Thursday, 1/23/03
Today is my last day of work. I'll be going to College Station in two days and leaving for Italy in four. I must say I'm neither excited nor nervous. I'm trying to suppress the second, and to indulge the first would be risking loss of control over the second. So I'll proceed with everything like it is perfectly normal.
Last night Dad bought me a camera. I took an entire roll of pictures when we got home so I could develop them today and make sure everything turns out okay. I started packing this morning.
Tuesday, 1/28/03
It's sunrise and I see a sea of cotton balls. I saw a strip of white where there was a break in the clouds that I believe was the ocean against the cliffs of whatever European country we are passing over. I wish I knew. The floor of clouds in the sky is a grayish white except for the pink tips that are beginning to be more numerous. I don't feel tired, although in my time it is about 1am. I'm sure the fatigue will catch up with me later.
Last night, yesterday, how can I describe my first real ascent into the sky? The plane took off and the structure of neighborhoods suddenly became clear. The plane tipped, turned, and raised higher and I could see a new level of organization of the city of Houston. Then we flew into the clouds and all was a white blur. But then we magically entered a white cave, with the ceiling trying to meet the floor, streams of connecting clouds between two flat layers.
We ascended higher and I saw a soft white prairie, very flat but rolling. As we rose, the rolling clouds seemed to be packed tightly in rows, like sardines. It seemed to be a plain of ice, with the sun setting behind and making it sparkle. Then the clouds ended and it was dark below. Nothing is more beautiful than city lights at night, looking like the gold mine of the earth. My ears and head are throbbing with our descent into Frankfurt. I will continue later.
We're in the Frankfurt airport now. The city certainly is gorgeous from up above. One of my ears now refuses to open up; I can't hear out of it. I think the most glorious sight I have seen yet was waking out of my, maybe two hours, rest and realizing it was sunrise in Europe. The ground was still dark and there were no clouds so I saw an unknown European city glowing like a web of veins of the richest gold in the most abundant gold mine. The greatest thing was knowing that, though I could see the city delicate in the detail of its entirety, it was larger than I could imagine if I was in it. What frustrated me about the whole flight was being able to see things and not really knowing what size they were.
I have a great group of friendly people to travel with. We have over three hours before we depart for Rome. Rome! I wonder if I will be able to see St. Peter's from the sky. No, it doesn't do to get excited. But I can calmly anticipate more wonders to come.
I'm only in the airport so I haven't come into contact with what will give me culture shock, but I'm in awe that I'm on the other side of the world. Somehow it doesn't feel as foreign as I expected it to.
I'm in the plane, waiting for takeoff to Rome. This one is much roomier than the last. While in the German airport I played Yahtzee while Morgan and Kate planned a Sound of Music music video. Then I played Speed with Omar, and Rummy with more people. I won of course, as I always seem to win games.
We are above the sunny cloud desert one more time. Amazing how it can be so overcast and suddenly the sun isn't blocked anymore. But now I can't see the land. Just as well, because I am so drowsy.
We're passing the Alps, snow capped and sturdy. The land between the mountains looks like fudge marble ice cream. There is also a dark blue trail of a river. Here is a huge valley with a big city, lots of tiny white squares. I can see the coast as well as the beginnings of more mountains. They look like crumpled paper bags. I'm dead tired but I can't stop looking.
Today is closing. Since Santa Chiara study center is being renovated we are staying in a hotel for the first two weeks. Our room is tiny (I have two roommates) but we have a door that goes to an outside balcony and winding stairs that lead to all the different levels. It is awesome and I'm going to explore it again in the light tomorrow and take pictures.
Only a few people have been able to call their parents--they had to walk to a phone. I was going to email mine, but since the email access is at Santa Chiara, I can't. I guess I'll try to call tomorrow.
Roma was amazing, driving from the airport. I'll have to describe some of the intriguing sites another time.
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