Meus Casus Romae

This is my last post. Tomorrow I leave for Anconna, and then to Isernia and Ceretto the following week. I think I will also travel for a night to Bagnoregio, Saint Bonaventure's hometown. Then: home on May 15th. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

As I am ending this journey, I am filled with two emotions: happiness and sadness. Yet, it is always so incredible when those two emotions mix. My experience has been that these two emotions = joy. It is because when happiness accompanies sadness, the sadness signifies not a certain-lacking, but rather the presence of memories, of shared moments with friends, of beautiful experiences: of an awesome journey. This is truly the case with my casus romae. 

Many of my friends left yesterday and this morning. I will, in all reality, probably not see many of them ever again. Many, if not all of the professors here, I will not see again. Rome may never be home again.

But one thing is for sure: memory. And memory is a divine experience. I really think it is. The whole Christian faith is about memory, if you think about. We remember the Cross, the Resurrection; we remember the life of Jesus Christ, and that's why we follow him. You see, memory is a mediator into another world and another time. Thus, how blessed I am that I now have this memory of Rome, Italy, Europe, and even Africa. For the rest of my life, I will be able to see the places I've been, and remember the time I had. 

Do I say good-bye, then? I don't think so. I'll say instead: "It's been real", and in the phrase of the Italians: "Ci vediamo Roma"--see you later Rome.

So, my friends and family, thank you for following my journey with me. I thank God for this touching and changing experience, and I cannot wait to continue not my Casus Romae, but my Casus Vitae--my Adventures of Life. 

But, before I say goodbye to this blog, let's just take one quick re-cap of the past 4 months:

I have...

swam off the coast of Capri,

sky-dived over the Swiss Alps,

drank beer in Germany at the Hofbrauhaus,

slept in the Saharra Desert,

walked on pavements from B.C. era,

attended a Papal Audience,

prayed with Benedictine Monks at Norcia,

witnessed the sun rise over the mountains of Umbria,

been to an A.S. Roma calcio game,

visited the Great Mosque of Kairouan,

slept, eaten, and celebrated Easter in a town, Mother's hometown, of 20,

attended Carnevale in Venice,

slept outside, in a small corridor, at Venice waiting for the train,

bought a leather jacket in Florence (and shoes),

swam inside of caves off the Amalfi Coast,

prayed in the great Duomo of Milan,

bargained at Tunisian markets,

tasted Limoncello from Positano,

walked inside the ancient Roman Forum and Coliseum,

drank a cappuccino and eaten a cornetto every morning,

attended Vespers with the Holy Father,

smoked hookah in Tunisia,

been to a broccoli and mushroom festival in two small Italian towns,

been inside the Blue Grotto,

seen the Michelangelo's David and the Sistene Chapel,

participated in Mass at the Pantheon,

experienced off-road, intense driving through desert sand dunes,

read a petition (in Italian!) at a small church in Sorrento,

slept in a total of four countries--two continents,

walked through the ancient ruins at Pompeii,

cliff jumped from 35 feet off the coast at Positano, twice,

seen and walked through the great salt lakes of Tunisia,

smoked a Cuban in Piazza San Pietro,

participated in the Easter Vigil Mass with the Holy Father at Saint Peter's basilica,

seen, and prayed before, the original San Damiano crucifix,

been lost, more than twice,

walked through the American Military Cemetery (WWII) in Tunisia,

spent way too much money on gelato,

learned to appreciate just how horrible Italians are at driving,

gone dancing, clubbing in Tunisia, Rome, and Switzerland,

seen and walked through the ruins of the great, ancient city of Carthage,

worn a turban, and tried to sell my girl friends for camels,

been offered a man's sister to be my property in Tunisia,

prayed the Way of the Cross at the Coliseum on Good Friday with the Pope,

eaten German bratwursts,

seen the leaning Tower of Pisa,

slept in an airport and on a packed train,

received a massage at a 5 Star Tunisian hotel after losing my debit card,

prayed at the bodies of Ss. Francis, Claire of Assisi,  and Catherine of Sienna, 

kissed a beautiful girl named Catherine in some really romantic spots,

spoken with may too much confidence in my Italian capabilities,

met so many new people--annoying, awesome, young, old, and everything else,

gone on the Scavi tour and walked through an ancient Pagan "City of the Dead",

prayed before the bones of St. Peter, first Bishop of Rome,

been to the top of the basilica of St. Peter's in the dome,

admired Michelangelo's "Moses" at S. Pietro in Vincoli,

sat in silence at 4 AM by the Trevi Fountain, letting the beautiful artwork touch my heart,

been run-over by Nuns in line for a Papal Mass,

seen way too much local Italian PDA,

ridden a boat around the Island of Capri,

and, most importantly,

I have grown in my knowledge of Creation, of culture and history, of people and relationships; I have seen more of the world, and therefore have read pages of the Book of Time, that great book that is the imprint of Love's divine creativity and power.

I have studied abroad. I have grown, matured, developed my senses. And the best part is, is that while my Roman adventure may be on its way to completion, I have the rest of my life to love, the rest of my life to laugh, to see the smiles of others, to give and receive hugs. 

Life is a time for joy, and I can't wait for the future to unfold, to let the present moment be a product of a memorable past and a preparation for a hopeful, joy-filled future.

And the last thing is this. I dedicate this whole journey to my Grandma Lena. When she past away, all I could think of was how beautiful she is. Now, here, I could not help but consistently be reminded of her, daily, in the constant apparitions of beauty I witnessed. So, all of my happy moments, home-sick times, and incredible memories: I humbly dedicate them to my Grandma. I love you, Grandma, and, I'll say it one more time: Dance, dance, dance in the eternal bliss of God's Kingdom.

Pax et bonum!