Day 3: Tuesday

   Today the excitement, inevitably , continued. We started out our day off by going to the world's single largest church: St Peter's Basilica! When we got there, it was nearly empty. I'd like to explain to you readers the extravagance and majesty in every single detail within the basilica, but it is impossible.  Everything from the individual tiles in the mosaics, to the eyelashes on the multitude of statues, to the absolute peace found in the chapel was breathtaking. Every single inch of the basilica is detailed with care and filled with our Catholic history. Thanks to our tour guide Laura, we were able to  celebrate a private mass in the basement of St Peter's. Experiences like that make one question reality in the sense that the present exceeds our wildest dreams and imaginations. 

   Following mass Lindsey and I had our very first Italian coffee (café as the say! We entered a tiny coffee parlor with no more than 10 square feet of standing room and ordered two cappachinos. After paying for the drinks we took the stubs to the bar where the barista prepared the beverages. "It's so fluffy," said Lindsey about the cappachino. Frothy and creamy without hardly any sweetener, these cappachinos outweighed Starbuck's finest. 

   Next was one of the best stops as of yet. A small group of us paid the small price to be able to climb to the peak of St. Peter's. Taking the longer route to save a few euros, we climbed all 551 stairs up as opposed to the elevator half way. The last half of the stairs is very narrow, maybe shoulders width apart, so it is quite claustrophobic. Although tiring, the incredible view made up for any grievances I had against it. Being the tallest building in all of Rome and Vatican City, it consequently has an incredible perspective on the entire city.

   For lunch, we ate at family owned pizzeria. One word: delicious! Of course we had Italian gelato, again. I had pineapple in a dish, Lindsey a strawberry smoothie of sorts, and Lane a strawberry milkshake. Gelato is so much better than American ice cream, and is so tasty in the sweltering heat. My only question is why not in America?? 

   

   

Day 2: Monday

   Between time zone changes, jet lag, and sleep deprivation, today seemed to blur into last night. The second leg of our flight, departing from Charlotte, was delayed 3 hours due to over bookings and mechanical troubles. Thankfully they caught the plane problem before take of. The plane ride was about 9 hours, making all of us really appreciate/ miss beds. "The best part of the flight was the movies!" (Lane) commenting on the individual entertainment centers on the flight. "There was so much to choose from. Between movies, music, and games it was hard to decide!" (Lindsey) As soon as we landed (11:00 AM Italy time, 4 PM South Dakota time) we started our busy day.

   After claiming our luggage and getting our first stamp in our passport ever, we met our trip coordinator Laura, a Roman native. We loaded our tour bus, got radio transmitter devices, and began a very general tour of Rome. Following that we met another staple person in the trip, our tour guide. Full of information she guided us on a walking tour of parts of ancient Rome. Trevino fountain was the first stop where we each enjoyed our first Italian gelato (which was delicious) and tossed a "good luck" coin into the elaborate fountain. Following that we passed innumerable designer clothing stores with  names I cannot pronounce and prices I would scoff at. Among plenty of others we also visited the imfamous patheon. 

   Seeing everything about this city is breathtaking whether it be the ancient history, the outstanding architecture and engineering, the brilliant food, the lovely language, or the obvious presence of something greater than ourselves: the global network of fellow Christians and Catholics alike.

Buon Giorno! 

-Cecilia

Whoever reads this, I'm am incredibly sorry for any and all grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes within this post! It has been a long day and it is bed time here. :)

  

Day 1: Airport life

"Im running on 2 hours of sleep and I feel... WONDERFUL!" (Lindsey) Sleep deprived and anxious for the journey ahead, Lindsey, Lane, and I sit patiently with our fellow pilgrims awaiting the first leg of the flight. "I just want the flights to be over and be in Italy!" (Lane)
  Passing through customs was a journey in itself. "When the TSA officer pulled me aside, I was so nervous! Apparently I had a couple of dimes in my pocket that had set off the scanner." (Lane) "They almost sent my luggage on a trip to Honalulu! Thankfully they took off the wrong tag and replaced it with a tag to Rome." (Cecilia) If the rest of the trip is nearly this exciting, we will be in for a crazy ride.

The Countdown is On

  The next 6 hours 57 minutes and 33 seconds may be of the most slowly passing time in our lives. To say that Lindsey, Lane, and I are anxious for our pilgrimage is an incredible understatement. Sitting here , in Sioux Falls, it is almost impossible to do anything but think about the extrodinary experience that awaits us this next week. I cannot even begin to estimate the number of times I've checked my suitcase and backpack to make sure I had absolutely everything I might need for this journey including, but not limited to: my address book for postcards, list of people I need to buy souvenirs for, the numerous rosaries to be blessed by Pope Francis, euros, lists of prayer intentions for on the trip, italian term dictionary, maps, itinerary, journals, toothbrush, fanny pack, pictures that some amazing kids drew for me, my camera, and above all my sanity. To me it is almost more challenging to stay calm and collective than the packing itself. Though a bit overwhelmed at the moment, God willing, we each have all we need to reek the benefits from the journey ahead.
   Tomorrow, Sunday, morning we load a bus that will take us to the Minneapolis airport where we will, hopefully, pass through customs with ease and begin our 11 hour flight to Rome. Althouh some would say our journey begins in the morning, I would have to disagree to an extent. This trip is the product of over a year's work of preparation by innumerable people. A sincere thanks to everyone again. We will do our absolute best to keep you all up to date on our journey.
   Please keep all of us in your prayers!

Buon Giorno!
-Cecilia

Preparing for the Voyage

   For all of those who follow this blog on our pilgrimage to Rome, however probably limited to my mom and English teacher, I'd personally like to give you a bit of background on the preparations for this journey.
   One of my best Catholic I friends, Lindsey, and I have had a long lived joke between the two of us that we would someday go to the world Capitol of the Catholic church in Vatican City. Ironically, almost too coincidentally, shortly after our confirmation, we were presented the amazing opportunity to join numerous other Catholic youth on a journey to Rome, Assissi, and Monte Cassino Italy. Some situations, such as this, seem almost too odd not to be God. To make an extremely long story short, we expressed our interest to our local priest, who in turn contacted the appropriate coordinators. After a nerve racking verbal presentation, begging if you will, to the congregation of our church, we were completely overwhelmed with the flood of prayers, well wishes, and hefty financial gifts presented to us. Needless to say this journey would absolutely not be possible without the love and generosity provided by the members of our church, families, and community. It may seem like an over exaggeration, but it is no understatement saying that I would not be going on this ground breaking trip without the people who support me. That being said, the only thing I can possibly do to try to repay these people is to extend another heart felt THANK YOU and try my very best to share this journey with you.

Thank you once again.
With love, Buon Giorno South Dakota!
-Cecilia