This past week, I have visited the Coliseum, walked down a road that the apostle Paul walked on, taken a selfie with the Sistine Chapel (and almost got kicked out of the chapel... Oops.), explored St. Paul's Basilica and the tomb of the Popes, thrown a coin in the Trevi fountain, saw the Spanish Steps, conquered the metro, and explored the Roman ruins of Pompeii. All of this happened within the past 72 hours also. There were so many significant moments from this trip that it's hard to pick just one, but if I had to pick just one, it would be a conversation I had with Dr. Edwards. We were coming back to our hotel after an eight hour tour of the Italian capital, and we stopped at a convenience store to load up on snacks before heading back to our rooms for a nap. I was standing out front talking to Dr. Edwards, and he casually mentioned how he was giving a tour of St. Peter's Basilica to another group and that he ended up meeting the Pope and that it ended up in the papers back home in the States. What struck me wasn't that I was talking to someone who had a conversation with a Pope (which is super cool and not at all surprising considering it's Dr. Edwards) but that even though I'm five thousand miles away from home, the things I experience and do have an impact on those I left behind. It's so easy to get used to the history and culture that I'm seeing every single day and forget about the "real world" I left behind me, but the whole point of this experience is to become a better person and take that back home with me. The more I thought about it, I realized that should be the kind of mentality I had for every opportunity: that the true blessing of anything is the opportunity to share it with others. As I was standing there, listening to Dr. Edwards share this story with me while he nonchalantly dodged oncoming traffic, I had an idea of how the apostle Paul felt while he was in the same city I was in. The whole point of the Gospel is that it's meant to be shared, so even though I'm having fun eating gelato and taking slightly illegal selfies with frescoes, the goal I should be having for this trip is to find a way to show Christ through every encounter I have.
This past week, I have visited the Coliseum, walked down a road that the apostle Paul walked on, taken a selfie with the Sistine Chapel (and almost got kicked out of the chapel... Oops.), explored St. Paul's Basilica and the tomb of the Popes, thrown a coin in the Trevi fountain, saw the Spanish Steps, conquered the metro, and explored the Roman ruins of Pompeii. All of this happened within the past 72 hours also. There were so many significant moments from this trip that it's hard to pick just one, but if I had to pick just one, it would be a conversation I had with Dr. Edwards. We were coming back to our hotel after an eight hour tour of the Italian capital, and we stopped at a convenience store to load up on snacks before heading back to our rooms for a nap. I was standing out front talking to Dr. Edwards, and he casually mentioned how he was giving a tour of St. Peter's Basilica to another group and that he ended up meeting the Pope and that it ended up in the papers back home in the States. What struck me wasn't that I was talking to someone who had a conversation with a Pope (which is super cool and not at all surprising considering it's Dr. Edwards) but that even though I'm five thousand miles away from home, the things I experience and do have an impact on those I left behind. It's so easy to get used to the history and culture that I'm seeing every single day and forget about the "real world" I left behind me, but the whole point of this experience is to become a better person and take that back home with me. The more I thought about it, I realized that should be the kind of mentality I had for every opportunity: that the true blessing of anything is the opportunity to share it with others. As I was standing there, listening to Dr. Edwards share this story with me while he nonchalantly dodged oncoming traffic, I had an idea of how the apostle Paul felt while he was in the same city I was in. The whole point of the Gospel is that it's meant to be shared, so even though I'm having fun eating gelato and taking slightly illegal selfies with frescoes, the goal I should be having for this trip is to find a way to show Christ through every encounter I have.
So I definitely just binged on your two most recent posts about your travels abroad in Italy… First impression? WOW. I’m so glad you’re having a great time and learning a lot in Europe. I do completely agree with you that there is something eye-opening about dropping everything in “real life” and getting out of dodge in some new and unfamiliar place. It really does put what we tend to value in our daily routine into perspective; the things we stressed about seem to vanish and the things we used to chase pale in comparison to these new experiences. Traveling abroad, I think you’ll find, helps us to rediscover ourselves and our true purpose without the distractions we’ve become accustomed to… the trick is to stay in this new sense of self even after returning home.
ReplyDeleteHey Alissa! I love these posts and your artsy pictures from your study abroad trip so much. I am so jealous and I wish Susie and I could be there adventuring and exploring with you. I think it's so cool that you're walking down the same streets that the apostle Paul did so long ago and that you get to experience a completely different culture with a different language and different way of life than how it is here in the USA. It makes you really appreciate the beauty of the world, nature, and what God has to offer us no matter where we go. I agree with you that we should embrace our experiences in the moment in order to share them with others later just as we should embrace God's word so that we can spread it and His love to others. Enjoy the rest of your trip and eat lots of gelato! We miss you over here in the US!! :)
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