ITALY – The Best Post-Graduation Gift
Sometime in June of 2017
Some would say that traveling after finishing school is a cliche. I would say that if you can do it, do it... even if it's just for a few days! I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Italy as a graduation gift from myself and my family.
I booked the "Ultimate Italy" trip with an agency called EF College Break. They create itineraries / tours specifically for young adults. Flights and accommodations are all included. It's cool to travel with them if you're lazy to do your own planning and if you want to travel with a large group of strangers / potential friends.
So here are some Jesus encounters and highlights from the trip around Venice, Verona, Milan, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Florence, Tuscany, Orvieto, Rome, Capri, Peompeii, Sicily, and Mt. Etna!
1. San Marco Basilica in Venice
I separated with my group to go inside a Catholic Church, San Marco Basilica, in Venice. I was pleasantly surprised to see a long line outside. This line was for people waiting to celebrate mass. I thought, "This many people want to celebrate mass too?!" When the doors opened, we proceeded to take our seats and for a moment, I felt sad. I saw families and friends together, enjoying each other's company, but I didn't have that. I didn't have anyone in my group interested in going to mass with me either. And in another moment, mass started, the choir sang like angels, I looked up at the ceiling, and I felt a huge rush of amazement and butterflies in my stomach. From that point, I knew that I was alone because God wanted to take me on a little date with Him, so I wasn't really alone. Tears of joy fell from my face as I was overwhelmed by His love.
2. Gondola Ride in Venice
I have this as a highlight for obvious reasons. And because the ride was filled with innocence, laughter, and joy! It included much singing, specifically of songs from Moana and The Lizzie McGuire Movie. The gondola drivers were singing in Italian as well!
3. Lake Como
This was a place I could not believe existed. I thought I was looking at a green screen, a painting, or a set of a movie! It was definitely one of my, "Wow, God is the best artist." moments.
3. Duomo di Milano
I separated from my group again to visit Duomo di Milano, also known as Cathedral of Milan. It is another awesome Catholic Church. Call me ignorant, but since I'm not very big on shopping, I couldn't find much to do in Milan except go to the top of this church.
The reason why this is a highlight isn't because of an amazing view this time. This is because I met an inspirational person, of whom I’ll never see again. I don't even remember his name. I just remember that he was 18 years old, was from Colombia, had a girlfriend in Switzerland that he was going to break up with, and had been to many countries just because he wants to see all of the world. This made me realize that if you truly want to travel, you’ll find a way.
4. "If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?" in Cinque Terre
The answer is yes. I had another, "Wow, God is the best artist." moment. But I also had a, "Wow, I'm feeling much love from friendships." moment.
I'm not really the type to go in water. I often talk about how I hate wasting my vacation in water instead of exploring the streets. But, I was peer pressured into going with my new friends to the cliffs of Manarola. At first, I was the person watching everyone's belongings. Before I knew it, I was jumping cliffs too. I'm not gonna lie. The more I saw them do it, the more I wanted to. And so I did!
Nicole was the first to come back for me and encourage me. She said, "If you want to do it, do it now because we have to catch the train in 30 minutes." Rushing, I took my glasses off, reluctantly went in the water, and swam to the rocks. Since my vision was blurry, Madi guided me up by telling me which steps were slippery and which steps were safe. When I finally got to the top, my friends were cheering me on. Thank God for them because they gave me confidence that allowed me to jump with no hesitation.
Seconds after I jumped, timekeeper Nicole yelled at us to put on our clothes, gather our belongings, and run to the train. "We only have 20 minutes!" she announced. After finding out that the cliff I jumped was over 30 feet, running across the village, holding on to my belongings for dear life, dodging many tourists, fiddling to buy a train ticket, accidentally ending up on the wrong platform, we made it to our train... and it was DELAYED.
The whole experience, including jumping off a cliff and running to catch a train, was such a thrill!
5. Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence
I heard that watching the sunset here would be special, so I had high expectations. Little did I know that it would be special for reasons other than the view again! Of course, watching the sunset was like watching a live miracle. But getting to know the group of girls in the picture while watching the sunset made it even better.
We naturally gravitated towards one-on-one conversations. Shae and Krystal bonded over gelato at a shop while Heather and I bonded over pizza on the stairs. Heather and I shared our testimonies, or stories about how we fell in love with Jesus. Her story was inspiring. I hoped that my story inspired her too. When Shae and Krystal came back from eating gelato, they told us that they were also sharing testimonies. What a coincidence! Once again, the Holy Spirit was moving through our hearts and allowing us to be closer to each other and Jesus. There's definitely something special about that.
6. Rome Sweet Home
I'm a part of a Catholic young adult community called Youth For Family and Life. It's also "YFL" for short. There is a big YFL population in Rome, so I had to meet them. I met up with Kuya Daryll who introduced me to more members. With all of them, I felt so welcomed and at home. Simple things, such as jamming to worship songs on Karen's rooftop, driving around the city, and one-on-ones with Kuya Daryll brought me much joy.
Then, I visited some of the most awe-inspiring places of worship. St. Peter's Basilica was an obvious one. Then, there was Scala Sancta, the holy stairs Jesus walked on before meeting Pontious Pilate and the crucifixion. Some would even say there is still blood on the stairs.
The tradition is to pray and kneel on each step. When I did this, I felt a lot of pain on my knees. I offered the pain up to the Lord. I did this by praying the Divine Mercy and by acknowledging that my pain will never compare to the pain He felt on the cross.
7. Mount Etna
This is Europe's largest active volcano. No long description here. Just lots of hiking, beauty, and goodbyes. :( Thank you EF, my new friends, my family, and God for making this one of the best trips of my life.
