Waking up super early is not fun or easy to do, but today, it was absolutely worth it. We left the palace at 6:30am sharp and started our journey to the Vatican City for Pope Francis’s weekly general audience. As we arrived, the sheer size of the crowd  was overwhelming. It was obvious that people from all over the world flocked to the Vatican to see and hear the Pope, while waving different national flags. After  trying to weave through hundreds of people, we were able to get seats a few rows back from the railing where the Pontiff drives through in his popemobile. The audience began to roar as this religious celebrity began his ride around the crowd. Some of my favorite, and cutest, moments were when Pope Francis would kiss the babies who were being lifted up and presented to him like Simba from The Lion King. His message was short and sweet, by addressing how Christians should should be full of hope and a vessel that brings hope to others. Overall, the whole experience was amazing. As  I write this hours after experiencing today’s earlier event of being a part of the Papal audience, it seems like so long ago because our days are so packed. It is hard to believe we are already four weeks in, and have already done so much. It makes me excited for the rest of the trip and all the other awesome things to come.
-Madison Kimel