I have culminated a rather long list of extracurricular involvements, fostered countless litters of kittens, felt the happiness of performing onstage, lived in several houses, and ingested well over 200 tacos in these past 20 years.
But, more importantly, I have learned the overwhelming power of love (thanks to an incredible family), knelt at the feet of Jesus in countless church services, and felt the incomparable comfort of feeling "at home" with those I love.
It is a strange feeling to be so far away from my family in my final hours as a 20-year-old. It is a strange feeling to know that in a few hours, I will be celebrating my 21st birthday in Florence, Italy. I am truly blessed to have the friends I do here, who have planned some sort of mysterious get-together tomorrow night, and are traveling to the hillsides of Tuscany with me this Saturday for a horseback ride and wine tasting (not a bad way to celebrate a birthday!)
I spent my last day as a 20-year-old bouncing from class to church to grocery store to homework session to bible study dinner. It was a busy day, but one full of many blessings!
Every other week, our bible study group meets for a communal dinner. This week, I invited Sarah (my new gondola friend from Venice) to join, as I had talked with her briefly about faith during our trip this weekend. She and I walked together across town, as I wolfed down an artichoke, pesto, and mozzarella panini I had made in anticipation for a glutenous menu.
However, upon arrival at the restaurant, the server told me he would happily make me a gluten free pasta--his recommendation was the penne vodka. I took his advice, and enjoyed a delicious gluten free pasta (the best texture I have had yet) and several glasses of red wine with my friends. Don Mario approached me during dinner, smiled, and made his usual comment about the fact that I was indeed more Catholic than Methodist based on the glass of wine sitting in front of me. I laughed, and he put his hand on my shoulder, whispering, "If you have any questions about the Catholic faith, I am here to answer them."
This sparked a discussion with the girls sitting around me, and they patiently answered my questions about the Catholic faith. We exchanged laughs, stories, and before we knew it, our complimentary dessert was being served. They gave me a special dessert of my own: a creamy coffee-flavored gelato.
As Sarah and I walked home (we live on the same side of town; finally someone to walk with me down the scary street!), we talked about adjusting to our new lives in Florence, and how wonderful it is to have a group of people who can gather and have a great time and talk about God openly.
Last night, Sarah, Megan, Renee, and I (the gondola crew) had met at Tijuana (the Florentine Mexican restaurant, which in my opinion has very delicious nachos!). I had to arrive late due to a yoga class, and they were kind enough to order my peach margarita for me in order to ensure I got the happy hour deal. As I took my seat, they beamed, saying, "We ordered you the "extra grande" size!" I looked at them, silent for a moment.
"What?" I asked, taken aback.
"Well, you said the margaritas here were huge, so we ordered you one!"
"Their regular sized ones are huge!" I exclaimed, fearful of what they had ordered.
Sure, enough, they were monstrous. 12 euro worth of margarita per person. But, not to fear. They were basically fruit smoothies, with little to no alcohol in them. And, they were discounted. So, I wasn't too concerned! As we left, Meagan slipped a little bundle of yellow flowers sitting on the table center (all of Florence is covered in these bouquets in honor of International Women's Day) in her purse, as I had mentioned that I wished I had gotten some. She gave them to me later; I intend to keep them!
Today was a blessing indeed, full of wonderful people, great food, and time with God and appreciating the abundance of His gifts. I cannot believe that in a few hours I will be 21...I have already had a head start on the drinking, I suppose, but it was wine provided by a priest! So it's okay!
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