Travel Days

Wow am I ever exhausted. I am now in Rome (yay!!) and trying to keep my eyelids open as I write this blog post. There is a seven-hour difference between home and Rome, so it is an interesting transition when talking to people and getting adjusted. It does help that I was in this time zone while I was in Croatia for those two weeks in June. My airplane travel went super well as I did not have any delays. I was nervous for the first leg of my trip from Minneapolis to Chicago since I only had an hour to get to my connecting flight from Chicago to Rome. Thankfully though, the gates were in the same terminal and very close to one another, so I had some time to relax before I got on my 8.5-hour flight to Rome! I wish I could sleep on planes but, alas, I cannot so I ended up only sleeping for about 45 minutes. Some is better than none right? I ended up watching three and a half movies (The Sun is also a Star, Mary Poppins, Brave, and Dead Poets Society) which made the time go by much faster. I got to Rome around 2 a.m. Minnesota time/9 a.m. Rome time and from there I got to meet up with some of my classmates and then we were off to the Bernardi Campus!

Once I got to the Bernardi Campus I moved into my room which is super nice and has a beautiful view. The campus is essentially made up of one house/apartment complex thing where the students, director, and UST professors who are guiding this program stay. I am thankful that we are all in one building so that if I or anyone else needs anything, they are readily available! I think it makes my family feel quite relieved about the safety of it too haha. I am in a double room and my roommate is a good friend of mine who I met this past year at the University of St. Thomas. After I got all moved in, I explored the surrounding neighborhood with some of my classmates. It was really entertaining because all of us were tired from our travel but still very excited to see all what Rome has to offer us. We were mainly on the goals of finding food, a TIM or Vodafone store for SIM cards, school/bathroom supplies, and groceries. Those goals turned into a lot of wrong turns and much longer walks than anticipated. I feel like it is good though because we are all learning how to navigate well and efficiently. I would say that I learned a lot today, but nothing has really soaked in yet. I am in desperate need of a good nights sleep to prepare myself for the fun to come. In the week to come my classmates and I are going through rigorous orientation to be able to acclimate ourselves to the area, culture, and life in Italy. Truthfully, I am a mix of emotions right now: anxious, excited, encouraged, and fearful. Through all of this I am reminded that the Lord will take care of me and he wanted me here for a reason! This tumultuous change will benefit me even when I cannot quite see it yet.

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you- oracle of the Lord- plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” -Jeremiah 29:11