...so much has been going on in the past few days that I am finding myself unable to write as at first. I have not gotten enough freetime to relate recent events. I am on the plane now, traveling back home, although I want to stay longer. Italia as a whole was a beautiful country; many monuments and grand buildings still remain which were built and designed by the great ancestors much before our time. Along almost every street in the older part of Roma, there is some kind of artwork which has its own unique history.

With these words, I do not feel that I have discovered Roma enough. It is true that I have seen the Colisseum, the Vatican, and the lovely Sistine Chapel. I have also explored the Roman Pantheon and visited the Spanish steps; I have gone with the tradition of throwing a coin over my left shoulder into Trevi Fountain in hopes of seeing my beloved Roma again. I have visited numerous squares and looked at imported Egyptian hieroglyphics and walked through St. Peter's Basilica. Still, there is so much which I have not seen in the two short days in Roma; more remains to be discovered.

Even in Assissi where people were in a laid-back mode on their nestled hill with their lavishing churches, I wish for a more in-depth exploration. Assissi is extremely religious; the very air is soaked with it. It is a very peaceful place from what I saw, and there was no reason to worry about pickpocketers in a city such as Assissi.

Pompeii is an exploration in itself. The civilization was, at one time, very beautiful and advanced. The volcano which destroyed its people is dormant for now, but I have been told that it could erupt at any possible time. I was able to see two of the figures which were preserved from the volcanic ash; everything could be seen, from the sandals on their feet to the agonizing expressions on their faces. I could just see the vapors of the poisonous gases emitting their deadly fumes as this simple slave began suffocating and slowly dying less than two thousand years ago. These people and their civilization died when the volcano erupted in 79 A.D. not from the ash that poured over them, but from the fatal gases released by the volcano's vents. Pompeii was well-preserved in that original roofing was still present and mosaics still had an uplifting beauty. These people had a unique culture which died with them due to the volcano.

I would like to take a step back to Roma once more and say that it was an honor to see the Sistine Chapel. I felt a tremendous burst of emotion while viewing the painting of the powerful touch when God gave life to Adam. My breath was taken away by this painting by Michelangelo which I have only seen in textbooks. Also, the picture of the Last Judgement was a stunning display of artwork by the same great master of art. There is so much in this painting that I did not understand before and feel slightly shocked from. One example of this is the self-portrait of Michelangelo himself. This part shows a crinkled skin figure which barely looks human at all, and although Michelangelo was a deeply religious man, he depicts himself falling into the pits of hell. Another is of the pope, who is shown at the bottom of the painting in hell; wrapped around him is what I believe to be a beast-like creature. There is so much to explain about the painting; its vastness also left me breathless and desiring to stare at this amazing relic for a much longer period of time.

Italia has been warm and inviting for me. There is so much more that I could say about Italia, but at the moment I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the experience of traveling throughout Italy and visiting so much in the time period of a week. Elsa and the bus driver, Luigi, were awesome; I could not have asked for better people to spend time with while on tour. Right now I feel that I need to be reflective because the days have run into one another and I feel compelled to clear my mind. Arrivederci.