Discovering Castelli Romani

Today has been pretty amazing. It's my favorite day so far, which is not saying much because I've only been here 3 days. We toured the Castelli Romani-- my little town is considered apart of this area.

It's so charming and each town has it's own character.
Here are some pictures from my day!

Castel Gandolfo: 

{The summer home of the Pope}

{My second cappuccino of the day. So good!}

Grottoferrata:

{The Abbey of Santa Maria}

Frescati:

{Fun friends at lunch. Frescati is known for it's white wine!}

{Beautiful macaroons}

Nemi- my favorite:

{Known for it's little bitty strawberries grown from the side of a volcano}

{Looking over Lake Nemi}

{Charming street}

Tomorrow we will discover more of Castelli Romani and this weekend I will journey into Rome for the first time! More pictures and updates to come!

Ciao from Ariccia!

I have arrived in Italy, and I can't even believe it.
It feels like I am in a dream. Probably because it's been the longest day of my life trying to avoid jet lag... I've been awake for far too long!

We took a tour of the city this afternoon, and I was blown away by the beauty. Right now it is a new and unfamiliar place. I am ready for the day when I know this town. The day I know what restaurants I like to eat at and my way around the winding cobble stone street.

I am anxious and ready for that day to arrive. I have always adjusted slowly to change but once I'm adjusted it's like riding a bike-- I become familiar and settled and mostly content. Right now, I think we all feel a little fear. What will this semester hold? What will it be like 3 months from now?  Who will we become close to? The questions go on.

When I start to worry over the unanswered questions, I have to take a deep breath and thank Jesus for bringing me to this place. It settles my anxieties and helps me focus on Him. He is the one that brought me here and will see me through this semester. And I have no idea what it will look like!

Thank you Jesus for...
-familiar friends to share this experience with
-a bountiful Italian dinner interacting with new and old friends
-the walk around the city
-seeing your beauty in this place through the buildings and the locals

Despite stepping into the unknown, I do know one thing: I already have fallen in love with the quaint little town. My new Italian home.

Here are some pictures from our walking tour today...

Historic church

Frutteria 

On Monday we get to buy local produce from this market!

Overlooking the valley 

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

{Psalm 19:14}

Adventures Ahead

Today marks exactly two weeks until I board my flight to Rome, Italy!

It's safe to say I am equal parts excited and anxious.

There is so much to accomplish before the 27th rolls around, which means I have a never ending to do list in my head and on many sheets of paper. I'm (unsuccessfully) trying not to get bogged down with my practical agenda. 

I was laughing with one of my friends saying it feels like I am planning a fake trip. I've never been to Europe-- let alone lived in Europe for a semester.

It doesn't feel real and I have a very dreamy, romantic view of what Italy will be like.

I really have no clue what this adventure holds but I do know it is actually going to happen.

One of my hope/prayers for 2014 was that I would let go and immerse myself in this experience. I tend to take myself too seriously. I really want to learn more about their culture and myself... So I'm going to let me guard down and really do this thing.

When I am finally in Italy I know I will have many stories to share... More to come on all of that. 

The Start of 2014

I became curious today about why everyone makes New Year's resolutions.

We all seek ways to improve our selfs at the start of January. Why is that?

Although it is a secular tradition, it has origins in religious practices of all kinds.

I found out that for Christians it is mostly based off of Lent-- sacrificing old desires for new ones.

For Jews, Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the New Year. From then until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), they reflect on their wrongdoings of the previous year and seek/offer forgiveness.

There's my little Wikipedia history lesson. 

But isn't that interesting? New Year's resolutions have become Westernized. It's turned into goals that we often forget about 3 weeks later. I know I'm not the first person to go to the gym on January 1st and then never return.

This year instead of making fruitless goals, I want to look at these resolutions as hopes.
A hope for a better year, and a hope for growing more into who God made me to be.
When I made my list I started realizing that they seem more like prayers than goals.

I wanted to share what these hopes and prayers are for 2014...

1. Give myself and others grace 

{Lord, help me see people (including myself) like you do.}

2. Read the Bible more

{Lord, help me really understand that it is my daily bread}

3. Really experience Italy and Europe this semester 

{Lord, help me let go and immerse myself in the experience and culture}

4. In regards to my Rheumatoid Arthritis, listen to my body and understand my limits 

{Lord, please bring some sort of healing and relief in my health}

5. Be present with people

{Lord, when I am with someone help me focus on my time with them and not my phone, social media, or other continual thoughts.}

And one last prayer for 2014...

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

{Romans 12:11-12, NIV}

A Little New Year's Gift

Beth Moore is giving away online versions of her books for the first 10 days of 2014!
If you're interested, you can find it at this link:

https://bookshout.com/companies/bethmoore?code=BethMoore