Journey 6: Veni, Vidi, Vici (Spring Break 2013 Italy)

So maybe this is a cliché expression, but it’s never been more applicable in my life. This was my first Spring Break out on my own, and I definitely went, saw, and conquered. I’ve never been to Italy before, and for those who’ve known me for any length of time know that it has been a dream of mine for quite a few years now. But not only did I get to travel somewhere I’ve always wanted to, I did it on my own, successfully. I wasn’t on my own the whole trip, but Sunday morning I got from the bus station, the airport, and the Rome train station all by myself. I felt so accomplished and so capable. It’s both terrifying and invigorating how independent I’m becoming.

I was only in Rome for a night, so I didn’t get to actually go into anything. But I did walk past most of the major sights like the Vatican and the Colosseum. I knew it beforehand, but even that first night I was reassured that I was traveling with a great group of people. The weather had been great until I arrived. Then, of course, it started pouring rain. However, that didn’t stop them from guiding me to the Trevi Fountain, one of the main things I knew for sure I wanted to visit. It was so sweet, and I was just completely giddy the whole time.

At the Trevi Fountain!

Our day trip to Assisi the next day was probably the highlight of my break. Everyone was still in a really good mood, the weather was a little rainy but otherwise not too bad, and the city itself was stunning. It was quite a hike getting around and we had all of our luggage because it was just a pit stop on our way to Florence, but it was completely worth it. It was a great place for personal reflection and taking time to enjoy the beauty of Italy. I would go back.

Most of our group in Assisi, unfortunately with all our luggage

Another high of the trip was a literal height. In Florence, my favourite thing was climbing to the top of the Duomo. It has a ton of stairs, and I almost wasn’t sure I would make it, but the view was what did it for me. Just being able to look out and see the whole city and surrounding areas…incredible. There happened to be a film crew up there while we were touring, which was kind of cool but also a little annoying because there were certain times that we had to be still and quiet. I also got yelled at twice by the crew, though neither time was really my fault…

At the top of the Duomo

The other main attraction we saw while in Florence was the statue of David. We waited outside in on-and-off rain for an hour and a half, not really knowing what to expect from the museum. I was worried it might not be as impressive as everyone made it out to be, but let me assure you, it is. He’s way bigger than I was expecting! Plus, there are so many other neat things to look at as well. It was well worth it.

My proudest moment was most definitely Thursday. If you don’t know, most of the people I was traveling with are introverts. But none of us had really been able to have alone time. We introverts need our alone time. So, fortunately for that day, our group split up and went to two different cities to meet up the next day in Venice. I split off with two of the guys in our group, and the three of us went to Monteriggioni in Siena, while the rest went to Cinque Terre. I would have liked to be able to see Cinque Terre, but for time’s sake, we couldn’t do both. I think I made a good decision.

To get to Monteriggioni, we had to take a train to Siena and then a bus to the base of the hill upon which the walled city sits. It’s a kind of long story, all the trials we went through to get there, so all I’ll say is that the bus system is horrendous. But we met so many nice people in Siena who helped us get to where we needed to be that it ended up being such a blessing just to be there. We had a lovely time, and the time spent just the three of us was much needed for all of our sanity.

On top of the walls in Monteriggioni

The cutest little house in Siena

Venice was probably my favourite big city that we stayed in. I loved the fact that there were no cars; all the taxis were boats (though we never rode one because, really, there was no need). We did however take a gondola ride on Saturday, and it was, as Ethan put it, the best 23 euros ever spent. The boats have a six person max, so we had to split up. It somehow ended up that the four girls were in one boat and the three guys in another. But the two gondoliers kept our boats pretty close together the whole time. At one point, the guys’ gondolier left their boat, got onto ours, gave Natali and me a hug while singing to us, before stepping back to his own boat. It was one of the coolest and funniest moments ever. Plus, once we docked, I got to dance with a third gondolier who just happened to show up. Sure it was only for about 30 seconds, but it was an awesome 30 seconds!

That's the guys' gondolier. He may or may not have been a little intoxicated while rowing...

Other than trying to get our two groups back together that Friday night, everything went really smoothly. Our hostel in Venice was incredible. We had a whole floor to ourselves: four bedrooms, two baths, a living room, and a kitchen. It was a little hard to find, and I’m pretty sure we were the only people in the entire building, but most people said it was one of their favourite hostels during the trip. (Which was great for me, since I happened to be the one to book it!) Venice was just such a peaceful way to end the trip. The city is wonderful and very laid back. There were a lot of markets, but unlike Florence, no one was trying to force you to buy anything.

On Sunday, we flew out of Verona, and I must say, Verona has one of the most relaxed airports I have ever been to. The security personal were so nice and friendly. Morgan set of the metal detector, but they asked her if it was okay for them to check her before they actually did. Who does that? They were so polite as we came through too, reminding us of everything we needed to do and take off before going through the detector. It was incredible.

Overall, I had a wonderful time in Italy. Obviously I can’t tell you everything that happened in the week or this blog would be so long that no one would be interested in reading it. But I hope I gave enough highlights for you to get a general idea of how it all went. There were ups and downs for sure, but I was with a great group of people and the place itself was as good as I hoped it would be. I also had so much gelato and pizza, and even a few cups of coffee.

Yet despite all of that, I was ready to get back home by the end of it. And what’s surprising is that by ‘home,’ I meant Oxford. I hardly ever use the term ‘home’ to describe anything other than my address in The Woodlands. My mom may refer to ACU as ‘home’ for me sometimes, but you’ll rarely hear me call ACU ‘home.’ But when I saw the sign for Oxford in the London airport, I got giddy all over again. I was headed back to somewhere familiar, where I didn’t have to struggle with the language, where I didn’t have to drag a suitcase around everywhere I went. It was such a relief. It’s amazing what eight or nine weeks can do. It doesn’t sound like a very long time, but I have become quite attached to this little city. I know my way around and feel very comfortable here. I actually feel like I belong here. It’s funny how your definition of something (like the word ‘home’) can change as you grow and adapt and mature. You start to view things in a new light. It’s scary, but exciting.

I only have six more weeks of the semester, and that’s really sad. I’ve done so much in these past ten weeks, though, that if I were to leave tomorrow, I know there are things that I didn’t get to do, but I wouldn’t regret any of how I have spent my time. Fortunately, though, I’m not done. In fact, in four days I’m headed to France for 13 days. But I know it’s all going to fly by. I also already know it’s going to be weird getting used to American culture again. Not that I’m saying I’ve become ‘British’ by any means, but I’ve definitely become accustomed to the way things are done here. I don’t have to think about that yet though! For now, I’m going to soak up as much as I can for as long as I can…

Journey 5: Islamic London (Eat, Pray, Love)

I’ve been thinking a lot about life recently. This is a busy time in my life (though to me, it seems like it should be the most relaxing), but it is also very conducive to changing my perspective on life. Having Dan McVey as a professor is quite an experience all on its own, but having him while abroad is like having your cake AND eating it too. Not only are we learning about Christianity in light of Islam (and vice versa), we are meeting people who are giving us firsthand experience with this issue. So far I’ve met a moderate Muslim, a progressive Muslim, an ex-Jihadist, and an archbishop. We’ve had guests come speak to us in class, but this past Monday, our Cross and Crescent class (which is all but one person in our group) took a field trip to London for the day to visit two mosques.

The first was the London Central Mosque, which houses a fairly conservative group of Muslims. All of us females had to bring scarves with which to cover our hair before we could go in. They were very nice and we got a good tour of the building. But all the information we received was basically everything we had talked about before in class, so we didn’t learn anything new. However, we only spent an hour there before moving on to our next stop.

Mosque number two was a great experience. The Muslims there are part of the Ahmadiyya branch. They are a small, but growing, group of Islam. They are also one of the most persecuted groups in the Middle East. This is due to some key differences in their beliefs that make them controversial (such as the belief in a prophet after Muhammad). Unlike the other mosque, in terms of the hijab, they are more progressive. We did not have to cover our hair, even when we walked into the men’s part of the mosque.

The best part of our trip there was most definitely the food. They served us “a light Indian lunch” that consisted of salad, rice, curry (both chicken and vegetarian), naan bread, and ice cream for dessert. It was some of the most delicious food (though some of the members were worried it would be too spicy for us). Then just a couple hours later, we had a tea break where there was a whole panoply of all sorts of biscuits, chocolate, candy, crisps, and nuts for us. And then, because “we had a long drive ahead of us,” they said, we each received a packed dinner to take on the road. They were so sweet!

In my interactions with Muslims so far, I have noticed two key similarities: the love of food and of people. Food really is such a great way for people to have community with each other. Everybody has to eat. I’ve noticed this during several of my trips since I’ve been here. I’ve gotten to know people in the house through meals together. Most of the strangers that I end up conversing with I met while out at a pub or someplace similar. It’s usually some activity that involves food in some way. I’m not really sure why, I just know that it’s true.

They also have such a heart for people. One of the biggest themes in Islam is to do good in the world, to do good to others. This belief is not so different from our Christian beliefs (though the emphasis they place on it is not quite the same as ours). Jesus says you will know people by their fruit. It’s hard to condemn a group of people that seem so morally righteous, to say that they have it all wrong, when a lot of them seem to be better people than I am.

Some big questions have been raised over these past six weeks: How is Islam connected to Christianity? Do we worship the same God? Where does Jesus fit in? Is conversion our main goal in life? I’m still struggling with all of these because I don’t think Islam is complete. I really believe that there is a lot left to chance in their faith because, without the salvation of Jesus, it really is just a hope that the good outweighs the bad in the end. I don’t even want to think about what would be in store for me if that were the case…

But is conversion, then, what we should strive for? No one can convince anyone of any biblical truth. No amount of beating someone over the head with Scripture is going to do the job. You just can’t prove anything in the Bible. Which I understand is the beauty of faith. It wouldn’t be faith if you could prove it.

So then, how do we reconcile this in our own lives? As someone who wants to go into Christian Ministry (in some capacity), what does this mean for my future and how I interact with others? I can’t prove my own beliefs, which also means I can’t disprove other people’s beliefs.

What I’m gathering through various conversations with people is that there are a lot of things that people focus on that don’t really matter in the long run. As cliché as it sounds, I think it really does all boil down to love. When you remove all the stuff that people get hung up on, what’s left is the need to love and take care of others. And, honestly, that’s the only way I’ve been able to have any sort of witness. It reminds me of the For King & Country song, “Proof of Your Love”:

           

“Let my life be the proof,

            The proof of Your love

            Let my love like You, and what You’re made of

            How You lived, how You died

            Love is sacrifice

            So let my life be the proof,

            The proof of Your love”

Love is sacrifice. What a powerful statement. God is love. He sacrificed for us and has called us to love others. I know I’ve said this before, but living in such close community with over 30 other people is really testing this. What do you do when a large group of people has a dinner together, but leaves a sink full of dishes to clean in your kitchen? Do you grouse about it to anyone who’ll listen? Do you clean just what you need for your next meal and leave the rest? Or do you take time out of your day to clean up a mess that had nothing to do with you? (That’s kind of a petty example, but it is very relevant.)

So then what about when you meet someone of a different faith, or someone who doesn’t have a faith?  How do we respond? How should we respond? I have friends who aren’t Christians, so it’s not like this is a new situation for me. But before, I would just avoid the discussion of religion, like it didn’t really matter or wasn’t important to our friendship whether or not we shared the same faith.

I think it is an important topic, though, because how much of what I do in life is because of my faith? How can that be seen as irrelevant if it’s so pervasive in my life? I’m glad I’m finally learning how to have those conversations. It’s ok to disagree (and I’m learning how to disagree), but I’m moving away from the idea that conversion is what we’re striving for. I think that’s the height of hubris. I can’t convert anyone anyway. We have so many conflicts within Christianity as well, so it’s not like these conversations end as soon as someone converts. Instead of striving to tell people about Jesus, I think it’s more important to show Jesus. You can never go wrong with love. It may cost you time or money, but that’s why it’s a sacrifice.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope what I was trying to say made it through, and if not, well it’s because I’m still working through it myself! I’d love to hear what some of your thoughts are, if you’re willing to share!

Journey 4: Whitby and York

How cool is it that, for class, all 34 of us studying abroad get to pack up and leave one Thursday to go to Whitby and York for a long weekend? It’s an incredible experience being here. I just can’t get over it…

So yesterday marked Week 6 of my Study Abroad adventure. I don’t think I could honestly say that I’ve loved every minute of it. Like anybody else, I have my ups and downs. But I wouldn’t trade any experience I’ve had here so far for anything! That includes this past weekend.

Whitby, if you’ve never been, is a quaint coastal town in the north of England. It is definitely a fishermen’s town, with a fish and chip shop on just about every corner. Also, candy stores. There were so many sweet shops! I made sure to eat at The Magpie Cafe because it came so highly recommended by everyone. I now understand why.

All that was left of my fish and chips from The Magpie Cafe

Our hostel was right by the ruins of Whitby Abbey, which was pretty neat. My favourite part of the Whitby trip, though, was Friday afternoon. A small group of us went rambling along the cliff tops, looking out at the North Sea. That was beautiful in and of itself, but the really fun part was when we hopped the fence to go climb out on this giant black rock. We hiked down the muddy hill and stood out in the North Sea. We couldn’t stay long because the tide was coming in, so we got a few pictures and then climbed back up the hill. But I cannot express how awesome it was to be where I was, with the people I was with, and the pictures just don’t do it justice.

That's the rock we climbed out to.

York was fun. After a while though (and it pains me to say this because I didn’t think I would get to this point), all these little cities kind of start to feel the same. We went to a little café for lunch, and when we walked out, I had already forgotten we were in York. I was thinking we were back in Oxford. The one key difference, though, is that Oxford is noticeably devoid of Vikings wandering around, and well, York has plenty. Everywhere we went, men, women, and children alike were dressed up as Vikings. It turns out there was a big festival going on in Jorvik (the old Viking village part of York) that weekend, but we didn’t know that before we got there. I got a video of one of the fights we saw reenacted and will post it on Facebook soon. So, look forward to that…

A group of the Saxon army fighting off the Vikings

Some of the people we saw

Our last excursion was through Fountain’s Abbey on our way back to Oxford. Unlike Whitby Abbey, it is not just an Abbey ruin. It is like a whole conservation area that just happens to have an old church ruin in the middle. Needless to say, it was beautiful and lots of fun to explore.

What is so crazy to me is that we are just about to hit the halfway point of the semester. Spring Break is a week away, I need to start thinking about my classes for next semester, and so much homework is due really soon. Being here, it is so easy to forget the “study” of “study abroad”. I have quite a bit of trouble focusing on school work sometimes, but again, I knew it would be a challenge going in.

Sorry, not a very interesting post, this one. But thanks for following! Hopefully I’ll be able to share more of thoughts later…when I don’t have three other papers to write. Until then.