Chapter X: A reflection and transformation

Hawai'i. What words can I say to describe this place of beauty? This land that was born from Earth’s eruptions from the depths and molded from fiery rivers pouring into the endless waves? The spiritual atmosphere of peace and tranquility transfused with respect and honor is something only experienced by those who freely embrace it openly and humbly. How amazing that I am blessed to be in Hawai’i – and even though it is only for a short while, it is longer than most will ever experience. Within these last two weeks alone I have learned more about myself, pushed my abilities to a different limit, and have humbly gained more of my own respect.

Don’t be deceived by that last paragraph to think that I have been lazily self-reflecting and sunbathing on the sandy beaches in paradise. Quite the contrary. I have only been to the beach 2 times during the day since my arrival almost 3 weeks ago. The festival’s hours are long and tiresome (though occasionally self-inflicted). And during this, last Friday was a breaking point for me.

It had been one of the many 12+ hour days preparing, assisting, maintaining, and monitoring different aspects of the festival. I know this of myself: that in a busy state, I forget to allow peace, patience, and understanding to rule my interactions with those around me and I quickly hit my “point of no return” emotionally. Instead of being able to turn an interaction that was potentially a life-changing learning experience into a positive result, I just shut it down. I let a moment escape. I was done. My guard then fell and I began to complain.

After that incident occurred, the performance that evening had ended, and a hope was dashed, I will admit that I did shed a tear. This emotional dead-end was too much. It took me a full day, but I realized something that has been a consistent truth in my education of life here. These long hours and tough work do not need to be so negative of an experience. I love doing operations and logistics for performing arts organizations. That is why I am here! When I get emails of more tasks to organize or fires to extinguish, I should be excited about this opportunity to succeed instead of complain of more work to do. Yes, some days have pushed my mental capacity to a point that almost hurts, but it isn’t work if it is something you love. This is what I love so why should I equate it with pain? This is merely a choice.

Perhaps it seems to be a small thing to change your attitude about something. But this small change results in a massive difference in joy. Though there were still organizational difficulties I see it with joy – knowing that once an issue is resolved, the lives within the festival can be more joyful as well. What a better job than to make this possible?

When you make the conscious decision to react to situations with a smile, you experience a sense of happiness previously unknown in an otherwise miserable occurrence.

And yeah ok, it doesn’t suck being in Hawai’i at the same time.

I add this to the list of what I am proud of in my growth. I am reading a nonfiction book in which the author is trying to describe the difficulties of writing about one’s life. The hardest part is acknowledging and owning the story that you have chosen. Am I, as the protagonist, the hero? Would a reader cheer for me when reading my life’s story? I look back to who I was even merely a year ago and shake my head at some of my insecurities, my doubts, and unhappiness. That, however, was just the continuation of the plot, the progression of the storyline, and the end of an old chapter.

In all aspects of life, this lesson of choice is constant. What kind of character do you choose to be in your life’s story?

Aloha and Shalom,

~Elizabeth

Reminiscence, Revelation, and Resolution

I put my iPod on shuffle and begin to enjoy an eclectic mix of music for the next 59 minutes. I was on a train headed to Lake Como as my last trip for my semester abroad in Italy. I began to reminisce of the past year and specifically the last 4 months - nostalgia is an apt word for what I was feeling. After a few songs, one of my favorite groups (Bethel Music / Jesus Culture) begins one of my favorite songs, 'Show Me Your Glory'. The train speeds northward through the Italian countryside and the words of the song reverberate in my heart: 'I long to stay in your presence, it's where I belong - show me your glory'. Even my silent echo of these lyrics brings a peace and joy to my soul that I have been missing for a while. The words of this simple melody playing in my ears hit the deepest part of me and I realize that, truly, I belong in His environment. It is what I was born for. It is what I require. It is where joy wholly resides. 

This year I have not been perfect nor have I consistently been enthusiastically pursuing God. But I have learned more about who I am, who I don't want to be, and who He designed me to become. In each of my shortcomings, I have discovered more of Him. More of His forgiveness and patience. More of His insatiable love for me. More of His excitement to see me walking in freedom. "Freedom isn't the absence of confinement. It's the presence of the person Jesus". I am thankful for the experiences I have grown through in 2013 and ask God for an even better 2014. 

For the entrance into the new year, I encourage you to pursue further and dig deeper into the Love that is Christ. I encourage you to welcome in the new year by praising God for His creativity and thanking Him for His never ending love and mercy and especially the birth of His Son. Therefore, seek to encounter Jesus. Have a personal experience with who He is. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His nature in a new way every day in 2014. THIS is the best gift we can receive this Christmas. THIS is the ultimate resolution for the new year. 'Show me your glory, Jesus. I want to want you even more.' Let's begin this new year with a joyous entrance into His gates and courts! 

"Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with joy! Enter His presence with joyful singing! Acknowledge that the Lord is God! ... Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give Him thanks! Praise His name! For the Lord is good. His loyal love endures, and He is faithful through all generations." -Psalm 100

~Elizabeth

Long time no post

Yikes! It's been quite a while since the last blog I've written! I'll try to quickly catch up on the happenings without being boring or wordy.. We'll see how this goes :)

Pisa:
The week after Cremona (last post), I went tango-ing for a friend's birthday party and had a great time learning a new style of dance! That weekend Meghann and I took a lengthy train ride to Pisa - this had previously been on our agenda during our trip to Florence but we weren't able to make the trip then. We had great fun with an extended photo shoot, coming up with creative poses, and teaching me how to do a proper jump photo.

Just a little kiss

Nailed the jump!

Thanksgiving:
On Monday, Megan Iliya came into town to visit all of us for the week! (She is one of the MAMBAs from Dallas). Time had already flown by and before we knew it, it was Thanksgiving time! Meghann found a 15 lbs turkey at a butcher shop and preparations for the bird began in the morning. We had planned a party for our MAMBA friends and other exchange students at our apartment. With house clean, food made, and music on, the festivities were a big hit! We had fun explaining the history of thanksgiving (with at least 3 variations), and the differing traditions in the US. Good times, good friends, and ALOT of turkey leftovers.

Me and my good friend Rana 

Our Thanksgiving party! (taking a picture of our dinner table)

On Saturday, Meghann and I ventured to the close city of Pavia for a Monet exhibit. It was a decent show and I definitely enjoyed seeing some impressionism.

The first week of December was the last week of classes at Bocconi - with most of our finals scheduled for the following week, I took a weekend off of traveling (the first yet), and did some dedicated studying. Some finals were easy, some finals were challenging. I'll receive grades within... 2 months or so (Italian style).

Florence (take 2):
Two more MBA students from SMU had taken a few days to explore Italy! They invited me and Jillian to join them in Florence for a few days of fun. We took a cooking class (favorite dish was the gnocchi!), ate some delicious dinner, and the following day took a day trip. We visited Sienna, Gimignano, and Pisa. I hadn't been to the first two cities which were quaint and wonderfully Italian. The trip to Pisa included a climb of the tower which I hadn't done earlier. It was great fun to see my Dallas friends - it made me even more excited to return to the states.

On Sunday, we attempted to go to church (the service we found online was cancelled in reality), and proceeded to shop in Christmas markets. Jillian left for Milan and the rest of us climbed the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo. This piazza overlooks the city of Florence - the day was clear and sunny which made for good photos and a chance to soak in some vitamin d. The last item on the agenda was a tour of the Uffizi Gallery and, though tired, we enjoyed learning more of the history of Florence and of the art in the gallery.

cooking class

My friend Liz and me in a piazza in Sienna

The view from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Overlooking Florence

Milan:
This was the last week of our time in Milan! Many emotions. But first was the last final on Wednesday which went without a hitch. That evening after all finals were completed, Matt, Jillian, Meghann and I went to a fancy restaurant next to the Duomo for an enjoyable celebration of our completion of the semester. (I had the most tender and delicious veal I've every had. mmmm) The next day we packed the apartment, started multiple loads of laundry, cleaned, and prepared for our departure on Monday.

I have one last trip to make (Lake Como), and one more fun event (a soccer game in Milan).

Time has come short and though I'm ready to return to see old friends and make new ones, it is still sad to leave this country. Enough of Skype and messaging - it's time to go home!


~Elizabeth

Not a day for mascara

I went to Cremona (again) for the day for a more specific reason than sight-seeing. This was a trip to start the search for a new cello. Why, you ask? Here's where the sad story begins.

About a month ago, my cello was tragically crushed. It was accidentally backed over by a car. If you are a fellow instrumentalist, you will probably understand the pain that results from any suffering of their instrument.  The person responsible for this is obviously heartbroken also. I can only imagine how much more safely they'll guard their own instrument for the rest of their life. Sad that it was at the price of mine though.

In Cremona yesterday, I didn't expect to find anything but I played a French cello that was so beautiful I could change careers back to the path of being a professional cellist and play it until I died. It was so very wonderfully lovely. One (slight) problem. It was about $80,000. Ha. So yeah, that's not happening (unless someone with extra dough wants to donate some money to the 'Elizabeth-needs-a-new-cello' fund lol) I played it for a while and then had lunch and returned to play that same cello just for kicks and giggles. It was fun to be able to still have some ability to play even after months or even years of steady practice.

$30K, $120K, ?, and $80K respectively

For non-musicians, buying a cello isn't as easy as going to your local string shop. Each cello is handmade by a specialist for months and each has a different sound. I met another luthier while I was in Cremona who was in the process of finishing a cello he had been working on for 5 months. It's definitely a vocation requiring patience. Anyway, the way you play the instrument can change the sound also. So buying a new instrument is really a combination of both the sound capability as well as the individual player's touch. It can take years to find the 'right' instrument. When I found my violin, I played it and just knew it was the one. Another side note for non-musicians - a good professional cello can easily run $20-30K with the world's best cellist's instrument worth about $2.5 million.

Playing a street player's cello in Germany '07

I realize that being so attached to an immaterial object is not healthy. I've had quite a chance to think about the implications of the possibility of losing my cello and why I have been intermittently emotional about it. Part of this reason was that it was one of my outlets for emotional strain during a very difficult time in my life quite a few years ago. I was able to express how I felt through my cello. Those moments that I lost myself in a piece were calming and restorative to my heart. I know that God is the one who was behind it all but He used my cello and it is therefore a symbol of perseverance and the ability to find joy even during times of difficulty.

Me and another cello friend after Cello Choir practice '09

During a concert '09

Me and my best friend after I played midnight mass '11

I knew yesterday would be a difficult day, and therefore carefully avoided the application of mascara. It was a smart move. :)


~Elizabeth

And if you choose to listen to something, this is just the audio of when I played Kol Nidrei memorized for a school cello final.


 

Fish go, "Blub"

This weekend concludes the first half of living in Italy! It is amazing to me how much I've gotten to do and yet it's only halfway. It gives me a smile because of what I have left. In honor of this, tonight, Meghann and I recreated our first dinner prepared in our apartment. Cooked chicken and potato chips.

This weekend though was full of adventure. Meghann and I decided to head to Genoa for Friday and check out Europe's 2nd largest aquarium. The first part of doing that, however, is to take a train. We woke at a decent hour and when we arrived at the train station early to buy tickets, we realized that it was a 'standing room only' ticket. Yup, that's right. They do that here. And we stood all the way to Genoa (1.5 hrs). Or rather, we sat in the aisles.

Yes, that's the bathroom

Once we got to Genoa, it was raining! Yay for no umbrellas! But we found our way to the port and close by was the Acquario di Genova. Once inside we saw some fishes, seals, and penguins oh my! And other things also. It was really fun. I will admit that I was rather excited by quite a few of the exhibits and my "oo's, aa's, and oh look!" might have been able to blend in with the many elementary age school tours, if it were in Italian. Well, ok, some of my actions were rather youthful as well since I love fish. Gotta enjoy life!

Don't EAt me!! 

Little orange froggies!! 

I'm right Here, jelly fishes!

After the aquarium, we went up a touristy sigh seeing thing and looked out over the city, checked out a biosphere thing that had some butterflies and little flamingos and piranhas. We walked around, found some delicious gourmet coffee, walked some more, ate dinner and picked up some wifi. After that we split ways as Meghann was headed back to Milan and I was spending the night to head to Portofino in the morning.

After a crazy adventure of finding the apartment I was staying in for the night, I settled in with that night's room mate - a Malaysian master's degree candidate going to different countries / university every 6 months (called the Erasmus program). She was very nice and after conversing a little, I settled in for the night on the makeshift floor mattress. The things we do for a $16/night stay (norm is $50)

The next morning I found the train station, got a ticket to Portofino (only 3 euro), walked around Portofino and found the dive shop without much trouble. I won't go through all the details in the diving instruction but I learned how to dive in a dry suit! It's different and I'm still not used to it / not sure if I like it, but it was a good experience and I stayed warm - which is really the point. I saw a few big fish and lots of little fish, some red coral whose color is only visible at depth (80-90 ish ft). After the first dive of 100 ft., we had a snack and time to relax. Dive 2 was a wreck dive and we descended about 95 ft. for that one. It was really neat to see a boat.. on the bottom of the sea! These two dives completes my PADI Advanced Open Water dive certification. To anyone who dives often, the 9 dives to get to AOW isn't alot, but I'm quite happy about it and excited for more in my life!

Underwater sign for 'It's alllll good'!

Seaside castle building

Before I knew it, it was 4pm and time for a quick bite before ending the trip and heading back to Milan (this time, thankfully, with a real seat!) Portofino was a great little seaside town and I had much fun.

Though we saw no foxes, but we did see fish go, "Blub".

~Elizabeth









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When in Roma..

This trip to Rome was great! I arrived Wednesday night late and just went to sleep. Thursday I got up and explored the north part of the city including Piazza della Repubblica (and Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli which was beautiful), San Carlo Quattro Fontane - an intersection with a fountain on each of the corners, Fontana del Tritone (which was being restored so no view there..), Trinita dei Monti (the Spanish steps which were... well... steps), Villa Borghese (a beautiful park that I wondered around in), and Fontana di Trevi (crowded but beautiful), visited an art museum - the Palazzo Barberini Museum (and talked with an SMU mustang grad), and lastly and definitely not least, the Pantheon. Next time I go to Rome, I will visit the Pantheon again during the day and be able to see the sky through the center opening. Because I gave into my hunger, I spent the remaining minutes of daylight eating dinner before getting to the Pantheon. Whew! That was a long day for sure. I crashed when I got back.

Look! Spanish steps. Or is it Spanish pasos?

Trevi Fountain

Streets of Rome at night

Pantheon. I loved this building

Friday was my day for the Catacombs. After picking up race bib and shirt for Sunday's 10K, I headed to the Catacombs. See 'All for ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ sake' blog for that adventure as it was special enough to warrant it's own blog. Something I didn't mention in the Catacomb blog was that the Holy crypt had 9 popes and 8 other members of the church in that single space. After I got back from the catacombs, I found a concert to attend of soloists performing choice arias. (A small chamber group to accompany them - my favorite of which was the oboist who mouthed the words along with the singers). The baritone's voice was so smooth, you could image his vocal chords were lined with butter. It was lovely and fun to hear in a beautiful church venue on a side street. I love how many lovely churches there are all over.

Saturday was Vatican day! After stopping at the Piazza del Popolo for a couple of photos, it was Vatican time. They were closing the Sistine Chapel early that day, so I rushed through the museum and glanced at a few things, and hurried to be amazed by the chapel. Unfortunately, I was actually not as impressed as expected. I loved the paintings that included architecture as it really looked 3d. Somehow I had a different expectation of Michelangelo's ceiling work though. I suppose the impressive thing are the stories that are told, and the vastness of the paintings themselves. It was definitely worth going to see. After the Sistine Chapel and museum, I walked into St. Peter's Basilica and really was amazed. I have seen quite a few churches in Italy already but I liked this one :) I also had a different expectation of the Pieta - I thought it was a larger sculpture, but wasn't disappointed by this. It was beautiful and I stood and looked at it for a while.

In the Vatican Museum

Pieta - my 2nd fav statue in Italy thus far

Sunday was race day! As unprepared as I was, I ran a decent pace the whole way. I'd like to mention that running "k's" are more fun than "miles" because they go by much faster. Haha! The route was neat because it looped around the colosseum. 6 miles / 10 K later, I was done and ready for lunch. After eating (and taking a nap), I headed to the colosseum to see it as a tourist and not a runner. It was amazing. I loved it. Next time I go to Rome, I'll take a tour in order to see the underground part as well. I took alot of pictures and the sun was at a perfect point for the colors to be radiant.

Me and the colosseum

Such beautiful architecture. Old and new

I felt like I saw a lot and yet there is so much more to see. I wasn't able to see all of the ruins near the Colosseum so that is still on the list. As well as the Pantheon during the day, Santa Maria in Aracoeli Basilica, Castel Sant' Angelo, the park on the west side of Fiume Tevere, etc. I think those are good enough excuses to go back a 2nd time :)

When in Rome, do as the Roman [tourists] do.



~Elizabeth




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All for ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ sake

After a kindly older italian gentleman gave me a ride to the catacombs, I wandered around the grounds, seeing the beautiful landscaped grassy knoll, bought a couple of postcards, and waited for a guided tour to begin.

We gathered around our guide, who taught us about the symbols we would see in the catacombs, the reason the catacombs existed in the 1st century, and their discovery and excavation by Giovanni Battista de Rossi in the late 1800's. My favorite symbol being the Chi Rho - Formed by superimposing the first two letters of the Greek word 'ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ' meaning "Christ". In another superimposed symbol was 'MTP' in Greek letters which meant 'martyr'. Seeing that in person really hits you in the gut. I know there were martyrs in the past and continue to be today, but somehow it became a much bigger reality when it's branded on the tombstone in front of you. This Christian died for the same Jesus that I sometimes forget to live my life for. Humbling.

My own photo of a catacomb Chi Rho

The catacombs (meaning a "place of rest" as opposed to the typical burial grounds 'necropolis' meaning "city of the dead") were formed in the first century when Christians who had private lands offered their lands for Christian burials for those who didn't have enough money for other kinds. During the following centuries, they were taken over by the Church of Rome, considered Shrines, abandoned, damaged, discovered and excavated, and grave dug.

The tunnels with graves on the sides

When walking along those tunnels (which are quite extensive and glad we had a guide so as not to get lost in the labyrinth), I was brought to tears a couple of times. It's amazing to realize that I was walking where 1st century Christians walked. Where those persecuted and martyred were laid to rest. Where more than 1/2 a million Christians' bodies once were. Walking in those tunnels with Christian's tombs within inches on either side of me, I know that I will see those buried there in Heaven. I am part of that vast family of those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah. How great our God is and how wonderful Jesus' death means for us.

They lived their lives for the sake of ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ. And they died for the same.

~Elizabeth 

"Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." ~Isaiah 53:1-12

#hashtag Florence

This was the weekend for Florence!

I was able to leave Milan on Thursday and spent the afternoon walking around and taking a few pictures. The following morning I had scheduled a bike tour of the Tuscan countryside including a vineyard and olive oil making tour. The bike ride was a bit tough since I haven't ridden in quite a few months, but it was a good workout with well-timed stops to rest going up quite a few hills (808 ft elevation gained in 1/4 of our trip). Part of the route we took was included on the Road World Championships bike race just a week or so prior. The tour consisted of a few other Americans, and was led by two American ex-pats. We had a good time together.

seeing what I can see of Florence!

On the bike ride, I found out / saw where Michelangelo grew up (Caprese), learned that olive oil olives are picked by hand, and that a Chianti classico comes only from that specific region (makes sense) and it tasted very nice also. Oh, and for the olive oil, if it's 'extra virgin olive oil' the acidity is <.8 vs <.1 for just regular 'virgin olive oil' (or something like that...) Good to know.

Me and my bike in front of the 500+ year old vineyard 

After the bike tour was done, I walked to the train station to meet Meghann and we walked around, found some dinner, enjoyed the life of the city and played a game of chess (which I miserably lost). Somehow we started using 'hashtag' everything in order to describe exactly how we felt. #sillyroommates. Saturday was our day to wander and shop! So wander and shop we did! We bought a few things (which won't be mentioned so as not to inform the possible recipients) #christmaspresentscheck, and found a random wine and olive oil tasting in a piazza that was accompanied by the soothing sounds of an accomplished street musician playing renditions of '90's music #wineandmusic #relaxingbreak. I then made one of my infamous quotes (remember 'old dirt' in Pompeii) by saying the following to Meghann, "If we were able to google zoom out from where we are right now, we would be in Italy." #thatjusthappened

Friends together again! #friendspub 

Ponte Vecchio! 

Sunday we took in a few historic sights, Michelangelo's David (which was quite impressive), a sculpture museum, and a couple of churches. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the museum with David so I have nothing to share here except that it was #reallyreallyneat #nowords. We also had scheduled a wine tasting close to the train station before we left and enjoyed some very delicious cheeses and hams wonderfully paired with a few tastes of excellent small vineyard wine #tastebudheaven #goodsommmelier #italygoatcheese. Being from California, Meghann said it was actually the best tasting she'd ever done. #scoreflorence

At the sculpture museum

We boarded our train and headed home. All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic trip! #hashtagonetripforthewin

~Elizabeth







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♪ Sunday mornin' rain is fallin'...

Last Sunday was one of the best day trips I've had so far!

On Saturday night, Meghann and I decided to go to Cremona. Sunday morning, tickets were quickly purchased at the train station and we were on our way.

The main activity I wanted to do was to visit the Museo del Violino (no pictures were allowed inside museum). This museum houses some of the Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri violins and cellos. Perfect for an easy and reflective day. I will say that this trip was inspired by my lovely 2nd mom and cello teacher, Eleonora Lopez. My cello had a very unfortunate accident and was backed over by a car. Details aside, it's in critical condition and I'm awaiting the report from the 'doctor' (a good luthier friend in Amarillo) as to the likelihood of its recovery. Needless to say, it has been emotional. Therefore, a trip to see some of the best instruments / best violin makers was in order.

Piazza Stradivari!

Sculpture outside the Museum

Aside from the fact that I love string instruments, the museum was absolutely fantastic. We had audio guides which automatically detected which exhibit we were in front of and begin playing accordingly. If it was a video of the history of string instruments, the audio guide would pick up exactly where the video was. Said videos were perfectly timed to be informative but not boring, detailed but not extraneous. There were also quite a few interactive screens which you could dissect the parts of a violin, search different makers' history, and see specifics on choice instruments. When walking through a hall of old instruments, the timing was such that it was possible to keep a fairly leisurely pace, see everything, touch interactive displays, smell a luthier's shop (they have one in residence and you can watch him make an instrument), hear all the audio guide information, and by end your feet were still not hurting. This, to me, is a good museum. It combined all the senses to create a fabulous museum. You looked forward to every next room but yet were perfectly satisfied that you have seen the perfect amount by the end.

One of my favorite rooms was an upside down bowl in a large room. In this bowl, which at least 30 people could enter and sit in a circle, you could view a video projected on the ceiling of a man playing some of the famous violins you had just seen. I sat mesmerized. Such beauty. To keep from being too emotional, we left that dome after a couple of pieces (we came back at the end and sat through another 20 min) and continued to a hall of maker competition instruments. You could insert the number of the specific instrument into the audio guide and it would play a piece performed on that specific instrument. I found my favorite cello. We'll see how much that one actually costs. ha!

After that museum, we looked in a church, saw the inside of a baptistry, had some gelato, watched an old car parade, and headed back to Milan.

There were at least 200 cars parading in front of the duomo

me and my beautiful friend Meghann in front of the Duomo

It was a Sunday morning, and rain was fallin'.


~Elizabeth




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Lots of old dirt

Last weekend I was in Naples - last blog describes one exciting night there - but this is concerning the rest of the weekend.

Friday's pizza making was fantastic! We cooked in his wood-fired oven (pronounced 'hoven') and he showed me how to make a 'mass' from the 110-year-old yeast that has been passed down from pizza maker to pizza maker (and now in my possession as well!). He showed me how to make a simple pizza and I followed suit. The hoven was 500 degrees celsius so the pizzas cooked quite quickly - like... 1 minute quick. I think at some point, I might need a wood-fired hoven like that in my home.

me and my pizza

Saturday I woke up and put on my walkin' shoes because I was going to Pompeii! (not to be confused with 'Pompei' which is the new town, not the ancient city) Found a train and went forth. Once in the new town, I randomly walked until I located the ruins (with the help of a nice old Italian man). Walked in and the first thing I saw was a coliseum. Was pretty neat though obviously more 'ruined' than that of Verona and not as big etc, but still neat. A guy my age asked for a photo and he turned out to be from the states also so we chatted a bit until he pointed me in the direction of the 'bodies' and we parted ways. It's always nice to talk with nice U.S.-ians when overseas.

Pompeii and Vesuvius

Walked over to the bodies which are a group of 6 or 7 in a glass partitioned area. It's crazy to think how little time they had from the moment they were aware of their imminent death and then the occurrence thereof. The volcano of Vesuvius was always looming in the distance and I can see why people wouldn't think that the eruption would reach them.

Walked around to other houses, baths, and buildings that had paintings and colorful remains from 79 AD. And we Americans think our 'historical' monuments are old. ha! The weather was beautiful and the sights amazing. I inconspicuously joined a few english-speaking tour groups and learned a few things of the buildings I was randomly looking at including which buildings were the brothels and that in the spa, men and women were in completely separated areas. #factsforthewin

Me and some colorful Pompeii-ian walls

After Pompeii, I hurried back to Naples to get ready for a symphony concert at Teatro San Carlo. Checked my email and blast! A 'disagreement with the symphony workers has resulted in a cancellation of tonight's performance'. Boo. Well, I have experienced my first Italian strike. Congrats to me. I had eaten a delicious pizza lunch the day before so I went back there for dinner (which was aaammmazing), wrote a few postcards, and enjoyed my time. Heading home I met a few American navy guys stationed in Naples and so hung out with a big group of them for a bit. It was fun to speak US english to US citizens. *the things we miss abroad.

Sunday I took it easy and walked around a park on the western part of Naples, ate a good lunch by Castel dell'ovo (the egg castle), and flew back home. The rest of the week I got a tad bit sick, missed my cello, and baked cookies.

Oh, and Wednesday Meghann and I went to Venice for a field trip for our Performing Arts Workshop class. Besides the fact that our train was delayed for an hour due to someone jumping in the tracks... it was a good day! We walked around, listened to a few speakers including one from Director of Communication of the company that helps put on the Festival at Venice, and also from the Artistic Director of La Fenice. It was a great day!

Joanna, Meghann, and me at La Fenice

I was trying to 'live in the moment'  and 'take it all in'. So the best part of the weekend was when walking around Pompeii along the ancient streets and I just exclaimed to myself, "Wow! This is so cool! I'm walking on such ooold dirt!" achem. well.. yes, Elizabeth. all dirt is old.

~Elizabeth


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