our apartment and I knew Grandpa would sleep through the doorbell, I went back to the Mitchell’s apartment with Joe and Ben to spend the night in Andrea’s room. The next day was to be filled with sightseeing and I could hardly wait.

Long Time, No Write

It's been quite some time since I have posted on this blog. I had actually forgotten about it until I was compiling my playlist for writing. I'm actually participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and by actually, I mean that I'm on track to hit 50,000 words by November 30th. It's funny though, I haven't written much since the end of my college career until now. I've started this novel about four marching band kids and now I have ideas for all kinds of story lines. I'm trying to keep snippets of them saved so that when December comes, I can draft them too. This is a hobby I'm hoping will hold. I seem to come across hobbies that hold my interest for a bit and then fade. Some are just seasonal things though like knitting. For me it's a cold weather hobby and not one I want to be doing in the middle of the summer. Reading and writing though, I'm a fan of both during all seasons.

I won't say much more tonight, other than I hope to start blogging again in some aspect. I need to write everyday if I'm going to commit to this, even if it's only 50 words. Today I've written over 2000 probably. It always amazes me too when I look back through my blogs what I'll find. This quote is one that I found, said to me by one of my favorite college professors:

Not many people can do what you did. Don't take yourself for granted. -Dr. Trejos

She was talking in regard to my study abroad experience. I feel like I need that posted by my office computer for day to day encouragement. Sometimes I get down on myself about my abilities, but I just have to step back and realize that I'm the girl who got on an international flight by herself two years ago to spend four months in a country where I knew no one. Surely I can discuss loan options in the town I've been born and raised in. There is really nothing foreign about that.

JASNA Pittsburgh Announces Student Awardees

I did pretty well for an Economics Major who's a Jane Austen Addict...

JASNA Pittsburgh Announces Student Awardees

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) sponsored its first annual undergraduate paper writing contest in 2011. The group will recognize two Allegheny College students as awardees at their first annual conference, entitled “More than fifteen minutes of fame!” on March 12, 2011. First place will be awarded to Annie Nebo, while second place will go to Julie Ropelewski. Both women are English majors at the small liberal arts college located in Meadville, PA. They will receive small monetary prizes and entry to the March conference, where they will be recognized for their achievement. Joslyn Dechant, a student at Clarion University, was awarded Honorable Mention.

Centered on the theme of How Jane Austen Changed My Life, the undergraduate competition was promoted throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania region. “We want to celebrate Austen and encourage her next generation of fans,” explains Mell Steven Cosnek, President of JASNA Pittsburgh. “Austen was an active writer throughout most of her life, and the paper competition is a way to recognize students that share her passion,” Ms. Cosnek adds.