Not so Good at Goodbyes

In my twenty years of existence I have come to understand that life has a funny way of giving us exactly what we need at the moments when we need it most. This has been proven true at many points throughout my lifetime, but it's been particularly accurate this semester. These past four months have been extremely challenging, beautiful, life changing, eye opening, validating, character building, and so much more, and for that I will be forever thankful. However all good things must come to an end, and so I must say my goodbyes. Goodbye to all of the incredible people that have made this the best semester of my life. Goodbye to the Happy Center and the unforgettable memories formed within its walls. Goodbye to room 303 in the Alma Mater Dormitory that I have come to call my home. Goodbye to group dinners in the Mensa. Goodbye to sitting in Piazza Maggiore and soaking up the sun while listening to amazing street musicians. Goodbye to walking 30 minutes to class and laughing with friends the entire way there. Goodbye to eating pizza and pasta for just about every meal. Goodbye to the beautiful city of Bologna…at least for now.

While I always recognized that saying goodbye at the end of this semester was an inevitable occurrence, I was certainly not prepared for how difficult it would be. The lovely people at my internship, the resilient migrants at my service site, the welcoming Italians in my dormitory, and the inspiring Americans in my program have become my reality, my routine, my support system, and my family. And now, after four months, I am forced to leave these people behind. However, I know that I will always carry little pieces of them within my heart and mind. I’ll always remember the memories we’ve made and the lessons they have taught me, and at the end of the day that is what matters. I will be thinking of and telling stories about the people I’ve met in Bologna for the rest of my life, and so their memory will live on forever in one way or another.

The rest of this post will cover my final travels of the semester, as well as some important Bologna memories from the past few weeks.

About a month ago I went on a solo trip to the Italian mountain town of Monzuno, where I stayed in a beautiful airbnb for one night. I took a 45 minute train ride to Monzuno from Bologna, where my host was waiting to meet me and drive us up to her mountain villa. Her name was Anna Maria, and she was truly one of the sweetest women I have ever met. The drive up to the villa was about 30 minutes, which gave us a good amount of time to chat and get to know each other (she spoke minimal English however, so I was really forced to use my best Italian haha). Anna Maria is a seventy-three-year-old retired fashion designer, and her and her husband, Franco, love being airbnb hosts because it allows them to meet and understand people from all over the world. She says that she never wants to stop being challenged and excited, and renting out their extra room to travelers allows for this goal to be achieved. When we finally arrived at the beautiful villa, we were greeted by her two adorable dogs. Anna Maria then led me to my living space, which was a full size kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and patio that was totally separated from the rest of the house where she and Franco lived. By the time I checked in it was about noon, so I spent the rest of the day exploring the area, hiking, journaling, reading my book, doing research for my abundance of final papers, enjoying nature, jumping on the bed, dancing very poorly to Big Yellow Taxi by the Counting Crows, and much more. I also cooked myself pasta with pesto for dinner as the sun was setting, which was just the icing on the cake for a perfect day. It was undoubtedly the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen, but my phone died and my charger stopped working right as it was occurring. I think this was fate though, as it allowed me to really live in the moment and soak up the magical pink and red sky before me. Since I needed my phone to be charged in order to get on the train the next day, I ended up going down to Anna Maria and Franco’s house that night to see if they had an extra charger. They luckily had an extra one, and after they gave it to me we ended up chatting in their living room for a while about everything from handmade pasta to Italian politics. I eventually went to bed, and the next day squeezed in a morning walk and journaling session before Anna Maria took me down to the train station. It was overall a very successful solo trip, filled with much-needed relaxation, alone time, and reflection.

The week after my solo trip, I had to say goodbye to both the people at my service site and at my internship. The last day at my service site (the after school program between Italian students and teenage African migrants) was actually the last day for the program as well, which made it a particularly emotional day for everyone. Watching the students and migrants say goodbye to each other was really beautiful and heart breaking, as it was clear that they had truly built positive relationships and learned a lot from each other. I did not want my goodbye to take precedence over that of the students’, so I chose to stay more on the sidelines during the final moments. I sent out an email to the class the next day saying my thank you’s and goodbyes, but during that day it felt as though the best thing for me to do was be observant, take in the beauty of the program I had been lucky to be a part of, and offer emotional support if anyone needed it. Luckily I did not have to say goodbye to the migrants that day, because many of them had planned to come to an open-mic event called “America Night” that my program was putting on the next day. A few of them ended up coming, and it was really fun and exciting to spend time with them in a more relaxed and casual setting. We danced and talked for a long time, and eventually said our goodbyes at the end of the night. My supervisor also ended up coming, and she gave me a card that was signed by all of the migrants I had gotten to know. It was a really great way to end my experience with the beautiful people I met through Arca Di Noe, and I will never forget all of the amazing things they have taught me.

Saying goodbye to those at my internship was also very difficult, and I definitely shed a few tears before, during, and after my last day at the Happy Center. When we were about to start the English-Italian exchange class, one of the individuals handed me a beautiful purple gift bag. Enclosed was a bag of breadsticks that they all know I love, as well as a beautiful little necklace. In that moment I was so overwhelmed with emotions, joy, and gratitude that I had no idea what to say. So, I basically said “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU” a million times in a row. It was so sweet and thoughtful of them to do such a thing, and it made me feel really special. Throughout the rest of the class, Chiara led them in an activity where each person was asked to say something I had given them, and something they had given me. It was a beautiful exercise, as it allowed them to express their thanks to me while also reflecting on their own gifts and strengths. Their answers were all incredibly poetic, sincere, and eloquent, and I will never forget how loved I felt in that moment. One of the most noteworthy answers was from a man that I had actually only met the day before. He told me that I had made a positive impact on him within simply five minutes of us knowing each other, and that he was certain I would continue to impact people in a positive way for the rest of my life. He then said that he wanted to give me the gift of song; the song “You’ve Got a Friend”, to be exact! He said that if I was ever feeling down or lonely that I was to think of this song and remember all the people at the Happy Center who care about me. To finish off the day, Chiara printed out the lyrics of the song and we all sang it together. It was the perfect end to my time at the Happy Center, as my internship there was one of the most character-building, challenging, exciting, inspiring, beautiful experiences I have ever had.

The following paragraphs detail the 10 day social justice trip I took in Greece with my study abroad program!

Day 1:

We landed in Athens around midday on Wednesday (May 18th), where we were greeted by our tour guide Ioanna. She was really funny, genuine, and nice, and it was clear that she knew a lot about the history of Greece. She also had a hilarious relationship with Todd, our program director, and their witty banter was very entertaining. When we first got to our hotel, we went on a walking tour of the city. It was beautiful, colorful, and full of life, and Ioanna truly helped us get acquainted to the layout of area. That night we went to a group dinner at a really nice authentic Greek restaurant, with many delicious courses. It was a beautiful night, and we spent about three hours eating, talking, and laughing together! That night a bunch of us went up to the rooftop of the hotel, where we danced and played Ukulele with the view of the illuminated Parthenon on the horizon.

Day 2:

Thursday morning we went to the Acropolis museum, which was really interesting. Our tour guide, Ioanna, helped to make it an even better experience because she knew literally everything there was to know about the Acropolis and the Parthenon. I am so impressed by her intelligence, and could not be more thankful for her presence on our trip. We then climbed up to the Parthenon, and the views from the top were absolutely stunning. I could have stayed up there for hours, just taking in the scenery. Next we went to a rooftop restaurant for lunch, where we got some amazing gyros. Unfortunately a woman had heat stroke at a table near ours, so many of the students and Ioanna were very active in getting her the help she needed. After about an hour the paramedics finally showed up and carried her down the stairs, but it was pretty frustrating to observe that almost no one else in the restaurant seemed to care about what was going on. After lunch we had a lot of free time to explore the city and shop, so some of my friends and I spent the remainder of the day downtown. For dinner a group of us went to eat at a rooftop bar, where I ordered french fries and a milkshake for dinner. Yes, I know, I am the pinnacle of health nowadays!! We finished off the night by hanging out on the roof of the hotel again, where we had some great conversations and good laughs.

Day 3:

We left early Friday morning to volunteer at Caritas, a welcome center for refugees in Athens. I had volunteered at a Caritas in Italy before, so being able to compare the two organizations was very interesting for me. One of the main differences was the type of people they are serving, as Italy is mainly dealing with an influx of African migrants whereas Greece is receiving more migrants from the Middle East. One of the social workers at the center spoke to us for a while when we arrived, explaining the work they do and answering all of our questions. Everyone in my program is incredibly intelligent, inquisitive, and creative, so I always love hearing the questions that they come up with when we have guest speakers. After the presentation we were divided up into groups and told to go to different areas of the Caritas. My friend Lanie and I were assigned to the children’s room for the first half of the day, and it was a really unique experience. While I have worked with kids since I was very young, I had never been in a situation where I was watching over and playing with children who did not speak the same language as me. Many of the children and their parents spoke only Arabic or Greek, so it was initially difficult to communicate with them and ensure that they felt comfortable. Lanie and I eventually figured it out, however, as we began relying on nonverbal communication skills such as smiling, gesturing, waving, and laughing. The kids we met were absolutely adorable, and some of them had realllyyyy big personalities. It was genuinely inspiring to see that after all these kids had been through, they were still able to smile, laugh, and find joy in playing with a plastic toy kitchen. After working with the kids we headed to the clothing room, where we helped sort clothes for a few hours. Lastly, we went down to the kitchen to eat lunch with the rest of our group. Some of my other friends had spent their day in the soup kitchen, and it was really interesting to hear about their experience and their encounters with the migrants. We then helped clean up our dishes and walked over to a building in the city center to have a meeting with a woman who works for the American Embassy in Athens. She talked to us about her job description, the state of the migration crisis in Greece, some projects the American embassy is working on, and the process of becoming a foreign service officer. I learned a lot from her, and was very thankful that she was able to take the time out of her busy schedule to come and talk to us. That night a bunch of friends and I went to get drinks at a few bars, which was really fun and a great way to wrap up our time in Athens.

Day 4:

Saturday morning we boarded onto the bus and headed off for a long drive to Meteora. We took a few stops along the way, including at a museum and for lunch, but eventually arrived in the beautiful town of Meteora in late afternoon. We had a lot of free time when we arrived, so I decided to go down to the city center by myself and explore. I ended up finding this really cute coffee shop where I journaled and drew for a long time, which was really relaxing and a good opportunity to reflect on the trip so far. I then went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, and we all walked together to a little tavern down the road. It was a delicious meal, and Ioanna told us all about her peace walk from Athens to Istanbul, how she met the Dalai Lama, and so much more. She is an incredible human, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have gotten to know her throughout our time in Greece. After dinner a few of us went and sat on a large rock formation and did some star gazing. It was very serene and beautiful. Later we went back and hung out on the roof for a little while, and Kelly, Emily, and I actually ended up sleeping there. Falling asleep next to two of my best friends beneath a star-filled sky is something I will never ever forget.

Day 5:

Sunday we spent the majority of the morning hiking up a very steep path to the top of the Great Monastery in Meteora. We did the hike as a silent walking meditation, which I really enjoyed. It made me realize that such a meditation is a really good metaphor for life itself. You are focused on getting yourself to the top, while subconsciously following in the footsteps of those who came before you and eased your path. You are also always setting an example for those who follow, and they will inevitably be able to learn and reroute their journey as a result of any wrong steps you take. Additionally, you feel like you are alone until you or someone else needs help or is in danger. If someone falls, everyone around them exits their state of self-interest in order to ensure that the fallen person is alright. Maybe that last part is not always accurate to life, but it certainly should be. Anyways, once we got to the top of the monastery we were able to gain insight into the monastic lifestyle and history. We saw their old kitchens, cellars, sacred spaces, and so much more. We then headed down to the city center to grab lunch, and afterwards made our journey to the city where Mount Olympus is located. When we got to the hotel a bunch of us hung out in the pool for a while, and then we all went to dinner at a nearby restaurant. It was a delicious meal with many courses and lots of wine!

Day 6:

Monday we hiked Mount Olympus, and on the bus ride to the start of the hiking trail we had an intense dance party. It was so much fun, and a great way to start the day (I lost my MIND to ignition by R-Kelly, of course. lol). Anyways, the views that we encountered on the hike were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The hike itself was a few hours long, but we had a few stops along the way to give us the opportunity to truly take in the beauty that surrounded us. One of my favorite moments on the hike was when we stopped at a river, and a bunch of people swam in it. It was by far the coldest water I had ever touched, but some individuals from our trip decided to take a dip. I just remember sitting on a rock and watching all the beautiful people in my program smiling and laughing with each other, and it made me more joyful than I could ever explain. We also stopped at a cool cave, where we refilled our water bottles with ice cold mountain water..delicious!! Finally we made it to the top of the mountain, where we were greeted by a wonderful monk. He talked to us about spirituality, the world, his life, and much more, and after a little while he opened up the floor to questions. I asked him what he thought the secret to happiness was, and he basically said that it was loving others unconditionally. I like his answer, but I’m not 100% sold on it. I’ve got a little bit of time left to figure it out though, so maybe I’ll reach out to him when I have decided for myself haha. After talking with the monk we went to an adorable little tapas restaurant on a river, where we spent a majority of the day. We ended up hanging out by the river for a little while longer, and then later that night went to get gelato. A huge group of us passed by one of our program coordinators getting his beard trimmed in a barber shop on the way to gelato too, which was absolutely hilarious. Our program director was sitting there with him like a proud father watching his son get his first haircut at kidsnips...it was truly a sight to see.

Day 7:

Tuesday we left for Thessaloniki, but on the way there we stopped at a really cool museum where we saw the tomb of Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II. The tomb was incredibly impressive, and the gold wreaths and treasures in the museum were also very interesting to see and learn about. Next we went to Naoussa, one of the most important wine growing regions in Greece. We toured the winery of the Boutaris family in order to learn about how wine is made, and then sampled a variety of wines produced at the vineyard. Ioanna is a third level sommelier, which means that she is a very advanced wine taster. As a result, she was able to educate us on the systematic approach to wine tasting. The wine was delicious, and probably some of the best I will ever have the pleasure of drinking. Afterwards we took the bus the rest of the way to Thessaloniki and checked into our lovely hotel. We later went on a walking tour of the city, followed by a dinner in the downtown area.

Day 8:

On Wednesday we started the day with a visit to the Jewish museum in Thessaloniki. The city used to have a very large Jewish population before World War Two, and so the museum provided us with a unique glance into the lives and stories of those affected by the Holocaust. Next we went to an old prison which has been converted into a museum. It was really interesting and heartbreaking to see the actual grounds on which prisoners lived in the past. Afterwards we visited the UNESCO world heritage site of the Roman Rotunda, which was beautiful and had a rich history. The rotunda operated as a church for over a thousand years until the city fell to the Ottomans in the late 1500s. It was then converted into a mosque, and a minaret was built to complete the transition. The rotunda remained a functioning mosque until the Greeks captured the city during the Balkan War in the early 1900s. It was then converted back into a church, serving as a concrete representation of the tensions between Greece and the Turkey. After that we went to lunch as a group at a very cute authentic Greek restaurant, and it was delicious. We then headed back to the hotel, swam and journaled on the rooftop for a little while, and got drinks later that night to celebrate Derek’s birthday. It was a really fun night filled with lots of good talks and lots of good laughs.

Day 9:

Thursday started with a presentation from a speaker who works for the government in Thessaloniki and specializes in refugee and migration matters. He gave us a very in-depth analysis of the history of migration in Europe, explaining how and why the migration crisis has become so dire today. This was very interesting, as it provided a lot of context for the issues we had been confronting and talking about all semester. Afterwards a few of us went to swim and hang out by the pool for a few hours, which was really fun and relaxing. Later that day my friend Ellie went to get a tattoo, and a few other people and I accompanied her there. We ended up finding a super cool tattoo parlor in the more hipster area of town, and the people in the shop were awesome. They did a great job on Ellie’s tattoo, and were fun to talk to as well. Following the tattoo shenanigans, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the group dinner that night. Since it was our last night in Greece, we were having a banquet dinner party to celebrate. It ended up being a night I will never forget, filled with great food, tasty wine, and the best company. In order to show my gratitude to everyone in the program, I wrote out a speech earlier that day to give at dinner. I was very emotional while speaking, so it wasn’t necessarily an Oscar winning performance or anything haha. It certainly felt good to express myself, though, and the overwhelming love and support that I received from everyone really made me smile. After dinner a bunch of us walked to the water and spent some time there just hanging out and reflecting on the trip. It was an incredible night, full of love, friendship, joy, and a bit of sadness about our fast-approaching goodbyes.

Day 10:

On Friday morning we had the pleasure of listening to two speakers. The first was a woman who worked for the Mayor, and she was very knowledgeable about all of the current ways that Thessaloniki is currently working to help refugees. She talked about certain programs that are in place, as well as challenges they have encountered as a city and as a country. The next speakers were from a non profit organization called ARSIS (The Association for the Social Support of Youth). ARSIS’ main target is the prevention of youth marginalisation, the elaboration of policies which defend youth rights, and the active social support towards disadvantaged young people. They provide psychosocial, legal, and educational support to young refugees living in Thessaloniki. The two women representing ARSIS gave a very inspiring presentation, and I left feeling happy and hopeful as a result of seeing that kind hearted people are out there truly making a difference in the world. After the two presentations, a bunch of us went to the rooftop pool for a final swimming session. However, when we arrived there were about 50 people already up there. It almost looked like a Miami, Florida spring break party, but with men ranging from age 23 to age 63...absolutely hilarious! We ended up talking to some of them and figured out that all of the people were from a construction agency, and this was a group vacation sponsored by the company to thank them for their work. After a few hours on the rooftop it was time to head to the airport, so we all gathered our luggage and hopped onto the bus for our final journey as a group. The flight went smoothly and we all got back in one piece, but the next few days in Bologna were filled with lots of goodbyes and tears. Everyone basically left Saturday or Sunday, and so those 48 hours consisted of heartfelt goodbyes to people that have truly changed my life. Saying goodbye really pains me because I feel like those I am leaving never fully understand the impact they have had on my life, so I ended up writing letters to everyone in the program in order to better capture all of my feelings. I still don’t think the letters accomplished this well enough, but I suppose it was better than nothing at all.

In the weeks that followed the end of my program I stayed on a boat airbnb in Barcelona, visited my college friends in Madrid, and spent a week with my family travelling around Italy. These were all amazing trips that I am so thankful for, and they allowed me to wrap up my time in Italy quite nicely. Now I am back in Glenview, IL where I will spend my summer working as a fundraising intern for a Chicago-based company called DialogueDirect. Being home has been pretty weird so far, as my open schedule and familiar surroundings are very different from the fast-paced and new environment of living in a foreign country. However, as previously stated, all good things must come to an end. I have had an incredible semester, but now is the real challenge: taking everything I’ve learned and applying it to my normal life. I am very proud of all the positive growth I have made over these past four months, and I am looking forward to continuing on this cycle of personal development throughout the summer and beyond.

Thank you to anyone who has actually taken the time to read my silly words this semester! This blog has served as a very important reflection tool for me, and the thought that other people might possibly enjoy it too truly makes me smile. Much love, and ciao for now!

Radical Resilience

The human capacity for resilience is absolutely remarkable. Throughout my life I have encountered numerous individuals who have experienced many difficulties in their lifetimes, yet come out on the other side with a renewed sense of optimism and hope for the future. The world is not always a fair place, and although it so easy to use this unfairness as an excuse for cynicism and pessimism, I continue to be surprised and inspired by the individuals who choose to use their struggles as a springboard for personal growth. While I recognized the power of resilience before coming to Italy, it has become increasingly prevalent as a result of the individuals I have met in my study abroad program, at my service site, and at my internship. The people I have met here have been through difficulties that I cannot even begin to imagine, but they continue to live everyday with a smile on their face and kindness in their heart.

One conversation I had with a few of the migrants at my service site a few weeks ago particularly demonstrated their unending sense of resilience. I had noticed that two of the migrants were more quiet than usual that day, and so when it came time for the walk home I decided to inquire about what was wrong. I started with small talk, asking how they were doing, and they immediately admitted that they were both having a bad day. One of them explained to me that he was frustrated with the Italian job market, as he has been trying to find a job for months but no one will hire him. He has received an advanced education back in Africa, with the certificates to prove it, but the Italian businesses will not hire him unless he has certificates from an Italian school. Therefore this educated young man who came to Italy in order to work, send money to his family, and be an active member of Italian society has been pushed to the margins and told that he is undesirable to hire. The other migrant explained to me that he is in a similar situation of being unable to find a job, and feels as though he has not made any progress since he entered Italy one year ago. He has made many Italian friends, joined an Italian soccer league, and mastered the Italian language, but his social and economic standing in Italian society has not faltered. His current housing, provided by Arca Di Noe (the organization I volunteer through), is about to expire in a few months, and so he must secure a job within the coming weeks in order to have enough money to rent an apartment on his own.

Both of these wonderful and inspirational young men are experiencing discrimination, hardship, and frustration in a way that I will most likely never fully understand, but when I expressed my sadness and empathy towards their situation they were quick to respond with a surprising amount of positivity. They eagerly explained to me that no matter what life throws their way, they fully recognize that tomorrow always has the potential to be better. Therefore they must never get too down on themselves during the bad days, keep on smiling and loving others, and continue working towards and hoping for a better tomorrow. They said that life was not meant to be easy, and that they accept all challenges with the recognition that challenge brings about growth and widened perspective. I was genuinely speechless at the uplifting outlook these two young men had on their frustrating situations, while also humbled to be engaging in such a raw and honest conversation about the human condition.  

This is just one example of two individuals in the world who embody the concept of resilience. However, we have all had experiences that have pushed and challenged us in ways we never foresaw. We have all found ourselves confused and pissed off at the nature of the world and broken by its unfairness. We have all struggled, because struggle is unfortunately an inherent part of the human experience. But, we have also all come out on the other side of these difficulties. We have continued getting out of bed, smiling at strangers, laughing, loving, and most importantly: living. So, I just want to say congratulations. Congratulations on pushing through the difficult moments that you have encountered in your life thus far. No matter where you are on life’s journey right now, you should be proud of yourself for getting there. There will most likely be more adversity and roadblocks ahead, but you are strong enough and resilient enough to continue working towards and hoping for a better tomorrow. Stay strong, and just keep living.

Sorry that was long and kind of cheesy, but I felt as though it was important to say. The following paragraphs are about my internship, my service site, and some weekend trips I have taken since my last blog post! It is pretty lengthy, though, so I promise I will not be offended if you stop reading here! haha. Thanks for taking a moment out of your day to read my words and understand my jumbled thoughts; I genuinely appreciate it, folks!

My internship has been great these past few weeks, and I am really sad to think about the fact that I only have two more weeks left there. Two weeks ago in the English-Italian Exchange Class we played a game where I would read out a question with a yes or no answer (example: can money buy you happiness?), and then the people would go to either the “yes” or “no” side of the table depending on what their personal opinion was. The two groups would then discuss why they thought they were right, and present their ideas to the other side. It went really well in the beginning and everyone seemed to be enjoying it, but then one of the questions ended up making a woman in the group very emotional. The question was asking if they thought Bologna was the best city in Italy, and this woman initially went to the “yes” side of the table. However, upon talking about her experience growing up in Bologna and living there her whole life, she began to cry. Through her tears she explained that she used to have such a good life in Bologna, as her and her daughter lived in a house, she used to own a coffee bar, and they had enough money to live comfortably. However she is now jobless, experiencing homelessness, and unable to adequately support her daughter. This realization that her situation has changed so drastically for the worse was very difficult for this woman to deal with in that moment, so my supervisor Chiara ended up talking to her separately and calming her down. It was really sad to see her get so emotional though, since she is always so kind and friendly to everyone. Last week we did an activity explaining where we are all from, which was really interesting because there are a wide variety of countries represented in the class (Italians, Nigerians, Morrocans, etc.). We were practicing asing conversational questions about each others’ countries, and we talked about everything from language to economy to resources to environment. It was really great. In the theatre class we finished making our masks, and are now moving on to work on using the masks in preparation for the theatre show they are going to put on later this summer. Last week the theatre class finished early though, so I ended up helping out with the job search clinic. This was a very interesting and difficult experience because joblessness is such a prevalent issue in Italy, especially for migrants. It was evident that many of the individuals in the class were getting frustrated with the process, and the online aspect of job postings nowadays was particularly difficult for one of the men I was working with. He was about 60 years old and from Morocco, and he had little to no experience using computers. I had to explain to him how to use a computer mouse, type on the keyboard, access google, and more, which added an extra layer to the already frustrating task of searching for a job in Italy.

Service the past few weeks has been really enjoyable, and I feel like I am really getting closer with the migrants and Italian students. I actually got coffee a few weeks ago with one of the migrants, which was really fun and intriguing. We talked about our lives, where we come from, difficulties we have encountered, and his experience of coming to and living Italy. I learned a lot about him and life in general from our conversations, and I was happy for the opportunity to have spent quality time with him. Two weeks ago during the afterschool program the kids completed a very cool science activity using microscopes. I told some of the students that I had no idea how to use one, and so they excitedly explained the process of using a microscope and the experiment they were doing. One of the boys was especially sweet about it, trying his best to explain it in english and making sure that I understood what was going on. They had to fill out a worksheet to go along with the activity, and the last question was about how the mass media looks at immigration from a macroscopic level. The teacher asked them to compare this macroscopic perspective to the microscopic experience they are having with the migrants in the class, and their answers were absolutely beautiful. They eloquently explained the ways in which their views on migration have changed for the better since the beginning of the program, using the metaphor of a microscope.

 
Two weeks ago I went on a day trip to Rome with Kelly, Mike, Ally, Emily, Nayomi, and Gabe (a friend from SLU who was visiting for the weekend). We had a great time, and I was so impressed with all the beauty and history that the city had to offer. Gabe and Mike were also great at explaining some of the history stuff that I didn’t quite understand, so that was super awesome. We first went to the Colosseum, which was stunning. It is crazy to think about the fact that they used to watch people literally die within the walls of such a beautiful building. Next we went to the Forum, which was most definitely my favorite part. For centuries this Forum served as the center of day-to-day life in Rome, and while walking around I could literally imagine what it would have been like to be alive in ancient Rome. It was a huge space filled with many different buildings, ruins, and areas to visit, and it was just really cool to be standing on the actual grounds where people we read about in textbooks (like Julius Caesar) would casually spend their days. We then got lunch at a beautiful restaurant that we found at the bottom of a random ally, and there I ate the best lasagna I have ever eaten. It melted in my mouth, and was made with a creamy vodka sauce instead of a classic tomato sauce!! Such a good idea. Next we walked to the Pantheon which was really beautiful and interesting to learn about. When Mike took Italian in high school his teacher taught him this song about how to get from the Pantheon to the best gelato place in Rome, so we naturally had to sing the song together and find it. We got it on our first try (the song was very straightforward!), and I will admit that it was the best gelato I have had during my time in Italy thus far. After sitting and eating our gelato for a while, we headed towards the river to walk around. It was a beautiful night, and the streets were very lively as well. We saw a bunch of street performers, including an amazing saxophone player and a guy who was using random pots and pans as a drum set. We later had dinner at a place that Emily’s cousin recommended, where we dined on an incredible flat bread and really yummy four-cheese pizza.  It was a great atmosphere, and we had a lot of fun laughing, talking, and enjoying eachothers’ company. We finished off the night with one more cup of gelato from the really good place near the Pantheon, and then headed to the bus station in order to catch our bus back to Bologna. The bus we were taking was five hours long and left at midnight (we chose this crazy option because it was the least expensive; a true broke college student move!), and it was a very odd experience. However, I guess we should have expected to encounter some strange characters on an overnight bus. Throughout the course of the bus ride there was a woman whimpering like a dog in her sleep, an aggressive man trying to fight Gabe, a woman who claimed that Emily and Ally were sitting in her seat although there were not assigned seats, and a man kicking my seat for about an hour straight. My personal favorite part of the night though was when the bus pulled over to the side of the road in order to address a mechanical difficulty, and as they were trying to fix the problem they turned on all the lights and started playing “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. I could not stop laughing at how ridiculous of a situation it was, but I also would not have wanted to end my day trip to Rome in any other way.

Last weekend I went to visit my friend Adan, who I met through Hands of Peace. Hands of Peace is an interfaith dialogue program between Israeli, Palestinian, and American teenagers, and Adan and I had participated in the program together three years ago. Therefore we had not seen eachother in three years, and so it was absolutely perfect that we both ended up studying in Italy at the same time! I took a train to Florence on Friday morning, and met up with her at one of the big piazzas. She then gave me a tour of the city, stopping at all of the most important places and sites to see. It was a really comprehensive tour, and I was very impressed that she was able to navigate the city so well after being there for only a few weeks. I had also mentioned to her before I came that I wanted to get a journal while in Florence, so her and her friend Frankie had looked around earlier that week for good places where I could find a journal. This was really sweet of them, and I actually ended up buying the journal that had been one of their favorites they’d found. It is made of brown leather and has some really pretty flower detailings; it is absolutely stunning! Afterwards we headed back to her place where we started preparing dinner for the night. It turns out that her neighbor in the apartment next door was a Palestinian and had also done Hands of Peace, so we were going to have a dinner of traditional Palestinian food with him that night. Adan made a really yummy dish which was basically peppers stuffed with rice and meat, and then boiled in tomato sauce. Her neighbor, Ahmad, made a very similar dish but instead of stuffing the peppers with meat and rice he had stuffed leaves of cabbage. When they both finished cooking we went over to his apartment, and shared a delicious meal with really wonderful conversations. Adan’s friend Frankie, from Switzerland, and her roommate Valentina, from Spain, also joined us for dinner. It was a really interesting mix of people from a variety of differing backgrounds, which made for a unique cultural exchange opportunity. After dinner we got ready to go out, drank some wine, and then headed to a karaoke bar. I sang “breaking free” from high school musical with Valentina, and, not to toot my own horn, but the crowd loved it! haha. We had met up with a bunch of other people from Adan’s class at the karaoke bar, so it was cool to talk and dance with them as well. After a few hours at the karaoke bar we went to a dance club called Babylon, which was really fun and played some awesome Spanish music.

The next day Adan, Frankie, and I went to Arezzo, which a small city near Florence. We arrived by train, and had a great time walking around the city, drinking coffee in fun coffee shops (tea for me though, of course lol), visiting churches, and sitting in a beautiful park. The city was at the top of a huge hill, so the view was absolutely incredible. After a wonderful long day spent in Arezzo, we returned back to Florence and cooked dinner together in Adan’s apartment. We made pasta with meat, cream sauce, garlic, and onions, and it was sooo yummy. We were planning on going out again that night, but ended up deciding to drink wine in her apartment instead. We had a really fun night hanging out, catching up, and reminiscing about our time together in Hands of Peace. On Sunday we woke up to watch the sunrise from Piazzale Michelangelo, which was simply breathtaking. The last night I spent with Adan in Chicago we had watched the sunrise from my friend Grace’s roof, so it was a really great way to come full circle on our visit together. We then walked back to her apartment, took a quick nap, and then ate french toast with Frankie before I had to leave for the train. Frankie made the french toast with garlic and chili peppers, which I was initially super suspicious about. However, it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Yay for trying new foods! Saying goodbye to Adan was really sad, as I recognize that I probably won’t see her again for a few years at the least. However, I am so grateful for the opportunity to have spent the weekend with her.

For my Easter break I went to Cinque Terre, a string of seaside villages on the coast of Italy, with my friend Jenna from SLU. After a long day of travelling by bus, metro, train, and taxi, I finally met her at our hostel on Thursday afternoon. It was really great to see her, and we spent that evening catching up, talking about our time abroad, exchanging stories, and reminiscing on good times with people we missed. We ate some lasagna and homemade bread at the hostel restaurant as well, which was really delicious. After going back to our room and talking for a few more hours, we headed to bed in order to prepare for the long day ahead of us.

Friday morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and hopped on the shuttle to get to Riomaggiore at 9:00 (one of the villages that is a part of Cinque Terre). Our hostel was about 20 minutes away from Cinque Terre, so they offered this shuttle system in order to give us easy access to the cities. There is a really convenient train system that goes between the five villages, so from Riomaggiore we hopped on the train and took it all the way to the furthest village. We did this so that we could work our way back to Riomaggiore by the end of the day in order to take the shuttle bus back to the hostel. So, the first village we went to was Monterosso. Monterosso has a large beach and colorful buildings, and it was a really fun place to walk around. We spent a lot of time looking at cool rocks and other things on the beach, and then did a little bit of hiking up some random trails that we found. After hiking we rewarded ourselves with gelato, which was super yummy. We then walked around the town a little more, put our feet in the water (which was FREEZING but worth it!), and then took the train to the next city. The next place we went was Vernazza, which was also really beautiful. This one did not have a beach, but had a really cool looking port with a bunch of boats. In Vernazza we ate lunch at this realllyyyyy good pizza place where I had pesto pizza, and it was probably one of my favorite things I have ever eaten. Pesto is actually made in Genoa, a city near Cinque Terre, so there was pesto basically everywhere we went; it was AMAZING, and I literally ate it in some form for every meal. After lunch we walked around the city for a while, saw a few churches, and did some hiking near the coast. The views of the city and the sea from the hiking paths were seriously stunning. Next we went to Corniglia, which was probably my favorite city of all the ones we saw that day. Corniglia is located at the top of a hill on the sea, so we had to climb up a bunch of stairs just to get to the city itself. Once we made it to the top we walked around the city, which was really quaint and less touristy than the others we had visited. The whole center of the village was a series of connected allys, and we could really feel the history in the buildings everywhere we went. We also went into a few churches which were beautiful, and hung out on a balcony overlooking the sea for a while. Finally we made our way to the last city of Riomaggiore (we skipped the fourth city so that we could visit it the next day), where we met up with some of our other friends from SLU for dinner. We spent a good amount of time in the city, climbing on rocks and hiking a little bit near the waterfront, and then met them at the train station. We decided to go to a really cute restaurant for dinner, where I ordered pesto pasta (of course). However it took a really long time for us to get our food since it was a busy night, and so Jenna and I ended up having to take it to go in order to make it back to the top of the hill in Riomaggiore for the shuttle back to the hostel. The time we did get to spend with our other friends was wonderful though, and I was very happy it worked out for us to get together. When we got back to the hostel we hung out in our room for a few hours, and then headed to bed.

The next morning we took the shuttle to Riomaggiore again, and from there took a train to Manarola. Manarola was the only city we didn’t have the chance to see the day before, and it was absolutely beautiful. The buildings were all super colorful, and the view of the city from the hiking path was remarkable. We spent a few hours in this city, and actually ended up eating lunch there at a cool little restaurant. Next we hopped on the train to La Spezia, which is actually not part of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre but still very close to them. It is a little bit bigger of a city, with many things to do. In La Spezia we first got gelato, and then walked around a really pretty park for a while. We ended up finding a harbor with many boats, so it was fun to hang out on the docks and walk around that area as well. Finally we went to a modern art museum, which was really interesting and had some great exhibits about poetry, the navy, and more. Each exhibit had a pamphlet with a description in English, which was really helpful in allowing us to understand what we were looking at. Next we went back to Riomaggiore, where we got some reallyyyyy good milkshakes. Jenna and I had both randomly been craving milkshakes, and these ones did not disappoint. The lady working at the shop was really sweet too, and was eager to explain to us the art of creating a perfect milkshake. We walked around the city for a little while longer, and then found a nice little restaurant to eat dinner in. I, of course, ordered pesto, and Jenna ordered carbonara; they were both delicious! Our waiter was also really funny and sassy with us, which I very much appreciated. By the time we were done with dinner, it had started storming. So, Jenna and I had to make the treck up to the top of the hill where the hostel shuttle came to pick us up in pouring rain with aggressive thunder and lightning piercing the sky. We were soaking wet, cold, and tired from a long day of activities, but continued to remain in high spirits despite it all! The shuttle bus ride back to the hostel was absolutely terrifying though, because it was a stick-shift bus driving up narrow winding mountain roads right next to the ocean in heavy rain with a lot of lightning. Jenna and I were honestly terrified to say the least, so to keep ourselves calm we sang some songs (including “sweet caroline” and “little drummer boy” lol). We eventually made it back to the hostel safely, and there we changed into dry clothes and drank some coffee (well, Jenna drank coffee; I ate french fries!) in the hostel restaurant. We hung out there for a little bit, recounting the silly moments of our weekend together, and then facetimed with our friend Andrea who is studying abroad in Vietnam. The wifi was absolutely horrible so the facetime was not super effective, but it was still amazing to see her face and hear her voice after being apart for so many months.

The next morning we woke up really early so that we could make it to Genoa in time to walk around the city for a while before Jenna’s flight back to Amsterdam at 2pm. Genoa was a really cool city, and we spent a bunch of time looking at churches (it was Easter sunday, so they were all packed!), wandering around the downtown area, and hanging out by the waterfront. It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was a great last hurrah for the end of our trip. I walked Jenna to the train station where she caught a cab to the airport, which was a really sad since I most likely won’t see her again until we’re back at school in August. But it was also a pleasant goodbye, as I recognize she is truly thriving in the Netherlands and that is where she needs to be right now. After Jenna and I parted ways, I had about five hours to spend in Genoa on my own. I spent a lot of my time sitting by the waterfront, reading, journaling, drawing, and also just kind of wandering around the city for a bit. It was really fun and relaxing, and I even talked to some girls at the waterfront about art because they had seen me drawing in my journal and inquired about it. I also ended up sitting outside at this really cute restaurant in a random ally in Genoa, where I had the best pesto pasta I had ever eaten in my life (and that is saying a lot because, as aforementioned, I LOVE pesto). A bunch of families were also dining at the same restaurant for their post-easter mass meal, which was cute to see but also made me miss my family a lot. I then walked around the city for a little bit longer, and eventually made my way over to the bus station where my bus back to Bologna was leaving from. Overall it was a really amazing weekend filled with great conversations, beautiful views, delicious food, funny memories, and so much more.

Worth Beyond Borders

“I did not come here to have fun or steal. I am in Italy because I want to study to become a teacher, and here I can read and learn many things about life”

“Today I am trying to find a job so that I can send money to my younger brother. I do not want him to take a bad road. I want him to grow well.”

These are direct quotes from two African migrants who came to Italy at the age of 18. They are two of the most resilient, kindhearted, hilarious, down to earth individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, yet they have had to spend an unreasonable amount of their life trying to prove their worthiness to others. In many people’s eyes these young men are not worthy of Italian citizenship, a job, a house, or even general political and human rights. In many people’s eyes they are the enemy of countrywide security. In many people’s eyes they have no place in Italian society. In many people’s eyes they should go back to where they came from. After spending tens of thousands of euros, crossing dangerous waters, not talking to their families for two years, being abused by the police, and watching loved ones die before their eyes, these two wonderful men have entered a country in which they must continue to prove their worth to small-minded individuals on a daily basis.

Migration has been occurring since the beginning of time, and it will never stop. Governments, border controls, walls, and policies may try to prevent individuals from migrating, but the phenomenon simply will. never. stop. America is a country built on immigrants, as are many other countries around the world, yet today we have decided that migration is no longer acceptable for our society. We scream about immigrants stealing our jobs, putting our safety at risk, or evading taxpayer duties, while completely turning a blind eye to the migration journeys that our ancestors went through in order for us to sit on our “citizenship” thrones of comfort, exclusivity, and ignorance. Article 13 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that every single human being has the right to freedom of movement. However, the pitfall of this article is that it says nothing about the right to freedom of entry. Countries are allowed national sovereignty when it comes to deciding who is worthy or unworthy of entry, which creates a fundamental power imbalance in our global society. At the end of the day we are all humans with inherent worth and dignity, and we must start viewing each other in this way. I am not saying that I am in favor of a total open border migration policy, as I recognize that unregulated migration would be horribly detrimental to the economic, political, and social structures of each nation. However, there is no excuse for the inhumane way that migrants are being viewed and treated in the world today. We are all important, we are all human, and we are all worthy of not having to prove our worth to others.

These past few weeks have been really educational, transformative, exciting, and reflective. I am reminded on a daily basis how lucky I am to be living in Bologna, and also how fast my time here is going by. Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve been up to!

The two young men I mentioned earlier in this post were migrants that came to speak to our Italian class two weeks ago. They recounted the story of their journey to Italy in great detail, which was incredibly heartbreaking but important to hear. The countless difficulties that they faced throughout their journeys were absolutely unimaginable, and I was honestly moved to tears at least four or five times while they were speaking. They came to Italy seeking refuge from their war-torn and dangerous countries, and yet are still outsiders in the Italian community. However, their seemingly unending positivity and sense of thankfulness was incredibly inspiring. They have huge dreams for their futures and truly try to see the good in every situation. We were able to hang out with them after class for a little while too, which was really fun and a cool opportunity to get to know them on a more personal level. They were super funny, cool, and down to earth, and we had some awesome conversations about music and their desired professions.

A few weekends ago we also had an event called “cena senza frontiere”, which translates to “dinner without borders”. Some African migrants cooked a really delicious stew dish which had a peanut butter base and was served with rice, and the Americans cooked chili. We all ate together, along with some migrants from Afghanistan and Italian students, which was really fun and a very cool opportunity to engage in a cultural exchange. Before and after dinner we also did a lot of dancing, and we switched off playing songs from each of our cultures. After dinner we danced for about two hours straight, which was exhausting but also so much fun. Everyone had a really great time, and it was beautiful to see how easy it was for a group of people from such different backgrounds to come together and unite over something as simple as silly dance moves. When it was time for everyone to leave, the migrants started taking tons of selfies and pictures with all of us. It was absolutely hilarious; I think I took selfies with about 20 different people that night. 

My internship has been going really well! I recently helped Chiara (my supervisor) write an application for the Happy Center to speak at a conference on homelessness in Budapest this fall. It had to be written in english, so I was able to help ensure that she was using correct grammar and vocabulary. Two weeks ago for English class I wrote out a bunch of questions on pieces of paper (ex. What is your favorite song? What would you do with one million dollars?), and had each individual grab one. We then went around one by one, had every person write their question on the board in English and Italian, and then had everyone else answer the question. It was very helpful for teaching them how to engage in conversations in English, and also allowed everyone to get to know each other a little better. One of the questions I wrote out was “What superpower do you wish you had?”, and their answers were very deep and inspirational. Literally every single person said they wished they had the power to heal, to make the world a better place, to relieve pain, to replace bad thoughts with good thoughts, or something similar. We then listened to, sang, and analyzed the song “Heroes” by David Bowie, which was a really beautiful moment that reminded me of music's ability to serve as a universal language. Last week we celebrated Chiara and I’s birthdays (her birthday is March 2nd also!), which was really fun and joyous. The class was not as structured as usual, but we ended up getting into a group discussion about the political structures in everyone’s country of origin. This was a really interesting conversation, as we had people represented from Italy, America, Morocco, Afghanistan, and various places in Africa. I additionally ended up talking to a man about his drug addiction recovery, and how that has shaped his life so far. We communicated solely in Italian, which was not easy, but definitely put my language skills to the test. It was very inspiring to see how much he had changed and how optimistic he was about his future, despite his dark past.

Volunteering at the after school program between African migrants and Italian students has also been going really well. Two weeks ago they had an all-day long event of playing sports and hanging out, in order to strengthen relationships between the two groups. I had class in the morning so couldn’t come until about noon, but when I got there we all ate pizza together for lunch. I had some really awesome conversations with the migrants and students about their lives and future goals, and got free pizza! That’s a win in my book. After class one of the Italian students also approached me and asked if I could look over his common app essay since he’s applying to colleges in America, and I of course said yes. It is so interesting to see the way people react when I say I’m an American; they either get really excited and express their jealousy, or yell at me and explain all the awful things my country has done. It really makes me think about America’s place in the global conversation and gives me the opportunity to take a step back from the ethnocentric rhetoric and history that is preached at home. Last week at service we celebrated the feste delle donne (international women’s day) by bringing in sweet treats of African and Italian descent. The Italians brought some cake and pizza, and then the Africans made some type of sweet fried bread with a hardboiled egg inside of it!! I was a little too afraid to try it with the egg though, so they were really kind and picked the egg out of mine; it was reallyyyyy yummy. The feste delle donne is a HUGE deal in Italy, and it was really cool to witness the way that the students celebrated the day. In Italy there are these little yellow flowers called mimosas that represent the feste delle donne, and people are supposed to give them to women in their lives that they care about. It was so adorable and uplifting to see that just about every girl in the class had received a bouquet of mimosas.

After service, I met up with a few friends in Piazza Maggiore for the women’s march. It was incredibly beautiful and empowering to see so many women coming together for a common cause. There were a couple really funny signs (ex. “Binarism is for computers”), and also a couple in Italian that I just couldn’t understand at all. Overall though, the unified sense of support for womankind was absolutely palpable throughout the march. There were also a ton of men at the march, some marching with significant others or friends, and some just marching by themselves. This overwhelming sense of allyship was honestly a little unexpected, but nonetheless beautiful and inspiring to see.

Last weekend I went on a social justice trip to Puglia, which is the southern region of Italy. We left on Wednesday night and took a nine hour sleeper train from Bologna to Brindisi. That was a really cool experience, despite the fact that sleeping was pretty difficult due to the constant stopping and starting of the train. When we arrived in Brindisi Thursday morning we were greeted by a priest who works at Caritas (a Catholic organization that seeks to help refugees and impoverished individuals). He took us to Caritas, we got a tour of the facility, and then we received a presentation in order to learn more about the organization and what they do. They showed us a video and talked about the history of migration in Brindisi, which was really interesting to learn about. We also were able to hear the story of a refugee family of three that escaped from Iraq. They were forced to leave after the husband’s brother and father were killed by the Taliban, and so they picked up everything and left for Italy with their 2 month old baby girl. The journey was horrible and dangerous, but they finally made it to Italy safely. Now the family has an apartment provided by Caritas, and they must wait 6 months until their papers and documents are finished being processed. We then helped serve lunch, and had the chance to talk to some of the individuals we were serving. Afterwards we went back and regrouped for a reflection period, and then the staff came in and surprised us with a cake. We all ate together and hung out with some of the other soup kitchen volunteers. Next we went on an informal tour of the city, checking out the harbor, some beautiful churches, the home of the archdiocese, and a YUMMY gelato shop. We later went to dinner at a restaurant that was literally located on the Adriatic Sea, and ate some of the most amazing food I have ever tasted. The dinner lasted 4 hours, consisted of 5 courses, and was just incredible. We also had a bunch of wine, which made it even more fun. After dinner we went back to the beach bungalows where we were staying, and ended up hanging out on the beach for a while. The waves were absolutely beautiful at night, and it was just so much fun to be surrounded by such incredible people in such an incredible place. And then, to top it all off, my friends sang happy birthday to me at midnight on the beach (since my birthday was the next day), which was super thoughtful and made me feel so loved.

Friday we went to the Cara, a welcome center for refugees. There we took a tour, learned about their organization, and then divided up into three groups. My group had to choose someone to pretend to be a migrant coming to the Cara on the first day, so we chose Jon. Jon was one of the chaperones on the trip, who actually migrated to Italy from Afghanistan 11 years ago. They took him through the various stations that a first-day refugee would go through, including a one-on-one meeting with a police officer, doctor, and psychologist. The way that the staff treated Jon was inspiring and hopeful, as they did everything they could to make him feel at home and comfortable. They assured him that he was safe now, and that they were impressed by his resilience in making the journey over. We then went back and debriefed, hearing from the other groups that they had learned about the legal assistance provided to migrants and the frequency of trafficking and prostitution of women migrants. A group of migrants then performed a dance for us, which was meant to depict their journey from Africa to Italy. It was the most beautiful, moving, inspirational, heartbreaking, impressive dance I have ever seen, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have witnessed such a raw expression of human emotion. One of the dancers started crying uncontrollably after their performance, which was really hard but important to see. Finally we danced with the migrants for a while, and then went and ate lunch together. Next, we went to old Mafia land that had been converted into an educational farm for children. The farm is run by Libera, an anti-mafia NGO, and seeks to provide children with information on the history of the mafia in that area and on the art of farming. They additionally have a vineyard which produces wine that is sold in their shop in downtown Brindisi, and each bottle is named after an individual who was killed by the mafia. The back of each bottle has the story of their life and death, and serves as a very concrete way of remembering victims of mafia violence. Next we went to their wine shop in the city center, where they so generously let us taste some of their wines. They were really delicious, and probably some of the best quality wines I will ever drink. After that, we went to a really beautiful restaurant for dinner. We had another five course meal and some of the wine from the shop we had been at earlier. It was absolutely delicious, and I left that restaurant feeling extremely full (in the best way possible). We then headed back to our bungalows, and a bunch of people came to hang out in my room for the rest of the night. It was a wonderful end to the best birthday I could ever ask for. 

The next day we went on a hike through a beautiful nature reserve. One of our teachers that was chaperoning the trip, Professor Nardini, used to volunteer at the reserve. Therefore her and a few of her old friends from the reserve led the tour. It was really interesting to learn about the history of the nature reserve and their struggle to keep the land, as the tourism industry is continuously trying to take it from them in order to turn the property into hotels and beaches. We also learned a lot about the specific plants and what purpose they each served, which was very cool. After about an hour of hiking, we had some free time on the beach. It was only about 55 degrees, but a couple of my friends and I decided that we wanted to go swimming. So we did! We swam for quite a while, and the water wasn’t actually as cold as I thought it would be! We then hiked for a little bit longer (which was a little chilly, considering I was soaking wet), and then headed back to the bungalows to change our clothes. Afterwards we went to the beautiful city of Ostuni. It is called the white city, due to all of the buildings being white, and is absolutely stunning. It is located on top of a huge hill, so the views were simply incredible. In Ostuni we had a few hours of free time just to walk around and get lunch. We ended up exploring the city for a little while, and then found a really cute restaurant at the end of a random alley for lunch. We ordered pizzas, and it was honestly the best pizza I have ever eaten. The cheese melted in my mouth, the bread was as soft as a cloud, and there wasn’t too much sauce!!! It was amazing. That night we went to a book release dinner party for an African migrant who’d written about his journey to Italy. The African food was SO good, and it was really inspiring to see the compassionate interactions between the migrants and the Italians at the dinner. An African dance troupe performed for us too, which was really impressive. They were dancing to the music of a live Italian percussion group, and that was a very cool cultural exchange to witness. After watching them perform, we were all invited to dance with them too! It was overall a very beautiful night that proved the possibility of peaceful relations between people of many differing background and cultures. That night a bunch of my friends and I stayed up really late playing a question game, which was a really fun opportunity to grow closer on a deeper level. 

The next morning we went to the beach for a reflection time. It was a really great way to wrap up the trip, and gave us the opportunity to reflect on everything that we had seen, learned, and done throughout the weekend. Finally we wrote affirmations for each other (little letters saying how great everyone is), which was really fun and reminded me of the mission trips I went on in high school. Overall it was one of the best weekends I have ever had. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have deepened my understanding of the migration situation in Italy, grown closer with those in my program, been introduced to some very inspiring individuals, reflected on my own values and future goals, and been exposed to all the beauty that Puglia has to offer.