1. Went to yoga class.
2. Made the hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo, where you can find some of the most beautiful views of Florence. Favorite part: Views. Second favorite part: Asian weddings on the side of the hill. Least favorite part: Man peeing in the bushes beside the path.
3. Eaten the most beautiful, wonderful pizza I’ve ever had. It was called O’Vesuvio (which happens to be the name of the restaurant) and, besides the regular stuff, it had hot sauce on it. That’s what I’m talking about.
4. Had multiple cappucinos in one day.
5. Spent Saturday night out on the town with my girlfriends!
6. Went to yoga, again (I am so sore, in a good way).
7. Cooked French toast with my roommates. We smothered it in strawberries and bananas. I may or may not have heated up Nutella and drizzled it on a couple pieces. (How have I not gained weight?)
8. Finished reading "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." If you haven’t read it, you should. Now is a good time.
9. Had a cheeseburger and fries, which kind of made me feel like I broke some Italian law.
10. Received two packages from my Mom and Rob. Big smile on my face!!
11. Finished my first Batik project! I will post a picture when my silk gets back from the dry cleaner’s.
12. Had more cappuccinos…and tiramisu…
I know I sound like the most unhealthy eater in the world, but aside from the cappuccino overload and the occasional Nutella splurge (ok, it might be a little more than occasional), I eat a lot better than I did at home. I cook all the time and eat a lot of fruits and veggies. Like I’ve said before, the produce here is amazing. I don’t know why anyone would choose to eat out all the time when you can get the most amazing oranges, apples, grapefruits, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants at the open markets for so cheap. I don’t want to ever go back to American food.
One of my favorite things about my classes here is that I have so much freedom. My classes last longer than at home, but we have so much less work outside of class. That means that I have more time for myself and for exploring with friends. Sometimes, I get to just sit by the window in my favorite bar, drinking a cappuccino and reading a good book. Italians seem to value their time more than Americans. They know that there is a time for work, and their work is really important to them, but they also understand that life is short and we need time to live. Yes, we have to work hard, make money, and keep the world turning, but we also have to nurture our relationships with the people we love. We have to have time to take a walk by the river and cook a good meal for friends and each other's hands.
We have to have time to be quiet.
Today, while I was being quiet, I read this:
“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” – C.S. Lewis
Maybe the reason we live our lives so up and down is because we find our happiness in things that are too small to sustain us. Sometimes, I'm not sure that I know how to search for God. I can say “I love...I trust...I believe…I want…” but I’m not sure that I’m always telling the truth. I can read and study the word for hours and not feel fulfilled. So, how do I find happiness in this big thing while I watch so many people find immediate pleasure in little things? How do I find fulfillment when I can’t see past aching desires for things that are not good enough? How do I desire something I will never fully understand above all the wonderful things that I can easily understand?
Even when I stand beside the most beautiful mountains, sit under the bluest sky and take in the vastness of the creation we’ve been given, God begs me to want more—more Him.
Why is that so hard?
No comments:
Post a Comment