Jamaica. The only place outside of America I have traveled to. Italy. The place I will now call my home for the next three months. After a long nine hour plane ride and a crazy seven hour time difference from my home in Auburn, I arrived in the Rome airport awaiting Cinzia, our beautiful dark-haired, tall, lean, Italian beauty. We then hopped on a bus and were on our way to our new home for the summer – Palazzo Chigi Ariccia, the former home of the Chigi family in 1664. I have waited for this moment since I was a freshman in college, being in Spidle and seeing all of the pictures from the Joseph S. Bruno study abroad program, seeing all of the happy smiling faces of girls on their trips, putting my name on a list to hopefully be chosen out of many, many students dying to go on this trip and then – waiting; waiting and waiting for years, then months, for my chance, my opportunity to be one of those smiling faces.
On my journey are 19 other girls, only two have I known before the trip, but all of us with smiling faces waiting to begin our summer of a lifetime, waiting to see Italy, once again – waiting! When I look around me, I see history everywhere I turn. I see beautiful buildings with beautiful architecture. I see beautiful people with all sorts of different accents. The first week was a struggle being in a jet-lagged haze for days, but feeling so nervous and excited as if I were a 6-year old going to my first day of first grade away from my Mom! Having 19 new sisters living with me in a palace can make anything feel more “homey”. These girls that I’m getting to share my life and my summer with will end up becoming some of my best friends. Waking up and hearing Carley and Caroline and Mary Elizabeth blow dry their hair while they get ready and sweet, quiet Joanna and Suzanne putting up with living next to my loud self at night, Linda could not have picked a better “Siena” room.
This opportunity would not be mine without my parents who I miss terribly but I hope I can bring them little joy by sending them pictures of our travels in Castelli Romani. In one day, we traveled to Albano, Castelgondolfo, Nemi, Frascati, and Genzano. Of the five towns we visited, my love was Frascati – world renowned for its white wine (my favorite). Sitting at my very first Italian restaurant with a chalkboard out front (a chalkboard means the food will be amazing and fresh according to Cinzia and Linda) and drinking my first glass of white wine while eating our waiter’s favorite item on the menu – lasagna, I could not be more excited to begin the discovery of the rest of my Italy. Yes, I get to say my Italy! I cannot wait to continue my journey in discovering myself while also discovering my Italy.
I have been truly blessed in being able to make this wonderful trip. It is my (“Sin’s”) Italian blessing – “benedizione Italiano”.
Sinclair R. Monk
Enjoying white wine and lasagna in Frascati with three of my best friends!