Reliving Italia: Day 3

Day 3: Roma, San Pietro

I have been anxious to share about this day for the past three weeks now. I don't think I could pick a favorite part of the trip, but if I had to- this would have been it. 

We went as a group to Vatican City, where we stood in line for over an hour, waiting to get in. I'm kind of glad though, because it gave me some time to get some shots of the square, and it definitely heightened the anticipation for when we would finally get to go inside. By the time we made it to the front of the line, I was almost nervous, I was so excited.

After getting past security, we didn't go in right away. First, we climbed to the top of the dome, which, let me tell ya, is no easy task! First of all, it had to have been over 90 degrees in Rome that day. Second, there are, I think, 320 steps that one must climb to reach the top. The passage ways are narrow, the steps are steep, and eventually you start tipping to one side because the steps are wrapping around the dome. At one point, I felt like I had left Rome, and entered the world of Willy Wonka. You wanna know the worst part of that climb? It wasn't the heat. It wasn't the number of stairs. It was the fact that as you climbed higher, and tilted even more, you were forced to put your hand on the wall to steady yourself, and when you did, the sweat on your palm mixed with the sweat of the hundreds of other people who were on the stairs ahead of you. Rather disgusting. 

But...

The view from the top was quite incredible!

Hello, Rome!

Now, as phenomenal as the view from the above was, it was the moment that I finally stepped inside that took my breath away. I wrote home that night and told my parents that it was like jumping into an icy lake. You know that moment when you hit the water, and for a second it takes the breath right out of your lungs? That's how it was, walking into St. Peter's. I can honestly say it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. 

I'm sorry to say that my pictures don't begin to do it justice, but let me tell you a little bit about what I learned while I was there, and perhaps the combination of my words along with the photos will help to relay the magnificence of the experience. 

Two things really stuck out to me at St. Peter's. One was the incredible, breath-taking beauty. (Duh right? I know you're thinking- "Isn't that obvious?") At one point, I went into a room that was set aside specifically for prayer. As I sat there, sitting in a room so beautiful I could almost taste it, I tried to pray- to say something to the awesome God who means so much to me- but words wouldn't come. 

"Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling." 

Zechariah 2:13

"Be silent before the Soverign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near."

Zephaniah 1:7

"But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him." 

Habakkuk 2:20

I think that sometimes silence is an appropriate form of worship. At that moment, my only thought was:

 I hope that when Jesus looks at my life, that it looks like this. I hope it's beautiful to Him.

The second important thing that I took away from that day at St. Peter's was that I was incredibly inspired and convicted by the amount of dedication that went into that building. St. Peter's took 120 years to build. 120 years! I was just so struck by the fact that, to the men who built this cathedral, 120 years was worth it to glorify God. Every inch of that building is gorgeous- even the parts that no nobody gets to see. It made me wonder- how dedicated am I in bringing glory to God? 1 year? 5 years? 10? Would I be dedicated for 120 years if I needed to be? Am I dedicated to glorifying God in all areas of my life- even the areas that no one sees? 

Being there in that beautiful cathedral was so refreshing to my soul. It gave me much to think about, and just like the Colosseum from the day before, I hope that what I learned there will change the way I live the rest of my life. 

Here's to living a beautiful life, dedicated to the glory of God!

~Jasmine

Reliving Italia: Day 2

Day 2: Roma, Colosseo

Day 2 in Rome was definitely one of the days that was most thought-provoking, and I think I spent the rest of the trip processing and digesting what I learned. It was one of my favorite days for several reasons, some of which included insane amounts of sunshine, challenging conversations with other people on the trip, and kiwi gelato! (*Random note on the gelato- I had it at least once a day every day except one that I was in Italy. Very good times.)

One of the most significant parts of the day though, was visiting the Colosseum. Making my way out of the metro station and suddenly seeing this huge, imposing, incredible building was absolutely stunning. Walking the tunnels where so many Christians had lived out their final moments was sobering. Wandering through the halls, I was both awed and impressed by the incredible architecture, and at the same time saddened by all the evil that the Colosseum represents. One of the things we had talked about on the night before, was how important it is to live our lives in the light of death- to remember that for all of us, death may be closer than we would like to think. Standing in the Colosseum really drove that point home. Throughout the day, I came back to that idea several times, and since that day, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how I need to live, if I'm living in the light of death. I want to be intentional about the way I live my life. I want to make sure I say the things I need to say, and do the things I've been called to do. I want every day to count.

Later in the trip, I bought a necklace that has a picture of the Colosseum, and it's been a constant reminder to me to live every day intentionally- because I don't know how much time I have left. I want to make it count. If the end of my life comes next week, I want to know that each day was lived fully.

Now I know that the whole "live like you were dying" theme may sound a little cliche, but it's vastly different when you're standing in an arena where thousands of people have died. It changed my perspective, and I hope that it will change my life.

I hope these pictures will give you more to think about than the incredible architecture. May you too be challenged to live every day intentionally, and to live your life in the light of death.

~Jasmine

Reliving Italia: Day 1

Hello all! I feel like it's been forever since I've written (probably because it has!) I am now back from my grand Italian adventure, and quite excited to share a bit of it with you. There were so many incredible sights and sounds, and smells, and life lessons- so much to share! So you'll have to bear with me a bit as I relive Italia and everything that I experienced there.

Day 1: Roma

It's been said a time or two that a lifetime is not enough for Rome. I would have to agree. I was there only three days, and while I encountered countless sights and sounds that left me breathless and wide-eyed, there were still many sights left unseen by the time I departed The Eternal City.

Here's a few of the highlights from Day 1 in Rome:

The view from my hostel room

The Roman Forum 

One of my favorite parts of Italy was the cobblestone streets, and quiet alleys. 

The Pantheon

The Pantheon has been standing for 2 millennia, and is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. When you walk inside, you can't help but be amazed. 

It's a perfect dome, and to this day, we don't know how they did it. That's pretty incredible. 

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
(Fountain of the Four Rivers)
located in the Piazza Navona

Piazza del Popolo

(People's Square) 

I l.o.v.e. Roma in the rain! 

While most people were scurrying under canopies and looking for shelter,

 I wanted to dash outside and start twirling as soon as it started raining. 

It was beautiful, and I loved it!

Well that's day 1! Rome just got better from there, and I can't wait to share it!

Ciao, 

Jazzy