Goodbye Italy

 I can't find an appropriate word to describe today. Odd.. Maybe? It started out with all of us lugging our suitcases all over Venice to get on the vaperato, then a four hour train ride, and more exercise while we drug our bags to our hotel in Rome. First of all I was a bit proud of myself for navigating the city fairly well. I was oriented and haven't needed the map... Yet :). After lunch we went to a crypt which was very.... Interesting. Pretty much it was just bones arranged to decorate several rooms. Some of the skeletons were full bodies, but a lot of them were just skulls or clavicles or scapulae that ornamented the walls. Even the chandeliers were made from bones!! 

I also find it hard to describe my day because it's our last day in Italy. Yes, I am ready to be done living out of a suitcase but am I ready to leave? Not in the least. Being here has intrigued and challenged me in so many ways. It's hard to explain. This has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I thouroughly enjoyed it. Learning about art history and philosophy is one thing in a classroom, but seeing and experiencing them firsthand is incredible. I could have studied the Sistine chapel for a week in itself, but we have gone, done, and seen so much more.

Inevitably I will be asked what my favorite part of the trip was, and honestly I can't say. Yes, it sounds cliche but each experience has had a different effect on me, all of which I value. The beauty of Assisi brought me serenity and a new appreciation for life, the hustle and bustle of Rome brought me to consider all the unique lifestyles people have, and Florence brought me a sense of home because we were there for the majority of our time here. 

I'm excited to come home, see my family, and decorate Christmas cookies, but I'm sad to leave Italy. However, I've had an amazing time and I am lucky to take away new memories and all in all, a new me.