Life at the Convent

We haven't been here two weeks yet and life has already settled into a routine. Though the days themselves go by quickly, looking back, it seems like I've been here for a long time. I guess that's a good thing, because it means SBI is becoming a home. Italy may be a foreign country, but it's still on planet earth. The air, the trees, the stars, the morning sun...it's all here (lol). Though the people speak a different language, and their culture has given them different values and ways of looking at the world, at base we're the same. Buongiorno and a smile go a long way.

I'm in love with everyone here. Technically, it's still the honeymoon period though so all the faults are being looked over and it's quite possible there will be dissension in the ranks at some point...but for now, everything is shiny. It's definitely weird not having any guys here except "Brother Garrett" (as Hannah has dubbed him), but weird doesn't have to imply bad. To the contrary...

The days go by quickly because there is barely time to breathe. I force myself out of a warm bed and into the freezing dorm at 7:50 so I can make it to breakfast at 8 semi-put-together looking. As soon as we're done with breakfast we complete whatever dorm duty we've been assigned for the month. This month, Elizabeth and I are cleaning the bathroom on my floor. I don't mind because it involves physical movement and a chance to get warm. And, I've always had a penchant for scrubbing toilets...odd fact about me.

We're in class six hours a day, with an afternoon break, and the rest of the time is spent doing homework. For this week's intensive we had so much homework I honestly wasn't sure I was going to be able to get it all done...and that's saying something considering some of my experiences with LUO. However, it did get done.

Ta da.

The one thing that surprised me was how easy it was to start doing school after 7 months of not doing it. Funny how last May I promised myself I would never write another essay for a professor....

Sam is a fun professor though. The homework may be heavy, but class is extremely entertaining. Unfortunately, I can't share any of it on this blog since most of his stories are prefaced with "what I'm about to tell you can't leave this room." (It's a lovely room, by the way. High ceiling, exposed beams, wood floors, brick walls. Slightly warmer than my dorm). So if you want to know what he tells us, you'll just have to come to SBI and take the class yourself ;). Half the fun, though, is that since English is Sam's second or third language, it makes for some awkward moments. He speaks clearly, but doesn't understand what he could be insinuating.

Sam, and all of the staff, are so nice it practically blows my mind. Why I'm surprised there are genuinely caring people on this planet, I'm not sure. It's not like there aren't plenty of those people back home. It still surprises me, though. Maybe because I came to SBI approaching this from a student/teacher, nun/mother-superior angle (cheesy grin), instead of the friendship that it is... Just one example is when I was dropping of US dollars in Samuel's office for him to exchange. I was about to leave, but he said, "Wait, wait, don't go." And then proceeded to ask how I was doing, how I was sleeping, etc etc, even though he was in the middle of all his work. It makes it almost impossible to feel unloved.

I know I need to cherish this time, though. Right now, people are pouring their lives into me, giving, giving, giving. I'm just receiving. It's wonderful, but something that won't (and, after a point, shouldn't) be a norm. For now, I'll enjoy it. Later, I'll be prepared to give back.

They really are preparing us here, especially since so much of the focus is on other people. Last Thursday, instead of our afternoon session, they drove us into Spilimbergo, a city about 25 minutes from my sleepy little town. They tempted us out with the hope of gelato, where we practiced the Italian from our first language class with Amber the day before. The main point, though, was to "evangelize" each other by pretending to be someone of a different religion or whatever. We did that on the overlook as the sun set. It was a stunning view, one I was sorry to leave even though it was getting even colder (it snowed an inch here yesterday—rather unusual). The other unusual thing is that the Pope is resigning. First time in like...six hundred years. Or maybe it was 400. I wouldn't care if I wasn't in Italy.