Narnia...or Assisi

This is essentially the first weekend since I’ve been here that I haven’t gone on a sizeable trip. I will be traveling almost every weekend for the rest of the semester, so I thought I should take a rest. I was particularly exhausted this past week, and I’m sure it was due to constantly being on the go. This was a perfect time to recharge my batteries.

Friday, I went with three girls to the Perugia Chocolate Factory. Amazing to see the process of how chocolate was made. I never knew it was so complex! There is extracting the cocoa, making the actual chocolate, wrapping it…The chocolate was wrapped by these really cool machines. They were already getting started on HUGE chocolate Easter eggs! We got to take pictures of the largest chocolate ever made (in the Guinness Book of Word Records).

We also received a TON of free samples on the tour. I was expecting maybe one little piece of chocolate, but there were trays and trays, and we could take as much as we wanted! I definitely filled my pockets (although one family rudely took a whole bowl so I didn’t feel badly at all!) It was a really fun day. It figures that we were in Italy, and yet McDonalds was the only restaurant in walking distance of the factory. Hello fries!

Yesterday, the same group and I took a day trip to Assisi. Assisi is about a twenty-minute train ride from Perugia. Pretty easy. However, the day started off a little haphazardly when none of us could find each other (we had a meeting point, but somehow we all were confused as to where the meeting place was). Half of the group didn’t have their phones, so we couldn’t easily get in contact. Essentially, I made my way to the train station, figuring that if all else failed, I could go to Assisi myself (which I planned on doing anyway if no one was around this weekend). Luckily, we all re-found each other (two of the girls had already boarded an earlier train to Assisi, but in the end we met up with them). Missing the first train would have bothered me a lot more in earlier times, but I am developing an intense “go with the flow” kind of mentality. I took this opportunity to read my guidebook and do some people watching at the station (in particular, there was a drunk at the station bar at 11:00am. Interesting).

When we arrived in Assisi, we took a taxi to the top (where the basilica is). I have to mention first of all the temperature. It was bitter cold. The coldest its been. Again, this could have been a major downer. However, we kept our positive attitudes and, with boots completely soaked through, walked the beautiful side streets of Assisi.

What began as a day trip turned into one of my favorite trips so far (I know I say that about everything). I can absolutely see why people find God and meditate in Assisi. It is so difficult to describe the peacefulness. Have any of you ever seen the Chronicles of Narnia? When the four children first step into snowy Narnia, there is a quietness and magic about it. The snow was lightly falling throughout our day in Assisi; the roads were virtually abandoned, and we had unbelievable views of Tuscany. It felt like stepping into a fairytale.

The houses in Assisi looked like something out of a children’s book. I almost expected fairies to pop out.

After a delicious lunch (next to an adorable baby with the cutest red cheeks) we made the trek to the basilica. The tomb of Saint Francis is here, and it was just generally stunning.

Inside, there is an upper and lower basilica. All of the chapels felt like secret passageways; just when you thought you had seen everything, there was a little hallway to the left or right and you had a whole new underground church to explore! This happened to me a few times during our visit. I loved finding the extra peaceful spots.

One of the most special moments of the day was when I paid a donation to have a mass said for my dad at the basilica. I don’t know when the mass will be (the monk said they don’t know for sure yet) but it’s really amazing to think that that will be happening at some point. Probably the best place in the world to have a mass. Again, as with Saint Peter’s, it was a really nice place to reflect for a little while. 

All of my spiritual reflections have stirred up a lot of emotions. I promised in my first post that I would be honest about my feelings and experiences. In the name of honesty, the end of my week was not particularly great. I felt oddly sensitive and vulnerable in a way. I have not felt very much homesickness since my first days here; in fact, I have been shocked as to how quickly I adjusted to Italian life on the whole. (As I talked about in my first ever post, I was the little girl who couldn’t even leave Mom at preschool without having a breakdown). However, the feeling started creeping up on me a few days back. It’s not the “I’m going to burst into tears every ten seconds” kind of panicky homesickness that I had in my first hours in Italy. It’s a bit more subtle. I’m not even totally sure what I’m homesick for. While I miss my family very much, they are going to be visiting in April. For some reason, the idea that they are going to be able to experience a bit of what I’m experiencing has really diminished my homesickness for actual “home.” It’s more of the, “Oh my goodness, I’ve been in a foreign country for a month” kind of homesickness. This weekend is the first time I’ve really sat still long enough to think about it. Things are going on without me; Joey has travel basketball games without me cheering in the stands (and they’re still undefeated, 11-0!), Robbie is really growing up and getting ready for college. My best friends have lives and families and school. My favorite American TV shows are still playing, my stuffed animals are sitting on my bed at home, and the waves are still churning at my favorite beach spots. It may sound strange, but I guess I half expected some cataclysmic event to happen in my absence. But in the end, life goes on.

I’m the one who’s changing.

They aren’t necessarily lightning bolt changes. I don’t go to bed at night and wake up a different person. It will take awhile to fully process these changes, and I know there are many more to come. Having to navigate and adapt and make new friends is certainly a confidence boost. As I discussed a bit in my post about spontaneity, my love for adventure is reaching a new high. There is no “routine” abroad. It is impossible to get stuck in any sort of rut, even when I’m having a not so great day. I can’t really put my finger on what’s different, but something definitely is.

On the topic of changes, I have just sealed the deal on my housing for my senior year. I am going to be living with one of my best friends, and I couldn’t be more excited about the arrangement. Jen and I have formed a particularly close bond since she lived two doors down from me during our freshman year at UMass. She has been extremely diligent about sending me frequent messages since I’ve been away to keep me in the loop, whether about her weekend or about her nursing rotation on the pediatrics floor. Her frequent presence as my housemate will be the perfect way to end my college career. (I’m trying not to think about the end). In a way, studying abroad is the prelude to a time of intense change in my life. College is sort of an in-between period; when I leave, I will REALLY be a grown-up. Terrifying, and yet my time in Italy is giving me an exciting taste as to what my life can turn out to be.