Today, while Romeo, my photography professor, was flipping through some Ansel Adam slides, I made lists of how I’ve been spending my time and how I’d rather be spending my time. [Don’t worry, Mom, I was still paying attention.]
Things I’ve been doing:
1. Eating. A lot.
2. Drinking a lot of cappuccinos…and in a hurry because I’m always running behind.
3. Talking to people in America. It is comforting.
4. Wishing I were stronger/tougher/doubting myself less.
5. Wondering if we have soul mates [and if we do, do we only have one?].
6. Reading sad [but beautiful] novels.
7. Forgetting things [like to buy juice and where I put my keys].
Things I want to do:
1. Drink more cappuccinos.
2. Write in my journal. Write poetry.
3. Talk to God more than when I’m in the shower or walking down the street alone.
4. Take more photos [not the tourist kind]
5. Tell people that I admire/love/respect them without sounding creepy [or blushing]
6. Paint something.
7. Get bangs and not hate them.
8. See the coast.
9. Learn a new Italian phrase every day [thank you, Mike Sellitti…you da man]
10. Stop wearing makeup all the time.
11. Learn to be completely fulfilled by God.
12. Meditate.
13. Learn how to live without sleep [so that I’ll have time to do all these things]
So here’s what you actually want to know…what have I really been doing in Italy?
Well, I went to Pisa and Luca on Saturday and climbed the leaning tower! It was so amazing at the top, I can’t even describe it. If you ever make it to Pisa, you must pay the fifteen euro to climb the tower. I do, however, recommend working out for a week beforehand to get ready and possibly taking some Dramamine. It is really dizzying because of the way the tower leans. The stairs (which are incredibly narrow) spiral up the tower and you are constantly changing the direction you’re leaning.
Luca is a beautiful little city, famous for the huge walls that surround it. The walls once protected the city from invasion, particularly when the Medici were taking over Italy. The city was never taken. The walls are really wide and are, now, paths that people walk/run along. How cool!
When you walk through the markets here, you are almost guaranteed to get called some celebrity name. Since I’ve been here, I’ve heard J-Lo, Lady Gaga, and Mariah Carey. I guess they think that calling you a celebrity will make you want to buy their stuff….? I’m still trying to figure out how being called “Lady Gaga” is a compliment. It’s like saying, “Hey you look like a crazy person.” That would probably be more accurate, though. I also get, “Hey sista! Sista!” a lot. That one really cracks me up. I made my first market purchase yesterday, though! I bought a wool/cashmere cape and it is sooo wonderful! I swear, it’s warmer than my winter coat and it makes me feel so Italian. My friends Kim, Kristen, and Alex all bought capes, too. We are going to look like little super heroes walking down the streets of Florence together. Ok, we might actually look more like homeless people. I love it though!
Other than my new cape, I also love my weaknesses right now. I’m finding that it’s those weaknesses that make me suitable for being filled up and used by God. My new friend David, back in Winston-Salem, posted this yesterday….
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." I Corinthians 1:26-27
Your weak places let in God’s strength. Rejoice in your weaknesses.
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