Ciao bella.
In case I forgot to give you an update beforehand, yes, my dad did take care of Mr. Walz's son. Though I don't believe he is his primary doctor, he did oversee the reconstruction of his pelvis and an infusion of 6 pints of blood. In other words, it was a very serious injury, but he will certainly make it! I offered mass for him and his dad today, as well.
FYI, your postcard from León took 20 days to arrive! I am just getting it now, and it is marvelous. I read it in the spare minutes of Anna's soccer game tonight, which was markedly eventful. It's interesting that you mentioned that you were praying for my sleep, because it's been pretty bad lately. Some of it's my own fault (I read until 4am a couple nights ago), but some of it is unexplainably terrible. It's frightening to think how bad it might be if you weren't praying, so thanks!
I had a productive day today! I'm trying to maintain a good balance between openness and privacy, so I'd rather keep the details between me and her, but suffice it to say that I reached out to Kelly in a way that I hope will bring her some healing long-term, while also decisively cutting ties. Maybe it will backfire, but I felt very moved to do so in prayer, and I wrote it while deeply peaceful. I did likewise with Courtney, and I hope I did right by both of them.
Beyond that, I also slept in, answered emails, set up volunteering, put in contact lens, got a wedding present, went to the grocery store, walked the dog, went to Mass, watched a soccer game, sideline-coached Anna's game, blogged, and watched an episode of Elementary with my parents. A lot more little things, too, like giving Sparkle her medicine and debriefing Anna after her game, etc. Basically, I powered through my to do list today.
Well, that seems like a sufficient update. I hope Rome is Rome and Assisi is Assisi. I'm glad you finally found the chapel, and yes, the giant white building that looks like a wedding cake is the Vittorio Emanuele monument that you sent me, not the small church in the piazza. As mentioned above, I haven't been sleeping great, so I think that I'll head there now and forego a longer post, but congrats on day 46 of not being with me!
Ponder love today.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Día Número 45
That day count is certainly getting high!
This morning, at 11:30 am, I was talking to my future roommate Veronica for the first time on Skype and I officially have someone to live with next year. Actually, I have two people (the other one, Sonja, is in Poland right now) and several potential places lined up, which is miles ahead of where I was a week ago! I also got to hang out with two old friends and Father Mike yesterday, taught my little sister how to throw a ball, and made it to confession, so it's been a solid 48.
Today, we ventured down to the cities to watch Anna play and she was a clear candidate for MVP after that solid performance. One goal and assists on the other two, great passing in the midfield, and a couple key defensive stops. I got to talk to Mrs. Shirley on the sidelines and we had a great conversation, and then my mom and I played catch at half. I also ate 3 fajitas and got a new book, so I'm struggling to find any way that the day could have been improved!!
Your prayers mean a lot, and that chapel holds a lot of memories for me. That was the place I cuddled up on every crying night after a long, lonely day, the place that a cardinal told me that he liked my smile, and the place where I received Jesus for the first and last time while in Rome. I used to come in when everything was dark except the sanctuary lamp and sit on the floor in front on the first pew on the left.
Viva la Roma, viva il Papa, and...
Ponder love today.
This morning, at 11:30 am, I was talking to my future roommate Veronica for the first time on Skype and I officially have someone to live with next year. Actually, I have two people (the other one, Sonja, is in Poland right now) and several potential places lined up, which is miles ahead of where I was a week ago! I also got to hang out with two old friends and Father Mike yesterday, taught my little sister how to throw a ball, and made it to confession, so it's been a solid 48.
Today, we ventured down to the cities to watch Anna play and she was a clear candidate for MVP after that solid performance. One goal and assists on the other two, great passing in the midfield, and a couple key defensive stops. I got to talk to Mrs. Shirley on the sidelines and we had a great conversation, and then my mom and I played catch at half. I also ate 3 fajitas and got a new book, so I'm struggling to find any way that the day could have been improved!!
Your prayers mean a lot, and that chapel holds a lot of memories for me. That was the place I cuddled up on every crying night after a long, lonely day, the place that a cardinal told me that he liked my smile, and the place where I received Jesus for the first and last time while in Rome. I used to come in when everything was dark except the sanctuary lamp and sit on the floor in front on the first pew on the left.
Viva la Roma, viva il Papa, and...
Ponder love today.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Día Número 44
At last! It's the moment I know you've been waiting for!!
That's right!
An update on all my bodily functions!!!!
If I'm lucky, maybe you'll even read this just before going to see the Pope! You can pass along the info if you want; Papa usually likes to hear how my uterus is doing!
Speaking of good ol' uteroy, it has once again beaten the drugs and I've had my period on and off for a couple days now, complete with complimentary cramps. What's that you say?? I had my period last week?? Yes, that's correct, but it decided to come back. Thanks for that, Uteroy.
The scars are healing nicely, except that they sometimes start stinging. I would appreciate it if my belly button smoothed out again, but that doesn't seem likely.
Interestingly, my left knee has been bugging me for a couple weeks. As usual, it's difficult to tell whether my basketball days are finally catching up with me, or God is simply promoting my solidarity with you on your Camino. That seems to be a trend.
Speaking of afflictions of a spiritual origin, my rash is back and spreading beautifully all over my body, mostly my legs. Since I also have 4 mosquito bites behind my knees, it is difficult to tell what itches more, but all of it itches much.
More in the line of solidarity, I popped in my retainer the other night for the first time in a year (I don't think I even brought it to college). It made me smile to remember you and your attachment to that piece of plastic, until that smile turned agonizing contortions as my teeth uprooted and meandered around my mouth.
It has also been a year since my last haircut, but I'm headed in for a trim on Friday! Who knows, though. I could go crazy and shave my head or get dreadlocks or something. The anticipation is exhilarating.
More seriously (but actually not serious at all), I believe I have contracted tetanus from an excess of physical labor. Whilst I was carrying an enormous couch to the car, my mother pushed me into the rusty exhaust pipe, but realistically, the bruise is more impressive than my exaggerated claims of tetanus...
Finally, I would like to end with a picture that should only be described as glorious...
That's right!
An update on all my bodily functions!!!!
If I'm lucky, maybe you'll even read this just before going to see the Pope! You can pass along the info if you want; Papa usually likes to hear how my uterus is doing!
Speaking of good ol' uteroy, it has once again beaten the drugs and I've had my period on and off for a couple days now, complete with complimentary cramps. What's that you say?? I had my period last week?? Yes, that's correct, but it decided to come back. Thanks for that, Uteroy.
The scars are healing nicely, except that they sometimes start stinging. I would appreciate it if my belly button smoothed out again, but that doesn't seem likely.
Interestingly, my left knee has been bugging me for a couple weeks. As usual, it's difficult to tell whether my basketball days are finally catching up with me, or God is simply promoting my solidarity with you on your Camino. That seems to be a trend.
Speaking of afflictions of a spiritual origin, my rash is back and spreading beautifully all over my body, mostly my legs. Since I also have 4 mosquito bites behind my knees, it is difficult to tell what itches more, but all of it itches much.
More in the line of solidarity, I popped in my retainer the other night for the first time in a year (I don't think I even brought it to college). It made me smile to remember you and your attachment to that piece of plastic, until that smile turned agonizing contortions as my teeth uprooted and meandered around my mouth.
It has also been a year since my last haircut, but I'm headed in for a trim on Friday! Who knows, though. I could go crazy and shave my head or get dreadlocks or something. The anticipation is exhilarating.
More seriously (but actually not serious at all), I believe I have contracted tetanus from an excess of physical labor. Whilst I was carrying an enormous couch to the car, my mother pushed me into the rusty exhaust pipe, but realistically, the bruise is more impressive than my exaggerated claims of tetanus...
Finally, I would like to end with a picture that should only be described as glorious...
Lol. Just kidding. That's nasty. I meant this:
Enjoy Papa and ponder love today.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Día Número 43
Heyo!
So I'm in a mood today, and I don't know why. Like, I have a terrible sense of foreboding... so please don't be dead. If you are, though, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to go to Hell while on pilgrimage, so you're golden!
Seriously, though, I've felt all day like something bad is going to happen in my life, or that something bad already did happen and I just don't know it yet. But that's not the case at all!
Life is actually great right now, looking at the facts! I just found two roommates for Denver and officially registered for classes. Iceland beat England in one of the biggest upsets in history. I'm reading a great book. Anna and Sarah have been in a good mood, and volunteering was great today. I've got plans to see two of my old friends tomorrow. My mom went out of her way to make me a special lunch and Dad's been gardening like crazy. The dog even pooped successfully on our walk today (in 5 different segments), so no complaints here!
Regardless, no peace... Hopefully, that changes soon!
Naturally, I forgot some things yesterday, but hopefully not too many. I looked up your hostel and you are on the Via Labicana, so just up the street from San Clemente, and only a tad over from the Santa Scala, which I mentioned in Snapchat today. Otherwise, it looks like you've found everything alright for yourself! If the Fridgidarium gets boring (which I know to be impossible), another great gelato place is called Old Bridge, and it's close to the Vatican. You get the most scoops per euro of anywhere in Rome (it's like 2 huge scoops for 1.50 or something), and we always grabbed it before making our way to the Piazza San Pietro at night. (Make sure to see it at night!) If you're homesick, there's a decent burger place just down the street from you called Topside. Aimee and I stumbled into it after a day of randomly touring St. John Lateran and winding up around the missionaries of charity. Also, make sure to head up to the Piazza de Popolo and the Villa Borghese if you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of Rome. Trastevere could work, too, but there's more grass in Borghese (there's also a zoo back there). Finally, since you seem very competent wandering around, the best carbonara in Rome is two blocks from Bernardi (which would be a bit of a trek for you, but so worth it) at a place called Cacio e Pepe. I used to walk there all of the time to get dinner, and it's a magical, tiny, home-owned place with only like 10 tables all packed together outside with stupendous pasta. Enjoy Rome and enjoy Assisi. I love you and I'm praying for you.
Ponder love today.
So I'm in a mood today, and I don't know why. Like, I have a terrible sense of foreboding... so please don't be dead. If you are, though, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to go to Hell while on pilgrimage, so you're golden!
Seriously, though, I've felt all day like something bad is going to happen in my life, or that something bad already did happen and I just don't know it yet. But that's not the case at all!
Life is actually great right now, looking at the facts! I just found two roommates for Denver and officially registered for classes. Iceland beat England in one of the biggest upsets in history. I'm reading a great book. Anna and Sarah have been in a good mood, and volunteering was great today. I've got plans to see two of my old friends tomorrow. My mom went out of her way to make me a special lunch and Dad's been gardening like crazy. The dog even pooped successfully on our walk today (in 5 different segments), so no complaints here!
Regardless, no peace... Hopefully, that changes soon!
Naturally, I forgot some things yesterday, but hopefully not too many. I looked up your hostel and you are on the Via Labicana, so just up the street from San Clemente, and only a tad over from the Santa Scala, which I mentioned in Snapchat today. Otherwise, it looks like you've found everything alright for yourself! If the Fridgidarium gets boring (which I know to be impossible), another great gelato place is called Old Bridge, and it's close to the Vatican. You get the most scoops per euro of anywhere in Rome (it's like 2 huge scoops for 1.50 or something), and we always grabbed it before making our way to the Piazza San Pietro at night. (Make sure to see it at night!) If you're homesick, there's a decent burger place just down the street from you called Topside. Aimee and I stumbled into it after a day of randomly touring St. John Lateran and winding up around the missionaries of charity. Also, make sure to head up to the Piazza de Popolo and the Villa Borghese if you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of Rome. Trastevere could work, too, but there's more grass in Borghese (there's also a zoo back there). Finally, since you seem very competent wandering around, the best carbonara in Rome is two blocks from Bernardi (which would be a bit of a trek for you, but so worth it) at a place called Cacio e Pepe. I used to walk there all of the time to get dinner, and it's a magical, tiny, home-owned place with only like 10 tables all packed together outside with stupendous pasta. Enjoy Rome and enjoy Assisi. I love you and I'm praying for you.
Ponder love today.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Día Número 42
Ciao bella! Here you are in the Eternal City.
First thing's first. Get to the Vatican. Get your booty into St. Peter's Basilica (it's free) and go and see all of the magical things therein. You will be standing on top of the bones of St. Peter the Apostle, the hands that touched Jesus and the eyes that saw Him and the lips that spoke "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Look especially for the Pieta statue of Mary holding the corpse of her son, done by Michaelangelo on the right side as you are walking in. The grave of JPII is right next to it. In the back, the major stuff around the altar was all done by Bernini, who is very famous in Rome.
After that, everything is basically a bonus. The Vatican Museums are just behind the basilica and they are worth a visit. Something like 10 euro but there's three miles of art from every major era in history and it ends in the Sistine Chapel. Another five euro let you climb to the top of St. Peter's Basilica and see the view from the top, which is beautiful and worth the 400 steps if you aren't too tired. It's much more than the heart of Rome; it's the heart of the whole Church, and thus, the whole world.
For the papal audience, 6am or even 7am should be a safe bet to get good seats, but double check what time the gates open. You will want to be there well beforehand, and then sprint after you get through security to the front. If you don't get the front row, don't worry; just focus on getting an aisle seat next to any of the wooden barricades and Papa Francis will drive around after the audience. Don't be fooled by the tiny nuns, by the way. They will look totally innocent and holy as they inch in front of you, but they aren't afraid to throw an elbow if it means getting to see the Pope, and then all of a sudden, their entire congregation will be in front of you and you'll be lucky to see the Pope's hat. Hold your ground!
Bring whatever you would like blessed by the pope to the audience, but know that if you bring a large bag or backpack, that will have to go through the metal detectors, which will slow you down. It's best to carry nothing except a jacket, and make sure you dress well according to the weather! You will be out there for a while! After that, settle in, pray, and greet the people around you. Papa is very adorable, but often very stressed up close, and you should be able to get within a couple feet of him. Pro tip: if you sit somewhere near lots of babies and children, Papa is more likely to stop next to your section. Don't worry about a picture, there's plenty online, just take in the moment.
After hitting the essentials, make sure you plan a day for Assisi. You'll take a train out of Termini (which is both the main train and subway station) and you can be there for the whole day. They will drop you off at the bottom of the hill. Don't hang around there for too long; the only holy thing down there is the original tiny chapel that St. Francis restored. It's inside an enormous basilica that's to the left of the station, and then one block away from the hill (kinda tough to find if you don't know what to look for). Then, hop on one of the city's many busses (you might have to buy a ticket ahead of time at any of the magazine stands) and head up the hill. It should drop you off right next to a giant white church, which is where the bones of St. Francis are. The crypt is one of the most peaceful places in the world, even though it's full of pilgrims. After that, the rest of the city begins and you are free to wander around, check out the cool churches (there should be a free map online, or in a church brochure), and enjoy the city. The incorrupt body of St. Clare is chillin on the other side of the hill (although it kinda just looks waxy) and that chapel also has the cross which spoke to St. Francis, telling him to "rebuild my Church." Find somewhere nice to grab some pasta, pizza, or paninis (all Italian staples) and try and stay for sunset if you can. The view is stupendous. Nevertheless, be careful of getting back in time for your train, although I've found that most Italian conductors (who will come around to check your ticket) are generous if you happen to take a later train instead.
As far as Padre Pio, "San Salvatore in Lauro" is the name of the church with his relics in Rome. It's got his mantle and his gloves and several statues. Everybody in that church is absolutely pumped about Padre, and the atmosphere for mass was delightful. (I went on a Saturday afternoon, and they had a procession complete with a life-size statue of Padre, and then they took out his mantle after mass, and touched it to everyone's faces.)
For the rest of Rome, I'm struggling to tell you what to see if you only have a week. Much of it is amazing, and I don't want to overwhelm you. You can more or less walk the whole city, although if you're tired or headed to somewhere like St. Paul's Outside the Walls then you should take the subway. (Pro tip: the A line is awesome and smells like wet rocks, but the B line sucks and smells like dirty diapers covered in graffiti. Those are the only two lines, they meet at Termini, and they run like a cross through the city (unless the Italian government figured out how to run and the C line finally opened, but that's unlikely...)).
Overall layout: Rome is divided unofficially into several key neighborhoods, and more officially, into 7 hills. Each major area is marked with an obelisk (giant pointy statue), and you can usually see another obelisk every time you reach one, directing you through the city. They will lead you past the Spanish steps (towards the Trevi fountain, which is very tucked away) and onto St, Mary Major, which progresses to St. John Lateran, etc. etc... Basically, the Vatican is the only super cool thing on the other side of the river (the Tiber, or il Tevere), and the rest of Rome is on the other side. If you want a great view (prime for sunset) with lots of orange trees, check out Santa Sabina (on the Aventine hill). Get off on the Circo Massimo subway stop (B line) and walk up the hill. (Google maps works very well for figuring out the subway and walking combos, but you need a ticket to get on the subway. We just had a pass. The bus system is extensive, too, though.) If you keep going up the hill past the church, there's a keyhole in a large door from which you can see 3 different countries at once (Rome, Vatican City, and some embassy). It's pretty cool, but sort of unnecessary.
In that area, the Missionaries of Charity have a Rome convent. It's close to a church called San Giovanni e Paolo, which is also right next to a place where you could get relics if you wanted! There's a California priest who works with the missionary order set up next door, and if you ask, he'll bring you back and show you some first class relics, like St. Maria Goretti and St. Gemma Galgani, who are both connected with that religious order, which is why they have permission to "sell" the relics. (They cost money, but it's for the casings, not the relic itself.) If you go to that area, be sure to stop into the Missionaries of Charity convent. Just knock on the door, and they will take you in to see Mother Teresa's room in Rome, and offer to let you pray in their chapel (they mostly speak English). That could realistically all be a day trip, and you would finish with time left over.
On a bigger note, there are four major basilicas in Rome, and it's a common pilgrimage to visit all four. The first is St. Peter's, the next is St. John Lateran (which is actually the cathedral), then St. Paul outside the Wall, and then St. Mary Major. All are stunning and massive. St. John Lateran has incredible statues of all of the apostles (let me know when you spot St. Bartholomew ;)). St. Mary Major has a relic of the manger where Jesus was born (hard to be certain, but definitely a peaceful place). St. Paul outside the Wall has images of every Pope since Peter, and they are all worth seeing, but if it's too much, maybe just focus on the first two.
If you are tired, and just want to relax for a few days, then try wandering through some of the Roman parks and squares (called piazza's). Next to the Piazza de Popolo is the Villa Borghese (an enormous park), which I walked through everyday on my way to school, and in that is the Galeria Borghese, which is an art museum that houses several Caravaggio's and Bernini's. The sun set up (in the park overlooking the piazza) there is also amazing. In the Piazza de Popolo, there are three churches, and the one across from the other too (on the far side of the piazza) has a famous Caravaggio inside on the front left. The park in Trastevere (another neighborhood) is also wonderful. It's past the Vatican on the same side of the river, and that whole neighborhood is known for it's awesome atmosphere, abundant cafes, and great food. There's a number of cool churches there, but it's not even worth mentioning them particularly, because there are cool churches in every inch of that city and it would be best for you to wander into them yourself. Pro tip: keep an eye out for crypts because often they will have major saints hanging out below, usually the one that the church is named after. Otherwise, any of the major streets would be great to wander down. Another stupendous piazza is the Piazza Navona, and the pizza spots around there are great. Pro tip: restaurants on the piazza charge double, but if you wander down one of the side streets, you get the same great food for half price. Also in that area is the best gelato in Rome: the Frigidarium. Again, tough to find, but so worth it. If you make it there, get the Frigidarium flavor and then whatever else you want dunked in chocolate. Unfortunately, they're probably packed with tourists this time of year (my least favorite part of Rome), so walk down the side streets as much as you can. "Lungotevere" is the name of the street that runs along the river, and also the street that Bernardi is on, if you walk down far enough.
Speaking of places that have meaning for me in Rome, the church I love is Santa Caterina da Siena a Magnanapoli. It's immediately next to the Angelicum and has daily adoration. In the summertime, idk the schedule, and Fabrizzio probably doesn't wear his usual blue sweater when the weather is hot, but I was there virtually every day. (On a side note, if you actually want to visit St. Catherine's body, that is located in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which is kinda by the Piazza Navona.)
Ok. This is getting to be a lot, and I haven't even mentioned all of the places that I should yet. Realistically, Rome is wonderful and you will get the most out of your time there by making sure you see the Vatican (ideally, both during the day and at night), and then just wandering through neighborhoods and pooping into churches whenever you see them. (That's how Meg and I found the sight of a Marian apparition in Rome!) Probably just section off your days. Spend one day in the area around the Vatican, another in Assisi, another near Santa Sabina and the Missionaries of Charity, another near the Villa Borghese and Piazza de Popolo (probably walk down the main road (Via del Corso) to get to the Colosseum afterwards, and then one other day hanging out in the heart of the city, by the piazza Navona and the major basilicas. Like, grab a map at one of those tourist stands for a couple euro and just section off the main parts of the city and wander, planning your days around a couple major items. Drat, that plan misses a lot, but probably gives you a fair showing of most of Rome, assuming you try to get to Trastevere for dinner one night. Alas, a Google search is probably more helpful than me, because it's impartial and includes all the secular places that I ignored but are hugely significant like the Roman Forum and stuff.
In summary, I think I at least mentioned all that I needed to in justice, but realistically, just enjoy it. You will undoubtedly pass 100 significant things without knowing what they are, and pay special attention to 100 insignificant things that look cool. There's random things that you will probably see just by wandering, like the ruins overrun with cats by the Gesu (OH, try and get to that church too! It's the home of the Jesuits, and sooooo beautiful! You can put that on your Piazza Navona day, if you foolishly try to follow my general plan).
Mostly, just buy gelato, and eat good pizza, and watch the sun set over the Vatican. That will be enough. Last pro tip (because I've devoted way too much time to this already): don't be fooled by a 6 euro margherita pizza. It will come out looking like an American, poor quality take-and-bake. Don't be fooled by the 11 euro one either; that's a tourist trap. Aim for 8-10 euro and ask (if you can) whether it's made fire-burning pizza oven (the mark of a true Italian pizza). There will also be many places that have pizza slices for 2 euro; personally, I wasn't a huge fan of the odd, rectangular pieces, but many of my classmates enjoyed them. If you see it, my absolute favorite meal was Bucatini al' Amatriciana, which is a wonderful pasta dish (with a glass of red wine), but don't forget to try Carbonara, too. If you're in the mood to be foodie, a google search will reveal the best restaurants for each, but you will probably be fine just wandering and finding a place that looks good.
I hope that helps, even if it was a lot, and I am so happy that you are in Rome. If you want more places, or a more condensed list, or have a question about anything, email me! We can set up a skype, too, if that would work better. Great!! I hope you get this before you wake up, maybe spend your first day around the piazza navona and the center of the city, since you are going to St. Peter's on Wednesday. I love you and I'm praying for you!
Ponder love today.
First thing's first. Get to the Vatican. Get your booty into St. Peter's Basilica (it's free) and go and see all of the magical things therein. You will be standing on top of the bones of St. Peter the Apostle, the hands that touched Jesus and the eyes that saw Him and the lips that spoke "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Look especially for the Pieta statue of Mary holding the corpse of her son, done by Michaelangelo on the right side as you are walking in. The grave of JPII is right next to it. In the back, the major stuff around the altar was all done by Bernini, who is very famous in Rome.
After that, everything is basically a bonus. The Vatican Museums are just behind the basilica and they are worth a visit. Something like 10 euro but there's three miles of art from every major era in history and it ends in the Sistine Chapel. Another five euro let you climb to the top of St. Peter's Basilica and see the view from the top, which is beautiful and worth the 400 steps if you aren't too tired. It's much more than the heart of Rome; it's the heart of the whole Church, and thus, the whole world.
For the papal audience, 6am or even 7am should be a safe bet to get good seats, but double check what time the gates open. You will want to be there well beforehand, and then sprint after you get through security to the front. If you don't get the front row, don't worry; just focus on getting an aisle seat next to any of the wooden barricades and Papa Francis will drive around after the audience. Don't be fooled by the tiny nuns, by the way. They will look totally innocent and holy as they inch in front of you, but they aren't afraid to throw an elbow if it means getting to see the Pope, and then all of a sudden, their entire congregation will be in front of you and you'll be lucky to see the Pope's hat. Hold your ground!
Bring whatever you would like blessed by the pope to the audience, but know that if you bring a large bag or backpack, that will have to go through the metal detectors, which will slow you down. It's best to carry nothing except a jacket, and make sure you dress well according to the weather! You will be out there for a while! After that, settle in, pray, and greet the people around you. Papa is very adorable, but often very stressed up close, and you should be able to get within a couple feet of him. Pro tip: if you sit somewhere near lots of babies and children, Papa is more likely to stop next to your section. Don't worry about a picture, there's plenty online, just take in the moment.
After hitting the essentials, make sure you plan a day for Assisi. You'll take a train out of Termini (which is both the main train and subway station) and you can be there for the whole day. They will drop you off at the bottom of the hill. Don't hang around there for too long; the only holy thing down there is the original tiny chapel that St. Francis restored. It's inside an enormous basilica that's to the left of the station, and then one block away from the hill (kinda tough to find if you don't know what to look for). Then, hop on one of the city's many busses (you might have to buy a ticket ahead of time at any of the magazine stands) and head up the hill. It should drop you off right next to a giant white church, which is where the bones of St. Francis are. The crypt is one of the most peaceful places in the world, even though it's full of pilgrims. After that, the rest of the city begins and you are free to wander around, check out the cool churches (there should be a free map online, or in a church brochure), and enjoy the city. The incorrupt body of St. Clare is chillin on the other side of the hill (although it kinda just looks waxy) and that chapel also has the cross which spoke to St. Francis, telling him to "rebuild my Church." Find somewhere nice to grab some pasta, pizza, or paninis (all Italian staples) and try and stay for sunset if you can. The view is stupendous. Nevertheless, be careful of getting back in time for your train, although I've found that most Italian conductors (who will come around to check your ticket) are generous if you happen to take a later train instead.
As far as Padre Pio, "San Salvatore in Lauro" is the name of the church with his relics in Rome. It's got his mantle and his gloves and several statues. Everybody in that church is absolutely pumped about Padre, and the atmosphere for mass was delightful. (I went on a Saturday afternoon, and they had a procession complete with a life-size statue of Padre, and then they took out his mantle after mass, and touched it to everyone's faces.)
For the rest of Rome, I'm struggling to tell you what to see if you only have a week. Much of it is amazing, and I don't want to overwhelm you. You can more or less walk the whole city, although if you're tired or headed to somewhere like St. Paul's Outside the Walls then you should take the subway. (Pro tip: the A line is awesome and smells like wet rocks, but the B line sucks and smells like dirty diapers covered in graffiti. Those are the only two lines, they meet at Termini, and they run like a cross through the city (unless the Italian government figured out how to run and the C line finally opened, but that's unlikely...)).
Overall layout: Rome is divided unofficially into several key neighborhoods, and more officially, into 7 hills. Each major area is marked with an obelisk (giant pointy statue), and you can usually see another obelisk every time you reach one, directing you through the city. They will lead you past the Spanish steps (towards the Trevi fountain, which is very tucked away) and onto St, Mary Major, which progresses to St. John Lateran, etc. etc... Basically, the Vatican is the only super cool thing on the other side of the river (the Tiber, or il Tevere), and the rest of Rome is on the other side. If you want a great view (prime for sunset) with lots of orange trees, check out Santa Sabina (on the Aventine hill). Get off on the Circo Massimo subway stop (B line) and walk up the hill. (Google maps works very well for figuring out the subway and walking combos, but you need a ticket to get on the subway. We just had a pass. The bus system is extensive, too, though.) If you keep going up the hill past the church, there's a keyhole in a large door from which you can see 3 different countries at once (Rome, Vatican City, and some embassy). It's pretty cool, but sort of unnecessary.
In that area, the Missionaries of Charity have a Rome convent. It's close to a church called San Giovanni e Paolo, which is also right next to a place where you could get relics if you wanted! There's a California priest who works with the missionary order set up next door, and if you ask, he'll bring you back and show you some first class relics, like St. Maria Goretti and St. Gemma Galgani, who are both connected with that religious order, which is why they have permission to "sell" the relics. (They cost money, but it's for the casings, not the relic itself.) If you go to that area, be sure to stop into the Missionaries of Charity convent. Just knock on the door, and they will take you in to see Mother Teresa's room in Rome, and offer to let you pray in their chapel (they mostly speak English). That could realistically all be a day trip, and you would finish with time left over.
On a bigger note, there are four major basilicas in Rome, and it's a common pilgrimage to visit all four. The first is St. Peter's, the next is St. John Lateran (which is actually the cathedral), then St. Paul outside the Wall, and then St. Mary Major. All are stunning and massive. St. John Lateran has incredible statues of all of the apostles (let me know when you spot St. Bartholomew ;)). St. Mary Major has a relic of the manger where Jesus was born (hard to be certain, but definitely a peaceful place). St. Paul outside the Wall has images of every Pope since Peter, and they are all worth seeing, but if it's too much, maybe just focus on the first two.
If you are tired, and just want to relax for a few days, then try wandering through some of the Roman parks and squares (called piazza's). Next to the Piazza de Popolo is the Villa Borghese (an enormous park), which I walked through everyday on my way to school, and in that is the Galeria Borghese, which is an art museum that houses several Caravaggio's and Bernini's. The sun set up (in the park overlooking the piazza) there is also amazing. In the Piazza de Popolo, there are three churches, and the one across from the other too (on the far side of the piazza) has a famous Caravaggio inside on the front left. The park in Trastevere (another neighborhood) is also wonderful. It's past the Vatican on the same side of the river, and that whole neighborhood is known for it's awesome atmosphere, abundant cafes, and great food. There's a number of cool churches there, but it's not even worth mentioning them particularly, because there are cool churches in every inch of that city and it would be best for you to wander into them yourself. Pro tip: keep an eye out for crypts because often they will have major saints hanging out below, usually the one that the church is named after. Otherwise, any of the major streets would be great to wander down. Another stupendous piazza is the Piazza Navona, and the pizza spots around there are great. Pro tip: restaurants on the piazza charge double, but if you wander down one of the side streets, you get the same great food for half price. Also in that area is the best gelato in Rome: the Frigidarium. Again, tough to find, but so worth it. If you make it there, get the Frigidarium flavor and then whatever else you want dunked in chocolate. Unfortunately, they're probably packed with tourists this time of year (my least favorite part of Rome), so walk down the side streets as much as you can. "Lungotevere" is the name of the street that runs along the river, and also the street that Bernardi is on, if you walk down far enough.
Speaking of places that have meaning for me in Rome, the church I love is Santa Caterina da Siena a Magnanapoli. It's immediately next to the Angelicum and has daily adoration. In the summertime, idk the schedule, and Fabrizzio probably doesn't wear his usual blue sweater when the weather is hot, but I was there virtually every day. (On a side note, if you actually want to visit St. Catherine's body, that is located in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which is kinda by the Piazza Navona.)
Ok. This is getting to be a lot, and I haven't even mentioned all of the places that I should yet. Realistically, Rome is wonderful and you will get the most out of your time there by making sure you see the Vatican (ideally, both during the day and at night), and then just wandering through neighborhoods and pooping into churches whenever you see them. (That's how Meg and I found the sight of a Marian apparition in Rome!) Probably just section off your days. Spend one day in the area around the Vatican, another in Assisi, another near Santa Sabina and the Missionaries of Charity, another near the Villa Borghese and Piazza de Popolo (probably walk down the main road (Via del Corso) to get to the Colosseum afterwards, and then one other day hanging out in the heart of the city, by the piazza Navona and the major basilicas. Like, grab a map at one of those tourist stands for a couple euro and just section off the main parts of the city and wander, planning your days around a couple major items. Drat, that plan misses a lot, but probably gives you a fair showing of most of Rome, assuming you try to get to Trastevere for dinner one night. Alas, a Google search is probably more helpful than me, because it's impartial and includes all the secular places that I ignored but are hugely significant like the Roman Forum and stuff.
Something like this would be perfect, because you can walk from
one side of the map to the other in about an hour, and it gives you a good
feel for the layout. Most maps will look like this and show you the
key places.
In summary, I think I at least mentioned all that I needed to in justice, but realistically, just enjoy it. You will undoubtedly pass 100 significant things without knowing what they are, and pay special attention to 100 insignificant things that look cool. There's random things that you will probably see just by wandering, like the ruins overrun with cats by the Gesu (OH, try and get to that church too! It's the home of the Jesuits, and sooooo beautiful! You can put that on your Piazza Navona day, if you foolishly try to follow my general plan).
Mostly, just buy gelato, and eat good pizza, and watch the sun set over the Vatican. That will be enough. Last pro tip (because I've devoted way too much time to this already): don't be fooled by a 6 euro margherita pizza. It will come out looking like an American, poor quality take-and-bake. Don't be fooled by the 11 euro one either; that's a tourist trap. Aim for 8-10 euro and ask (if you can) whether it's made fire-burning pizza oven (the mark of a true Italian pizza). There will also be many places that have pizza slices for 2 euro; personally, I wasn't a huge fan of the odd, rectangular pieces, but many of my classmates enjoyed them. If you see it, my absolute favorite meal was Bucatini al' Amatriciana, which is a wonderful pasta dish (with a glass of red wine), but don't forget to try Carbonara, too. If you're in the mood to be foodie, a google search will reveal the best restaurants for each, but you will probably be fine just wandering and finding a place that looks good.
I hope that helps, even if it was a lot, and I am so happy that you are in Rome. If you want more places, or a more condensed list, or have a question about anything, email me! We can set up a skype, too, if that would work better. Great!! I hope you get this before you wake up, maybe spend your first day around the piazza navona and the center of the city, since you are going to St. Peter's on Wednesday. I love you and I'm praying for you!
Ponder love today.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Día Número 41
Ok, make sure to read all of the posts because I've done 4 in the last 12 hours. This last one I will again devote to poetry, because hope.
Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
and sings the tune -- without the words --
and never stops -- at all.
And in the sweetest gale is heard,
And sore must be the storm
that could abash the little bird
that kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
and on the strangest sea --
yet never -- in extremity --
it asked a crumb of me.
By Emily Dickinson.
Ponder love today.
Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
and sings the tune -- without the words --
and never stops -- at all.
And in the sweetest gale is heard,
And sore must be the storm
that could abash the little bird
that kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
and on the strangest sea --
yet never -- in extremity --
it asked a crumb of me.
By Emily Dickinson.
Ponder love today.
Día Número 40
Alright, since I won't be able to post at the cabin, I'll fill in the intervening days with glory.
No te amo como si fuera rosa de sal, topacio,
o flechas de chavales que propagan el fuego.
Te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras
secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.
Te amo como la planta que no florece
y lleva, dentro de si, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,
y gracias a tu amor, vive oscuro en mi cuerpo
el apretado aroma que ascendió de la tierra.
Te amo sin saber como ni cuando ni de donde.
Te amo directamente, sin problemas ni orgullo.
Así te amo porque no se amar de otra manera
sino así, de este modo, en que no soy ni eres.
Tan cerca que tu mano en mi pecha es mía,
Tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.
Por Pablo Neruda.
Mi Favorita.
Ponder love today.
Día Número 39
Well, I'm posting early today because the family is headed to the cabin for the weekend! Realistically, I may not be able to post until Sunday or Monday, but since you are done walking, I don't feel too bad about that! Regardless, my prayers haven't stopped even though the walking has, and I'm so excited for your final week(ish) in Europe!
Today, let me assure you that I'm fine, that Anne's card is in the mail, and a weekend at the cabin sounds delightful. I got to see an old friend yesterday, and I've got plans to see several more in the next couple weeks. Even Father Mike texted to say hi, and I should see him at Mass next week. (The odds of running into Kelly will be high, but since she seems to have made it her mission to become visible in my life whether or not I seek her out, I don't foresee it being a problem.) Meg is coming up for my birthday, and Anna and I have become regulars at the local soup kitchens. Even Iceland is advancing in the Euro Cup (they have to play England next), and the summer would be a picture of perfection if only I could figure out housing for Denver.
I wish I was getting to daily mass a little more often, but I usually get there a couple times a week when I'm not busy with Anna or helping my mom. I'm still a bit fazed after hearing about Zane, so I think that heading to the cabin for a weekend will be a needed break to recuperate and come back ready to work on Denver. The summer seems to be passing very quickly and very not all at the same time.
Rome, though. Rome is magical. As much as it can sometimes feel like a tourist trap, it's also a haven. I'm a little sad you've left Spain, because the Lord knows that I love Spain, but I'm glad that you're in Rome. (Consider a day trip to Assisi if your itinerary is looking thin. It's only about 5 euro round trip, and it's a very holy city!) Ok, I need to start packing. I wish that I could talk to you, and I can't wait until you get home. I love you, bud.
Ponder love today.
Today, let me assure you that I'm fine, that Anne's card is in the mail, and a weekend at the cabin sounds delightful. I got to see an old friend yesterday, and I've got plans to see several more in the next couple weeks. Even Father Mike texted to say hi, and I should see him at Mass next week. (The odds of running into Kelly will be high, but since she seems to have made it her mission to become visible in my life whether or not I seek her out, I don't foresee it being a problem.) Meg is coming up for my birthday, and Anna and I have become regulars at the local soup kitchens. Even Iceland is advancing in the Euro Cup (they have to play England next), and the summer would be a picture of perfection if only I could figure out housing for Denver.
I wish I was getting to daily mass a little more often, but I usually get there a couple times a week when I'm not busy with Anna or helping my mom. I'm still a bit fazed after hearing about Zane, so I think that heading to the cabin for a weekend will be a needed break to recuperate and come back ready to work on Denver. The summer seems to be passing very quickly and very not all at the same time.
Rome, though. Rome is magical. As much as it can sometimes feel like a tourist trap, it's also a haven. I'm a little sad you've left Spain, because the Lord knows that I love Spain, but I'm glad that you're in Rome. (Consider a day trip to Assisi if your itinerary is looking thin. It's only about 5 euro round trip, and it's a very holy city!) Ok, I need to start packing. I wish that I could talk to you, and I can't wait until you get home. I love you, bud.
Ponder love today.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Día Número 38
Hi.
Today, I want to tell you the story of a girl named Zane.
I knew Zane when we were in 8th grade. She was 4'9" and the absolute sweetest human being you can imagine. She's one of those people whose cheeks were always just a little bit rosy and who talked in a soft, light voice that made her naturally curly hair seem to bounce. She was a passionate ballerina and she reminded most people of a fairy.
One time, when we were all freshmen, Zane gave up sugar for months by accident, and then realized that she hadn't eaten any processed sugar for a while, and decided to give it up indefinitely. It was just her and her mom at home, and they both ate like birds, so neither of them even noticed when they both starting avoiding sugar! She was all-organic before it was cool.
We weren't extraordinarily close, but we were in the same friend group and I sat by her in Ethics (where we talked daily), so when she switched schools, I was one of 6 people invited to her going-away party. As I said, she was quiet, so I'm sure that that seemed like an enormous group to her! All 8 of us gathered (me + 5 friends + her + her mom) at her house and piled around a delicate wood table with three small plates; one had approximately 11 pretzels, another had one sleeve of whole grain crackers, and the last held one bundle of grapes. This was her idea of party food, and I'm pretty sure I cleared out the table in under a minute. :)
When we were sophomores (her last year at Marshall), Zane started to get sick. She missed school for a couple days and then came back with a twitch. She had been to Urgent Care, because she couldn't control her arm movements, but they didn't see anything wrong. Of course, you can imagine how devastating this was, considering she planned a long career as a ballerina. For her, this would only be possible at her height if she was the best (prima ballerina), because she was too short to fit into the backup line without it looking uneven. All of a sudden, this girl who poured her whole self into the graceful movements of her body on stage could no longer control her arms. That year, she had played Marie in the Nutcracker, which was also the last year that my family went to see it performed. She showed up to Ethics the next day with almost ridiculously twitching arms, but still a smile on her face.
A couple weeks later, she and her mom left to go to the Mayo for more extensive testing. Her body still twitched, but even the neurological scans found nothing conclusive. Possibly Tourette's Syndrome, they said, but no one really knew what was wrong. As the semester went on, Zane started to fall behind on her school work, because all of her free (non-twitching) moments were devoted to ballet, not homework. One day, Signe and I found her in the bathroom crying, because the history teacher had refused to give her another extension, which might mean failing the course. Infuriated, we marched with Zane to the history room and demanded mercy for her softly sobbing soul, threatening even to boycott the class or tell the head of school about his less-than-kind treatment of sweet, sick Zane. Though we earned the permanent dislike of the history teacher (who we had fired the next year), we walked proudly out with Zane, now smiling through her tears.
She did make it through that school year, finally, and decided to move to a school in Boston that would allow her to focus more on ballet and less on busy work. She had just learned to control her arm movements for periods of time while on stage, so she could make it through whole performances, although her twitches would be much worse for the next few hours. By this time, even her head and neck were twitching.
I hadn't kept up with Zane for years. She wasn't on Facebook, and we weren't close enough to write letters. I probably mentioned her to you a couple times, though, either when you gave up sugar, or when ballet was talked about, or maybe even when the Mayo was brought up, but you can imagine my surprise when she was mentioned at coffee with a high school friend today, because it had been so long since I had thought about her. Today, I learned the rest of her story.
From all appearances, she continued to excel at ballet for several years after she moved to Boston, but her condition continued to worsen. No one knew what was wrong until sometime last year, when she finally confided in her parents. The summer before her sophomore year, she was raped at ballet camp. She was so small that she hadn't even gotten her period yet. Who could have imagined that someone so pure would ever be violated in such a violent way?
That year, the shame and anxiety from the rape developed into unexplained twitches. Because she hadn't told anyone, no one understood that the movements were her body's way of expressing how not-right her mind had become. Zane the Fairy began to spiral into a deepening depression, vaguely evident in some of her blog posts from more recent years. Her depression and the pressure of ballet gradually worsened into a severe eating disorder, and her already-tiny figure didn't have much weight to lose before the problem became life-threatening.
Sometime last year, Zane was put onto nutritional supplements and a carefully watched diet. Despite continued efforts from her family to keep her healthy, she stopped taking her supplements earlier this year. Three months ago, she was put into hospice care because her organs began to fail, and last month, on May 13th, she died, destroyed by the psychological effects of a horrendous crime that nobody knew about.
Today, I want to tell you the story of a girl named Zane.
I knew Zane when we were in 8th grade. She was 4'9" and the absolute sweetest human being you can imagine. She's one of those people whose cheeks were always just a little bit rosy and who talked in a soft, light voice that made her naturally curly hair seem to bounce. She was a passionate ballerina and she reminded most people of a fairy.
One time, when we were all freshmen, Zane gave up sugar for months by accident, and then realized that she hadn't eaten any processed sugar for a while, and decided to give it up indefinitely. It was just her and her mom at home, and they both ate like birds, so neither of them even noticed when they both starting avoiding sugar! She was all-organic before it was cool.
We weren't extraordinarily close, but we were in the same friend group and I sat by her in Ethics (where we talked daily), so when she switched schools, I was one of 6 people invited to her going-away party. As I said, she was quiet, so I'm sure that that seemed like an enormous group to her! All 8 of us gathered (me + 5 friends + her + her mom) at her house and piled around a delicate wood table with three small plates; one had approximately 11 pretzels, another had one sleeve of whole grain crackers, and the last held one bundle of grapes. This was her idea of party food, and I'm pretty sure I cleared out the table in under a minute. :)
When we were sophomores (her last year at Marshall), Zane started to get sick. She missed school for a couple days and then came back with a twitch. She had been to Urgent Care, because she couldn't control her arm movements, but they didn't see anything wrong. Of course, you can imagine how devastating this was, considering she planned a long career as a ballerina. For her, this would only be possible at her height if she was the best (prima ballerina), because she was too short to fit into the backup line without it looking uneven. All of a sudden, this girl who poured her whole self into the graceful movements of her body on stage could no longer control her arms. That year, she had played Marie in the Nutcracker, which was also the last year that my family went to see it performed. She showed up to Ethics the next day with almost ridiculously twitching arms, but still a smile on her face.
A couple weeks later, she and her mom left to go to the Mayo for more extensive testing. Her body still twitched, but even the neurological scans found nothing conclusive. Possibly Tourette's Syndrome, they said, but no one really knew what was wrong. As the semester went on, Zane started to fall behind on her school work, because all of her free (non-twitching) moments were devoted to ballet, not homework. One day, Signe and I found her in the bathroom crying, because the history teacher had refused to give her another extension, which might mean failing the course. Infuriated, we marched with Zane to the history room and demanded mercy for her softly sobbing soul, threatening even to boycott the class or tell the head of school about his less-than-kind treatment of sweet, sick Zane. Though we earned the permanent dislike of the history teacher (who we had fired the next year), we walked proudly out with Zane, now smiling through her tears.
She did make it through that school year, finally, and decided to move to a school in Boston that would allow her to focus more on ballet and less on busy work. She had just learned to control her arm movements for periods of time while on stage, so she could make it through whole performances, although her twitches would be much worse for the next few hours. By this time, even her head and neck were twitching.
I hadn't kept up with Zane for years. She wasn't on Facebook, and we weren't close enough to write letters. I probably mentioned her to you a couple times, though, either when you gave up sugar, or when ballet was talked about, or maybe even when the Mayo was brought up, but you can imagine my surprise when she was mentioned at coffee with a high school friend today, because it had been so long since I had thought about her. Today, I learned the rest of her story.
From all appearances, she continued to excel at ballet for several years after she moved to Boston, but her condition continued to worsen. No one knew what was wrong until sometime last year, when she finally confided in her parents. The summer before her sophomore year, she was raped at ballet camp. She was so small that she hadn't even gotten her period yet. Who could have imagined that someone so pure would ever be violated in such a violent way?
That year, the shame and anxiety from the rape developed into unexplained twitches. Because she hadn't told anyone, no one understood that the movements were her body's way of expressing how not-right her mind had become. Zane the Fairy began to spiral into a deepening depression, vaguely evident in some of her blog posts from more recent years. Her depression and the pressure of ballet gradually worsened into a severe eating disorder, and her already-tiny figure didn't have much weight to lose before the problem became life-threatening.
Sometime last year, Zane was put onto nutritional supplements and a carefully watched diet. Despite continued efforts from her family to keep her healthy, she stopped taking her supplements earlier this year. Three months ago, she was put into hospice care because her organs began to fail, and last month, on May 13th, she died, destroyed by the psychological effects of a horrendous crime that nobody knew about.
Jesus, bring Zane into Your arms and restore her delicate soul. Send comfort to her family and friends and remind those touched by tragedy of Your easy yoke. Offer an end to her suffering of many years with the light of Your face, and care for your wounded daughter.
Ponder love today.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Día Número 37
YAY!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I LOVE SEEING YOU TANNED AND IN A SPANISH CAFE AT THE END OF THE CAMINO!!!!!! (un cafe con leche por favor)
I'm so happy for you, bud! I hope you aren't too tired to enjoy the rest of your trip! Today, I hiked all of Gooseberry Falls, which is a state park near Duluth, with Anna, and, as the name would indicate, there are a very large set of waterfalls there, meaning a lot of walking uphill. After soccer and basketball yesterday, my calves are shot, and I feel like I'm getting a small taste of what you feel! However, if we are being realistic, the worst of it is in my hamstrings, which haven't been asked to exercise this much in years! Here I am, though, working out with Anna everyday, usually for an hour or more of basketball, soccer, frisbee, or biking.
Tonight, though, the real magic gets started with Messi and his Argentinian team taking on the USA for a spot in the finals of the Copa America! The odds heavily favor Argentina, but the Cup has shown the USA to have a formidable defense, and in theory, we could hold Argentina back for an exciting game. Anna, Mom, and I (and maybe Sarah) will head over to Old Chicago to watch at 8pm, so I'm jumping in the bathtub now (7pm) to wash away the mud stains. (I wiped out hard at Gooseberry and Anna got it on video!)
By the way, I have faithfully executed all of the card and plant-giving (minus the one still coming up), so you can rest assured that all of your professors and friends now of your love even while you are walking.
Finally, I had intended to take a picture of my armpit hair to celebrate your accomplishment, but alas, my blonde underarms are barely visible. Instead, I think I'll bring to the forefront an oldie-but-goodie! :)
I'm so happy for you, bud! I hope you aren't too tired to enjoy the rest of your trip! Today, I hiked all of Gooseberry Falls, which is a state park near Duluth, with Anna, and, as the name would indicate, there are a very large set of waterfalls there, meaning a lot of walking uphill. After soccer and basketball yesterday, my calves are shot, and I feel like I'm getting a small taste of what you feel! However, if we are being realistic, the worst of it is in my hamstrings, which haven't been asked to exercise this much in years! Here I am, though, working out with Anna everyday, usually for an hour or more of basketball, soccer, frisbee, or biking.
Tonight, though, the real magic gets started with Messi and his Argentinian team taking on the USA for a spot in the finals of the Copa America! The odds heavily favor Argentina, but the Cup has shown the USA to have a formidable defense, and in theory, we could hold Argentina back for an exciting game. Anna, Mom, and I (and maybe Sarah) will head over to Old Chicago to watch at 8pm, so I'm jumping in the bathtub now (7pm) to wash away the mud stains. (I wiped out hard at Gooseberry and Anna got it on video!)
By the way, I have faithfully executed all of the card and plant-giving (minus the one still coming up), so you can rest assured that all of your professors and friends now of your love even while you are walking.
Finally, I had intended to take a picture of my armpit hair to celebrate your accomplishment, but alas, my blonde underarms are barely visible. Instead, I think I'll bring to the forefront an oldie-but-goodie! :)
Hahaha! Just think about how angry those ferrets must have been!!! I love you!!
Ponder love today!
Monday, June 20, 2016
Día Número 36
So, I'll admit it. I have no idea whether you finished the Camino yesterday or today or tomorrow, because I was very confused by your snapchats and their timestamps. At one point, you said 2.5 more days, but I opened it the next day, and I have no idea whether that was sent at night or in the afternoon or in the morning, so I am just assuming it's today-ish. I was hoping for a confirmation-of-arrival snapchat to let me know that you made it Santiago, but wifi is hard to come by, and I imagine finishing the Camino earns you a couple tech-free days. :)
Anyways, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Tonight, I'm wearing my retainer in celebration of your success, and I've grown out my armpit hair in solidarity! What a magical occasion! You just walked 500 miles, and (even better), you did it with Jesus! Here are some pictures of Him to add a spiritual element to a physical accomplishment:
Anyways, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Tonight, I'm wearing my retainer in celebration of your success, and I've grown out my armpit hair in solidarity! What a magical occasion! You just walked 500 miles, and (even better), you did it with Jesus! Here are some pictures of Him to add a spiritual element to a physical accomplishment:
Praise God in His goodness. Praise God in His meekness. Praise God, Lover of pilgrims. Praise God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Alleluia.
Ponder love today.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Día Número 35
WOW! You are SO close!! In my head, I'm singing "HERE WE GOOOOOO"
You are almost to Santiago and almost to Rome and almost done with your European romp! Keep walking, but also soak in the last drops of being on the Camino. Soon, change is coming and you'll be back here getting ready for NET. Before that, though, you'll get to see this gem:
And then, the even bigger magic:
One of my favorite parts is that on the floor, they mark the size of the other major churches in the world, so as you approach the altar, you'll see a line entitled "La Giralda" and "Santiago de Compostela" that indicate how much smaller their area is. St. Peter's Basilica is actually massive (the biggest in the world), but it's designed to not look too overwhelming, so it's built to look smaller than it is. My iconic Rome moment is the first time I stood in that square at nighttime. They light it up and seagulls are circling around the top of the church, as if to remind you that "the world's thy ship, not thy home" - St. Therese. Our chaplain walked us into the square, pointed to the obelisk and said that that pillar-looking thing is probably the last thing St. Peter saw before he saw the Lord. It was sitting just in front of his upside down crucifixion. Then, he walked us over to the spot, marked with a plaque, where JPII was shot, and pointed up to an image of Mary. JPII had it put in so that if anyone ever got shot there again, they would see Mary looking down at them and hope. Then, when you look up, you see statues of hundreds of saints looking down at you from the colonnade arms, which open to embrace pilgrims into the square. Fr. Justin reminded us how many holy people throughout history had walked into that square and stood exactly where we were standing, and now it was our turn. Now, we were the holy potential, and one day, when someone is writing the biography of our saintly lives, they'll mention that moment when we walked into St. Peter's and stood in the heart of the church.
There's so many more things I could say, but I want you to experience it for yourself. I can't wait to hear what you think. Wow. How many incredible things you are going to see in the next couple days. I hope that they are exactly what you need, and exactly what He wants for you. I'm praying, and I love you.
Ponder love today.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Día Número 34
AKA 1.5 days away from Santiago!!!
WOW! I am so proud of you!! I hope in these final moments you are taking time to sing this magical song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84CPo4bVkMk
If it doesn't load, it's 500 miles :)
So, since I've made it this far with sub-par "day summaries" and the occasional photo, I figure that I should take a moment to write something more substantial and reflective. Before I get carried away or confused by the flow of my thoughts, let me reiterate how much I am praying for you, and how excited I am for you to be on the Camino, and how glad I am that you are coming home soon!
This summer, it's been a time of rebuilding the "normal" for me. After years of chaos, Jesus is offering me these months to establish once again a routine and a prayer life and a "usual." Granted, I've never been one to stick too much to a routine, but what a gift it is to have this summer to relearn how to love Jesus (through prayer, with my family, and in the poor). And what a substantial time it is to discover what sort of story I'm going to tell. I realized, much to my surprise the other day, that having come out of these past years intact, I am no longer afraid of them. Should I have to go through them again for a longer period of time, or at a greater intensity, I feel confident that I could do it, that it wouldn't be too much, that I could say yes to Jesus in that way. Certainly, I don't wish for that, but it's significant that the thought isn't traumatizing.
Now, though, I've been using the tagline of "having a rough couple years" to answer "how have you been" for a while, but I don't think that answer will hold true for much longer. I'm stepping into a very different time of life, with an entirely new environment and community and mission. In a lot of ways, I'm being remade. The habits of cynicism and resentment have bored pretty deeply into my psyche, so the change is slow and the work really isn't mine, but it's happening.
For example, today, I wasn't paying attention in the line at Qdoba and I butt-dialed Kelly. I hung up as quickly as I could, but she called back to ask what I wanted. Since I didn't answer, she left a message, which marks the first time in ten months (though it feels more like years) that her voice has been directed at me. I could feel the fear rising in my chest, but I also felt the need to handle it maturely and calmly, since I had boasted to Meg just last night that I could handle a face-to-face conversation if necessary. So I texted back explaining the buttdial, making sure my words weren't too much or too little, and opening the door to communication that I've been avoiding for over a year. Her response of "k" ended the conversation, but I kept my head for the whole exchange, actively considering her perspective and how best to respond kindly but not invitingly. In other words, I made it out of survival mode into empathy, and now, I've gained my footing enough that I would be able to do it again with composure.
Afterwards, I took the time to reach out to a lot of people that I had been avoiding so far in Duluth. Some, I know, will bring up Kelly, and others won't understand how much I've changed in the past years, and most will be people that I gradually fall out of contact with, but I've made a step away from being guarded and self-protective in this time of transition into being open, inviting, and generous. I'm taking time to talk to people who I could have easily ignored not because it will be helpful for me or significant to them, but because they're people, and I'd like to see them.
With all that, then, I'm looking ahead to Denver. I still have no clue where I'll live, and what my time there will be like. I was talking to Amy Johnson the other day, and she mentioned how rare it was that God pushed us out into something entirely new, and yet here I am being pushed. At a time when I've just withstood an attack that expended most of my resources, and when it would seem most logical to fall back and re-fortify what is left of my base, I'm being called out into an entirely different field. In a lot of ways, I love it, but I'm also nervous. I'm just barely walking again, but I'm headed back into the game.
In Spanish, the word for trust is "confianza." Somehow, it sounds much more compelling in Spanish, because it's the same word as "confidence," and it has more weight and warmth in your mouth. It's been the call in my heart and the tug on my chest this month, and I feel like I'm stepping out into the meadow from the rugged grove, trusting in the light of the sun and the openness of the air. The grass is tall and the field is vulnerable, but the smell of warmth is dancing in front of me and the invitation to delight draws me forward. I'm coming, Jesus. Te confio.
Ponder love today.
WOW! I am so proud of you!! I hope in these final moments you are taking time to sing this magical song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84CPo4bVkMk
If it doesn't load, it's 500 miles :)
So, since I've made it this far with sub-par "day summaries" and the occasional photo, I figure that I should take a moment to write something more substantial and reflective. Before I get carried away or confused by the flow of my thoughts, let me reiterate how much I am praying for you, and how excited I am for you to be on the Camino, and how glad I am that you are coming home soon!
This summer, it's been a time of rebuilding the "normal" for me. After years of chaos, Jesus is offering me these months to establish once again a routine and a prayer life and a "usual." Granted, I've never been one to stick too much to a routine, but what a gift it is to have this summer to relearn how to love Jesus (through prayer, with my family, and in the poor). And what a substantial time it is to discover what sort of story I'm going to tell. I realized, much to my surprise the other day, that having come out of these past years intact, I am no longer afraid of them. Should I have to go through them again for a longer period of time, or at a greater intensity, I feel confident that I could do it, that it wouldn't be too much, that I could say yes to Jesus in that way. Certainly, I don't wish for that, but it's significant that the thought isn't traumatizing.
Now, though, I've been using the tagline of "having a rough couple years" to answer "how have you been" for a while, but I don't think that answer will hold true for much longer. I'm stepping into a very different time of life, with an entirely new environment and community and mission. In a lot of ways, I'm being remade. The habits of cynicism and resentment have bored pretty deeply into my psyche, so the change is slow and the work really isn't mine, but it's happening.
For example, today, I wasn't paying attention in the line at Qdoba and I butt-dialed Kelly. I hung up as quickly as I could, but she called back to ask what I wanted. Since I didn't answer, she left a message, which marks the first time in ten months (though it feels more like years) that her voice has been directed at me. I could feel the fear rising in my chest, but I also felt the need to handle it maturely and calmly, since I had boasted to Meg just last night that I could handle a face-to-face conversation if necessary. So I texted back explaining the buttdial, making sure my words weren't too much or too little, and opening the door to communication that I've been avoiding for over a year. Her response of "k" ended the conversation, but I kept my head for the whole exchange, actively considering her perspective and how best to respond kindly but not invitingly. In other words, I made it out of survival mode into empathy, and now, I've gained my footing enough that I would be able to do it again with composure.
Afterwards, I took the time to reach out to a lot of people that I had been avoiding so far in Duluth. Some, I know, will bring up Kelly, and others won't understand how much I've changed in the past years, and most will be people that I gradually fall out of contact with, but I've made a step away from being guarded and self-protective in this time of transition into being open, inviting, and generous. I'm taking time to talk to people who I could have easily ignored not because it will be helpful for me or significant to them, but because they're people, and I'd like to see them.
With all that, then, I'm looking ahead to Denver. I still have no clue where I'll live, and what my time there will be like. I was talking to Amy Johnson the other day, and she mentioned how rare it was that God pushed us out into something entirely new, and yet here I am being pushed. At a time when I've just withstood an attack that expended most of my resources, and when it would seem most logical to fall back and re-fortify what is left of my base, I'm being called out into an entirely different field. In a lot of ways, I love it, but I'm also nervous. I'm just barely walking again, but I'm headed back into the game.
In Spanish, the word for trust is "confianza." Somehow, it sounds much more compelling in Spanish, because it's the same word as "confidence," and it has more weight and warmth in your mouth. It's been the call in my heart and the tug on my chest this month, and I feel like I'm stepping out into the meadow from the rugged grove, trusting in the light of the sun and the openness of the air. The grass is tall and the field is vulnerable, but the smell of warmth is dancing in front of me and the invitation to delight draws me forward. I'm coming, Jesus. Te confio.
Ponder love today.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Día Número 33
What a special day. Day 33 of not being in the USA. Stupendous. Since its a significant number, let me insert today the passage that I've been reading in Romans in lieu of a post.
"Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:3-8
Ponder love today.
"Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:3-8
Ponder love today.
Día Número 32
Hey bud! Sorry I missed yesterday! We were out late watching the USA beat Ecuador in the Copa America! It will be the first time in 20 years that we have made it to the quarterfinals, but we now have to play the winner of the Argentina vs Venezuela game, with Argentina being the heavy favorite and Messi's team, and us without our best midfielder. Anna also had a soccer game that she tied, but they should have won. They had beaten this team earlier in the season, but their defense was off their game last night, and they let through a lot of balls that should have been stopped.
All in all, yesterday was a great day. After waking up, Anna and I went to volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission for lunch. I passed out ice cream and cake, and she passed out donuts. Then, I came home and walked the dog, who TRIPLE pooped on me. It was a disgustingly full bag, but I overcame that obstacle with skill and foresight, and then waltzed on up the street to Qdoba where I met Anne and Amy Johnson and we spent two hours chatting. Upon returning home, I dragged Anna out into the sunshine for a little bit while I read and she laid with her cat and a taco that I had brought her, before I left for mass. A young priest, ordained just last year, was saying mass as a visitor to the church, and his homily was memorable. He told us about a theory that the origin of the phrase "spitting image" (as in, he's the spitting image of his father) comes from a distortion of the older english phrase "spirit and image." Therefore, we, who are children of our Heavenly Father in a metaphysical reality (not just metaphorical), are called to be the spirit and image of our Father, making Him present both by appearance (image) and character (spirit). He asked us then to reflect on the ways that we both succeed and fail in living our lives according to the "spittin' image" of God.
After mass, I played basketball with my mom, and then went to the two soccer games (we watched USA vs Ecuador at BWWs). That long overview of my day hopefully makes up for its tardiness, but I am praying for you, and I'm so excited for you as the final days of walking approach. Keep it up! Soon, you'll be in the Eternal City. By the way, if you haven't planned for seeing the Pope yet, you can do so on Sundays. Assuming he's in the city, he gives a noon Angelus and address (in Italian) out of his apartment's window to the people in the square. On Wednesdays, he gives a full audience, meaning a longer talk and he shows up on a lower platform and drives through the crowd, but to see that you need a ticket. However, my group has found it effective to show up early (like 6 or 7am) and ask people at the gates if they have any extra tickets. Often, groups will round up the number they need and have a couple extra for their party. I got in to the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass that way. :)
Today, I'm writing early because I'm off to Lizzie Klaesges' bachelorette party after this, but I'll be back tomorrow. I love you lots, bud.
Ponder love today.
All in all, yesterday was a great day. After waking up, Anna and I went to volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission for lunch. I passed out ice cream and cake, and she passed out donuts. Then, I came home and walked the dog, who TRIPLE pooped on me. It was a disgustingly full bag, but I overcame that obstacle with skill and foresight, and then waltzed on up the street to Qdoba where I met Anne and Amy Johnson and we spent two hours chatting. Upon returning home, I dragged Anna out into the sunshine for a little bit while I read and she laid with her cat and a taco that I had brought her, before I left for mass. A young priest, ordained just last year, was saying mass as a visitor to the church, and his homily was memorable. He told us about a theory that the origin of the phrase "spitting image" (as in, he's the spitting image of his father) comes from a distortion of the older english phrase "spirit and image." Therefore, we, who are children of our Heavenly Father in a metaphysical reality (not just metaphorical), are called to be the spirit and image of our Father, making Him present both by appearance (image) and character (spirit). He asked us then to reflect on the ways that we both succeed and fail in living our lives according to the "spittin' image" of God.
After mass, I played basketball with my mom, and then went to the two soccer games (we watched USA vs Ecuador at BWWs). That long overview of my day hopefully makes up for its tardiness, but I am praying for you, and I'm so excited for you as the final days of walking approach. Keep it up! Soon, you'll be in the Eternal City. By the way, if you haven't planned for seeing the Pope yet, you can do so on Sundays. Assuming he's in the city, he gives a noon Angelus and address (in Italian) out of his apartment's window to the people in the square. On Wednesdays, he gives a full audience, meaning a longer talk and he shows up on a lower platform and drives through the crowd, but to see that you need a ticket. However, my group has found it effective to show up early (like 6 or 7am) and ask people at the gates if they have any extra tickets. Often, groups will round up the number they need and have a couple extra for their party. I got in to the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass that way. :)
Today, I'm writing early because I'm off to Lizzie Klaesges' bachelorette party after this, but I'll be back tomorrow. I love you lots, bud.
Ponder love today.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Día Número 31
Welp. Ute-Roy has arrived. Unfortunately, Burt-e-Roy is deceased, or we'd have a real party. In honor of the vicious cramps wrecking my body, I've put together a photo montage for your enjoyment, so that I can lay more and write less. However, please note that, though I'm physically disabled upon the arrival of the period, I am emotionally more lucid than I have been the past couple PMS-filled days.
Be encouraged. If nothing else, you have all the grace of my horrendous uterine pains coming your way. The roomies love you, too.
Ponder love today.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Día Número Treinta!
Ok.
So, because I'm too lazy to sign out of your gmail every time I go on youtube, and because this blog won't let me post unless I'm logged onto your gmail, your recommended videos have an unfortunate amount of soccer highlights. My bad.
Some of them are great, though, and Iceland is the smallest country EVER to qualify for a major soccer tournament. They tied Portugal (aka Ronaldo) 1-1 today, and looked great while doing it. That's a huge deal for a country whose population is only slightly larger than the city of St. Paul. Perhaps a better perspective would be to say that if you are Icelandic, male, and between the ages of 20-40, you have a 1 in 2000 chance of being on the national soccer team. Furthermore, 8% of their entire country showed up to watch them play (27,000 people); if England had that percent show up, it would be 4.2 million people.
More significantly, I need a retreat, or a job, or some sort of conscious time. My days are spent running errands for Mom, entertaining Anna, and watching soccer and reading on the couch. It has been thunderstorming for days now, and I need sunshine and exercise and a goal, which are all impossible from inside my house. I'm restless and almost never recollected and my period is coming any day. If my luck holds, I'll get it just in time to spend the night in a cabin for Lizzie's bachelorette party with 10 other excitable females.
So, yeah. Mostly, I need a retreat, but there will not be one in the foreseeable future for me. Drat. Hopefully, the soup kitchen later this week will be a good way to invest my summer, but that will only work if Anna decides to be semi-social and the kitchen has substantial volunteer slots. Please, Jesus.
Perhaps closer to what you'd like to know is that Anne and I hung out today at the UMD farmer's market and I got a book on wine tasting. Colleen and Marianne went to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) for FREE tonight, and Amy Johnson is hanging around Duluth this week.
I checked the weather, and it looks like you might be getting some thunderstorms, too. If so, I pray that it's the kind of rain that you love and not the miserable kind, and I pray for a lot of sunshine, perhaps selfishly. The idea of walking 500 miles right now sounds absolutely lovely with the concentrated effort it would require, and especially some quiet time seems like it would be prime. Take advantage of all you can get for me, and
Ponder love today.
So, because I'm too lazy to sign out of your gmail every time I go on youtube, and because this blog won't let me post unless I'm logged onto your gmail, your recommended videos have an unfortunate amount of soccer highlights. My bad.
Some of them are great, though, and Iceland is the smallest country EVER to qualify for a major soccer tournament. They tied Portugal (aka Ronaldo) 1-1 today, and looked great while doing it. That's a huge deal for a country whose population is only slightly larger than the city of St. Paul. Perhaps a better perspective would be to say that if you are Icelandic, male, and between the ages of 20-40, you have a 1 in 2000 chance of being on the national soccer team. Furthermore, 8% of their entire country showed up to watch them play (27,000 people); if England had that percent show up, it would be 4.2 million people.
More significantly, I need a retreat, or a job, or some sort of conscious time. My days are spent running errands for Mom, entertaining Anna, and watching soccer and reading on the couch. It has been thunderstorming for days now, and I need sunshine and exercise and a goal, which are all impossible from inside my house. I'm restless and almost never recollected and my period is coming any day. If my luck holds, I'll get it just in time to spend the night in a cabin for Lizzie's bachelorette party with 10 other excitable females.
So, yeah. Mostly, I need a retreat, but there will not be one in the foreseeable future for me. Drat. Hopefully, the soup kitchen later this week will be a good way to invest my summer, but that will only work if Anna decides to be semi-social and the kitchen has substantial volunteer slots. Please, Jesus.
Perhaps closer to what you'd like to know is that Anne and I hung out today at the UMD farmer's market and I got a book on wine tasting. Colleen and Marianne went to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) for FREE tonight, and Amy Johnson is hanging around Duluth this week.
I checked the weather, and it looks like you might be getting some thunderstorms, too. If so, I pray that it's the kind of rain that you love and not the miserable kind, and I pray for a lot of sunshine, perhaps selfishly. The idea of walking 500 miles right now sounds absolutely lovely with the concentrated effort it would require, and especially some quiet time seems like it would be prime. Take advantage of all you can get for me, and
Ponder love today.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Día Número 29
You've been gone almost a month. Wow.
In that month, just so you know, both the Copa America and the Euro Cup have started, which means almost daily, talented soccer games. In addition, I get to watch the Annies play often and tonight she scored a beautiful goal (her team won 5-1). However, that means I am tired, because I spent almost 6 hours in the car to get to Becker. She has another game in Blaine tomorrow, so I expect to be tired then, too.
Regardless, I have not neglected my prayers and I am thinking of you and your walking every time I discover something to offer up. If you think of it, a prayer for the Thompson's would be good, too, because they had to put down one of their dogs (Minnie) today. I hope the knee is still holding and the soul is growing.
Ponder love today.
In that month, just so you know, both the Copa America and the Euro Cup have started, which means almost daily, talented soccer games. In addition, I get to watch the Annies play often and tonight she scored a beautiful goal (her team won 5-1). However, that means I am tired, because I spent almost 6 hours in the car to get to Becker. She has another game in Blaine tomorrow, so I expect to be tired then, too.
Regardless, I have not neglected my prayers and I am thinking of you and your walking every time I discover something to offer up. If you think of it, a prayer for the Thompson's would be good, too, because they had to put down one of their dogs (Minnie) today. I hope the knee is still holding and the soul is growing.
Ponder love today.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Día Número 28
Hey!
I'm definitely starting to lose steam on these, not because I don't love you and pray for you everyday, but because it doesn't feel like it fits into my routine here at home, and you can only have an anomaly in your schedule for so long before it either becomes a nuisance or a normal part of the routine. Since this won't be a normal part of the routine for too much longer, I'm having to fight to keep it from becoming "that thing that I remember when my head hits the pillow and so I have to get out of bed again and stare at my laptop screen until I have written a satisfactory amount." As such, know that it only takes as long as my remembering how much I love you for me to jump out of bed at night to write them, and that I am so glad to have the ability to remain with you in spirit and in blog as you walk the Camino.
Sarah graduated today and it was wonderful (we took a "Class of 2016" picture with her on my back). Maddie and I talked for a couple hours before she heads out tomorrow morning. Anna and I are making plans for a great summer. Mother made fajitas and she, Dad, and I all watch an episode of "Elementary" together every night. Dad's gardening has been extensive and beautifully realized. Lots of other lovely things, too. I know you don't get to see your family, and I wonder how much you've been missing them on the Camino, or if your mind's absorbed elsewhere so that you don't think of them? I included them in my prayers tonight, and I personally can't wait for the next time that I get to see Evelyn. ;)
Since I'm feeling sentimental today, and since I think you'll enjoy it, here's a picture of me and my sisters wearing summer hats. I'm on the far right, the graduate is in purple, Maddie is on the left, and Anna looks like a monkey.
I'm definitely starting to lose steam on these, not because I don't love you and pray for you everyday, but because it doesn't feel like it fits into my routine here at home, and you can only have an anomaly in your schedule for so long before it either becomes a nuisance or a normal part of the routine. Since this won't be a normal part of the routine for too much longer, I'm having to fight to keep it from becoming "that thing that I remember when my head hits the pillow and so I have to get out of bed again and stare at my laptop screen until I have written a satisfactory amount." As such, know that it only takes as long as my remembering how much I love you for me to jump out of bed at night to write them, and that I am so glad to have the ability to remain with you in spirit and in blog as you walk the Camino.
Sarah graduated today and it was wonderful (we took a "Class of 2016" picture with her on my back). Maddie and I talked for a couple hours before she heads out tomorrow morning. Anna and I are making plans for a great summer. Mother made fajitas and she, Dad, and I all watch an episode of "Elementary" together every night. Dad's gardening has been extensive and beautifully realized. Lots of other lovely things, too. I know you don't get to see your family, and I wonder how much you've been missing them on the Camino, or if your mind's absorbed elsewhere so that you don't think of them? I included them in my prayers tonight, and I personally can't wait for the next time that I get to see Evelyn. ;)
Since I'm feeling sentimental today, and since I think you'll enjoy it, here's a picture of me and my sisters wearing summer hats. I'm on the far right, the graduate is in purple, Maddie is on the left, and Anna looks like a monkey.
I love you. Keep on walking. Keep on loving the people that you're with. Keep on praying. And...
Ponder love today.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Día Número 27
I love you.
Today, in an adorable moment, my mom was joking about how odd it was that I drank the most in the family, considering that I was going to become a nun. Anna, who only learned the difference last week when I mentioned it to her casually, quickly responded, "No, mom. She's going to be a religious sister, not a nun."
Sarah sang in a four-part quartet ("How Can I Keep From Singing") today during her baccalaureate ceremony, and I spelled baccalaureate right on the first try. Maddie successfully met with indigestion of a particularly smelly kind during dinner at our restaurant and head to be rushed home, so I guess you could say that we've all had a great day.
I hope your day was good, too, and I'm praying for you everyday.
Ponder love today.
Today, in an adorable moment, my mom was joking about how odd it was that I drank the most in the family, considering that I was going to become a nun. Anna, who only learned the difference last week when I mentioned it to her casually, quickly responded, "No, mom. She's going to be a religious sister, not a nun."
Sarah sang in a four-part quartet ("How Can I Keep From Singing") today during her baccalaureate ceremony, and I spelled baccalaureate right on the first try. Maddie successfully met with indigestion of a particularly smelly kind during dinner at our restaurant and head to be rushed home, so I guess you could say that we've all had a great day.
I hope your day was good, too, and I'm praying for you everyday.
Ponder love today.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Día Número 26
Wow. Those numbers are getting high! You are walking an incredible distance!
Maddie arrived today (for Sarah's graduation) and I've been doing an enormous amount of homework, because she has a summer class on Greek literature. Anna and I went out to lunch to celebrate her finishing school and passing all her classes. Sarah graduates on Sunday, and my dog is very tired. I am also tired after watching Messi score a hat trick in 19 minutes in the Copa America with the family, and I'm ready for bed.
Since my words are brief and lack suitable encouragement, here's a picture instead.
Maddie arrived today (for Sarah's graduation) and I've been doing an enormous amount of homework, because she has a summer class on Greek literature. Anna and I went out to lunch to celebrate her finishing school and passing all her classes. Sarah graduates on Sunday, and my dog is very tired. I am also tired after watching Messi score a hat trick in 19 minutes in the Copa America with the family, and I'm ready for bed.
Since my words are brief and lack suitable encouragement, here's a picture instead.
Keep walking, and keep praying, bud!
Ponder love today.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Día Número 25
Hola, mi amiga.
Como era León? Estoy tan entusiasmada que estés en España. Te quiero mucho.
Okay, enough practice for you. I am delighted to report that the 5:00pm daily mass at St. Michael's Church did not kick me out today for wearing sweatpants, and, what's more, I offered it up for you. I hope that since my prayer has been more diligent I might be spared any more stomach flus ;)
I'm definitely tired again.
Como era León? Estoy tan entusiasmada que estés en España. Te quiero mucho.
Okay, enough practice for you. I am delighted to report that the 5:00pm daily mass at St. Michael's Church did not kick me out today for wearing sweatpants, and, what's more, I offered it up for you. I hope that since my prayer has been more diligent I might be spared any more stomach flus ;)
I'm definitely tired again.
I also miss Burt...
So, either I'm getting my period soon, or I'm wearing down altogether.
I hope you appreciate that last one. I decided gifs would be easier than writing when I'm tired. I'm reading a lot, but work at the soup kitchen doesn't start until next week, and that's is a long time away. I hope I don't have to linger like this all summer.
Maybe you are tired, too. Maybe walking another day doesn't sound very pleasant and the emotional energy to interact with your large group all day is starting to wear you down. Maybe your body is still occupying more space in your mind than your soul, and maybe even your knee is bugging you. If yes, if no, know of my prayers and keep on fighting, buddy. The Camino is definitely not for the idle or the pusillanimous. Amidst the tired, amidst the hurt, amidst the darkness, "Behold, I am making all things new." (Rev 21:5).
Ponder love today.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Día Número 24
Hey! I love you!
So I realize looking back at what I said about León that I said zero helpful things. I probably should have talked a bit more about the Gothic and Romanesque beauty of the Cathedral and Basilica, respectively, and mentioned the famous convent there, too. Even a tidbit about the interred remains of St. Isidore, who is a very important saint in Spain, would have been nice. However, having chosen to talk about the things that you may or may not see, I hope that you simply enjoy the city. Heck, I hope you simply enjoy all of Spain.
Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy a brief clip of Scout the cat catching a moth today (assuming you get enough wifi to load a whole video!
If not, perhaps a photo of me and my dog would be better.
So I realize looking back at what I said about León that I said zero helpful things. I probably should have talked a bit more about the Gothic and Romanesque beauty of the Cathedral and Basilica, respectively, and mentioned the famous convent there, too. Even a tidbit about the interred remains of St. Isidore, who is a very important saint in Spain, would have been nice. However, having chosen to talk about the things that you may or may not see, I hope that you simply enjoy the city. Heck, I hope you simply enjoy all of Spain.
Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy a brief clip of Scout the cat catching a moth today (assuming you get enough wifi to load a whole video!
That was me finishing up Pride and Prejudice in the sunroom.
I offered mass for you today. Anna is very stressed out about a chemistry exam tomorrow, so if you think of it, could you say a prayer? I found her a bit ago in her room on the point of tears, but refusing to admit any emotion except annoyance. She kicked me out with a glare, and though I'm sure she will ace her test, I would hate for her poor attitude to keep her in a bad mood longer than necessary. Sarah just finished up her Senior Project as well, and she is graduating on Sunday! Maddie texted me yesterday, too, saying that she had had a terrible day. They could all use some prayers.
I probably could, too. Not that I'm in bad shape, but I'm exhausted. There's absolutely no reason for me to be tired, because I'm living in daily luxury, but I am already worn out. I'm probably about to have my period or something, but now I need to go to bed.
Ponder love today.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Día Número 23
Today, I had the marvelous surprise of your postcard!
It's dated from day 7, which is something like day 10 or 11 in this blog's calculations, so please note that Spanish mail takes about 2 weeks to arrive here! Thank you for the glory of that image and it's caption... what a treat...
The sun came out in Duluth today, and Jesus seemed intent on answering all of my whining that it was cloudy and that volunteering had been difficult to set up, etc. etc. When I woke up, the sun was already brilliant, the volunteering was set up easily after a phone call, I finished a book that I had been putting off to discover that it contained precisely the answers to questions I had been asking when I had started it (but neglected to finish it until now), and I began reading Pride and Prejudice (again), and so I'm summarily delighted with everything. Did you know that Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice (under its original title "First Impressions") when she was only 21 years old? It has since been (rightly) proclaimed the first great work of modern literature, and she has both heralded the new era and surpassed it! I believe myself even more taken with it than I was before. Lizzy, though portrayed with all the affection her fans have for her in the movies, is absolutely bull-headed in the books in her refusal to allow Darcy even a shred of decency and her commitment to upholding Wickham's character, though she is met with continual cautions and pleas to reverse her opinions. She is absolutely blinded with hatred for the man, which all began with her perception that he had a disagreeable countenance and that he refused to dance with her on their first meeting. #somuchpride #somuchprejudice
To conclude, before I am taken in with raptures about León, I also had a lovely bath:
The picture, unfortunately, does not do justice to the open air flowing in through the window, nor the scent of the incense sticks that I had lit, nor the delightful humidity of the hot bathwater. It does, however, sufficiently portray that two candles that were a gift from my sister and the beloved book sitting on the table.
León is a magical sort of place, it seems, and I am so glad that you get to visit, even if it's only for a bit. The cathedral and basilica are both magnificent works of architecture and devotion, and, though I realize a visit is out of the question, they boast a stupendous and new modern art museum called the MUSAC. Perhaps, though, you might recognize simply walking by the bright colors that paint the facade and note to your companions that it is home to the latest innovations in art (acknowledging, of course, that it is nothing close to the greatest works of yesteryear, yet (I maintain hope for modern art)). Close by, hopefully along the route you are taking, are some red mountains called "Las Medulas." I'm not sure if you will see them, but I hope so! They're beautiful, but also intriguing. Basically, the Romans dug up and the replanted entire mountains to get the gold inside, so the mountains still resemble something turned inside out with their red-clay coloring and unsteady soil.
Furthermore, it's supposed to be excellent for food! Rumor has it that some bars will give free tapas with a drink, but even if not, the region is mostly known for their meats. I am partial to the lighter fare of southern Spain, but the weird looking sausages of León ("botillo" and "mortilla") have their merits, too. I think special attention, though, should be devoted to the fact that you are in SPAIN and I am so glad that you are there!
Puedo escribir en español si que te ayude practicar la lengua. Es buena práctica para mí también, pero comprendo si es más difícil para ti. Te amo. Estoy rogando para ti. Siempre.
Ponder love today.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Día Número 22
I finished Anna Karenina today! What a stupendous (and very long book)! The last 80 or so pages are just the epilogue. Imagine that. 80 pages of post-action wind down. Levin converted in the end and Anna (poor Anna) jumped under a train. Her last moment, though, full of emotion as she was, she prayed that the Lord would forgive her everything, and then she died.
Dark as that was, it's the kind of book that will stick with me, and it reminds me over and over again that what we would really like when we've done wrong is punishment or an assurance that it didn't really matter. We don't really want mercy. To be forgiven is harder than to forgive, in many respects!
Now, I'm curled up with Pride and Prejudice, my favorite. I hope to read it all tonight, but no guarantees. I'm trying to go to bed at a reasonable time, and it's already 10pm. Last night, I tried to correct my sleep schedule by getting into bed at 6:30 (when I was sick) and I feel like I didn't sleep at all! At the very least, I rolled around for hours. Nonetheless, I was alert enough today to find this gem while cleaning out my drawers. It's an article for Catholic Studies from the year before we were freshmen describing a day on the Catholic Women's Floor... Can you guess who wrote it??
Dark as that was, it's the kind of book that will stick with me, and it reminds me over and over again that what we would really like when we've done wrong is punishment or an assurance that it didn't really matter. We don't really want mercy. To be forgiven is harder than to forgive, in many respects!
Now, I'm curled up with Pride and Prejudice, my favorite. I hope to read it all tonight, but no guarantees. I'm trying to go to bed at a reasonable time, and it's already 10pm. Last night, I tried to correct my sleep schedule by getting into bed at 6:30 (when I was sick) and I feel like I didn't sleep at all! At the very least, I rolled around for hours. Nonetheless, I was alert enough today to find this gem while cleaning out my drawers. It's an article for Catholic Studies from the year before we were freshmen describing a day on the Catholic Women's Floor... Can you guess who wrote it??
It might be too small for you to see, but that is Lizzie Schmidt in the flesh. :) She notes at the end that she will never forget the girls who were with her through that year, and I'm inclined to agree with her. In fact, I'm writing across continents right now just to stay in touch with one of the girls from my year on the floor!
I hope your day after the rest day went well and that Alex is feeling better! I hope that you are able to start engaging with your soul just as much as with your body! And I hope that you are having just the right amount of good and bad on the trip of a lifetime! Mostly, though, I pray for you. I need to be better about praying, but I always pray for you.
Tomorrow, I'll try to post some details about León! My research indicates that the tapas there are fantastic and often come free with a drink! :)
Ponder love today.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Día Número 21
Wow. Day 21 of you being gone! Three weeks exactly!
I hope your rest day went well. Mine was interesting, which I credit to the fact that I told Jesus last night that I would work out today in offering for you not walking today. That did not go according to plan, to say the least.
I woke up this morning at 10AM, then went back to sleep until 12:30. Groggily arising from bed, I walked downstairs where my mother informed me that I had slept through all of the sunlight. Apparently, it had been bright and warm that morning, but clouds had blown in during the afternoon. My dad, neglecting the weather report, was confidently outside mowing the lawn when the first torrential downpour began. Within 20 minutes, the sky had gone from sunny and clear to dark and thundering, and my dad walked inside drenched. It did clear up for a little bit in the afternoon, but continued to alternate in about one hour cycles between storming and sunny. Not that I'm surprised: Lake effect weather is real!
However, just as things were looking up, my sister and I headed outside with a frisbee. I was attempting to take a break in the midst of cleaning my bathroom, so I left it with bottles of lotion strewn across the floor and piles of hair ties littering the counter. (I was confident that I would have plenty of time tonight to finish cleaning, but alas, t'was not to be.) Anna and I tossed around the glorious disc for 20 minutes, which was just enough time for her to wreck several of father's new flowers and my stomach to decide it was done for the day.
Rushing inside just in time, my porcelain toilet was graced with what I can only say was an onslaught of the worst sort. I thought I was done after half of an hour of sweat, moans, and diarrhea, but my attempt to rise from my fetal position was met with a secondary onslaught. As I lay there, I considered my diet, which was a few slices of bell peppers, some fontina cheese, and a cookie (plus my daily coffee), aka a light combination entirely unable to account for the wretched state of my stomach.
Finally forcing myself to rise and shower before Mass, I hobbled to the car and prayed for an hour of relief so that I could go to Holy Communion. Luckily, a surprise of a different sort awaited me in the church, so let me give credit to the grace of your pilgrimage when I say that I didn't even blink upon the discovery of Kelly and Nick in the back pews. In fact, it was so ordinary-feeling and un-panicky that I wouldn't mention it as an event, except that three weeks ago my calm demeanor would have only been possible with a miracle. This time, I didn't even feel the need to mentally note where she was sitting, nor did I think of her during Mass. My primary concern was making sure that I didn't empty the remaining contents of my stomach into the aisle (which became a real risk as the Gospel was read) and I am still doing well now!
I came home to a magnificent dinner of grilled chicken with avocado, potato wedges, corn, french bread, and strawberries. I only was able to eat a little, and I left the table longing for a little bit more, but now, I'm curled up in bed for the night. I never got to hear whether being cold was an issue for you; I hope not by how tan you looked! But I am still a bit chilly wearing socks, two layers of pants, a long sleeve shirt under a sweatshirt, and tucked in under my covers. Probably a stomach bug or something, but at least I am treated to a delightful view as I wallow in my sickliness:
I hope your rest day went well. Mine was interesting, which I credit to the fact that I told Jesus last night that I would work out today in offering for you not walking today. That did not go according to plan, to say the least.
I woke up this morning at 10AM, then went back to sleep until 12:30. Groggily arising from bed, I walked downstairs where my mother informed me that I had slept through all of the sunlight. Apparently, it had been bright and warm that morning, but clouds had blown in during the afternoon. My dad, neglecting the weather report, was confidently outside mowing the lawn when the first torrential downpour began. Within 20 minutes, the sky had gone from sunny and clear to dark and thundering, and my dad walked inside drenched. It did clear up for a little bit in the afternoon, but continued to alternate in about one hour cycles between storming and sunny. Not that I'm surprised: Lake effect weather is real!
However, just as things were looking up, my sister and I headed outside with a frisbee. I was attempting to take a break in the midst of cleaning my bathroom, so I left it with bottles of lotion strewn across the floor and piles of hair ties littering the counter. (I was confident that I would have plenty of time tonight to finish cleaning, but alas, t'was not to be.) Anna and I tossed around the glorious disc for 20 minutes, which was just enough time for her to wreck several of father's new flowers and my stomach to decide it was done for the day.
Rushing inside just in time, my porcelain toilet was graced with what I can only say was an onslaught of the worst sort. I thought I was done after half of an hour of sweat, moans, and diarrhea, but my attempt to rise from my fetal position was met with a secondary onslaught. As I lay there, I considered my diet, which was a few slices of bell peppers, some fontina cheese, and a cookie (plus my daily coffee), aka a light combination entirely unable to account for the wretched state of my stomach.
Finally forcing myself to rise and shower before Mass, I hobbled to the car and prayed for an hour of relief so that I could go to Holy Communion. Luckily, a surprise of a different sort awaited me in the church, so let me give credit to the grace of your pilgrimage when I say that I didn't even blink upon the discovery of Kelly and Nick in the back pews. In fact, it was so ordinary-feeling and un-panicky that I wouldn't mention it as an event, except that three weeks ago my calm demeanor would have only been possible with a miracle. This time, I didn't even feel the need to mentally note where she was sitting, nor did I think of her during Mass. My primary concern was making sure that I didn't empty the remaining contents of my stomach into the aisle (which became a real risk as the Gospel was read) and I am still doing well now!
I came home to a magnificent dinner of grilled chicken with avocado, potato wedges, corn, french bread, and strawberries. I only was able to eat a little, and I left the table longing for a little bit more, but now, I'm curled up in bed for the night. I never got to hear whether being cold was an issue for you; I hope not by how tan you looked! But I am still a bit chilly wearing socks, two layers of pants, a long sleeve shirt under a sweatshirt, and tucked in under my covers. Probably a stomach bug or something, but at least I am treated to a delightful view as I wallow in my sickliness:
I love you, too! Ponder love today.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Día Número 20
AHHHHHHH.
So.
We got to talk to you today...
So Anne is going to write this blog in celebration!
(Laurel just passed me the computer...cool Laurel...I thought this was a group effort...)
HIIIII!! WE JUST SAW YOUR SMILING FACE!
Hope you got some decent shut eye and enjoy your day of rest.
After Skyping with you, Laurel and I took Sparkles for a nice long walk...and by long I mean one block...actually I don't think we even made it a block but it was a great effort! She pooped...and then pooped AGAIN! Laurel was not pleased, but also pleased because poor Sparkles hasn't pooped in days....Talking about all this poop reminds me of Colleen...
(sly transition...)
Colleen is making a dress! I think we said something about it on Skype, but here it is:
So.
We got to talk to you today...
So Anne is going to write this blog in celebration!
(Laurel just passed me the computer...cool Laurel...I thought this was a group effort...)
HIIIII!! WE JUST SAW YOUR SMILING FACE!
Hope you got some decent shut eye and enjoy your day of rest.
After Skyping with you, Laurel and I took Sparkles for a nice long walk...and by long I mean one block...actually I don't think we even made it a block but it was a great effort! She pooped...and then pooped AGAIN! Laurel was not pleased, but also pleased because poor Sparkles hasn't pooped in days....Talking about all this poop reminds me of Colleen...
(sly transition...)
Colleen is making a dress! I think we said something about it on Skype, but here it is:
So I asked Laurel, "how is she making this dress" and to be honest, neither of us have any clue. Is it a tank top and a skirt? Did she make it from scratch? No clue, but we should be proud. Yay for Colleen! Also, speaking of her digestion, she made sure to text both Laurel and I the other day about her decision to eat ice cream with her sister to which her sister said "Cheers to the shits!" Lol, Laurel said I could swear on the blog, but as we all know, Grandma Marge says Shit is not a swear word so...I'm going with it.
Speaking of other wonderful people (my transitions are on today) LAUREL'S MOM bought Laurel the perfect gift:
That right there is a Wine Connoisseur's Gift Set. It is OFF. THE. CHAIN. Or as Laurel would put it "off the chart." Laurel can now vacuum seal her wine bottles and pour her wine through an aerating spigot like a champ.
So Laurel and I had some pizza with her momma and Annes. Pizza was de-lish (ate an extra slice for you) and continued to discuss Marshall athletics and see baby photos of all the Eyer-lings...some nudity was present but we were all adult enough to handle it...just kidding, it was HILARIOUS! (I'll get the one of Laurel from Anna later ;) )
As my tummy rumbles from my second pizza today (yes, I had pizza for lunch on my quasi-date...ha ha ha Anne went on an awkward date) I will soon be heading home to my abode to watch Law and Order with me madre and off to bed. Laurel will like be snuggling with Anna Karenina til she falls asleep.
We both need some Vitamin D. This no sun thing is drivin us CARAZAY! Maybe we'll just hop on a plane to Spain. I'm sorry, that was mean. We will not be doing so so don't expect it. But we will walk with you in spirit, maybe even actually taking a walk here when summer rolls around in July, but any-who...
We love you SO much. We are praying for YOU. We thank you for all the prayers and time you are offering for us and so many others. You are a strong, beautiful, independent woman who has already walked 250 miles!! Woot woot girl, look at you go! Until next time...
Ponder love today.
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