From Italian sun to Dutch gray.

Italy. Was. Awesome.

There is dirty (we're talking horribly dirty) laundry littering my floor and papers that need to be written and stuff that needs to be read, but I keep looking at these pictures as if to remind myself that the past nine days actually happened. I think I'm going to do an entry on each city at some point because there is SO MUCH to be said about all of them. This will probably happen next week, so stay tuned.

In a nutshell, things I will always remember: the color of the Venetian canals, the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi, monks chanting at San Miniato al Monte at sunset, the charming used bookshop in the Venetian Jewish Ghetto, that hilariously horrible hostel in Rome, limoncello on the balcony in Florence, hot chocolate on the Spanish Steps, "Come Thou Fount" echoing in Chiesa Jesu, turning the corner and seeing the Duomo for the first time, that pizza shop by Deanna's apartment in Rome, "Tollite" everywhere, journaling amongst the ruins of the Forum and the Colosseum, watching incense rise behind the altar at St. Peter's Basilica, being blessed by the Pope (not kidding), hugging every BC person in sight, gelato gelato gelato.

I felt tears coming to my eyes as I watched Rome fall away over the wing of the plane. It wasn't entirely from sadness, either. I am so grateful for what Italy did for my spirits: it showed me that there is a Europe outside this kind of humorless and calm and sterile country, a place where people jostle and yell and sing and bask and take great pride in food and friendship in a way completely different from--and yet compatible with--American mannerisms.

Matt comes to visit this week. I have been totally cheating on this whole study-abroad-and-leave-everything-behind thing, but I've found that being with the people I know and love has reminded me that they'll still be there when I get back. I know I made the right decision in coming here. Not the easy decision, but the one that will be make me the person I need to become.

Amsterdam this weekend! Whooooo!