Assisi

Jet lagged as all hell, they packed up the 200 of us and shipped us off to Assisi. Yet again, what a good Jesuit thing to do, lol. Yet, in all actuality, I will admit that Assisi might be the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. I don't remember feeling such a sense of awe at seeing a place since I was 9 on my first trip to Disney World. Assisi sits on the top of a hill/mountain and the roads are so steep that the bus was allowed on them. So, we hiked up into the village, and hiked another good ways up to our hotel. Olenka and I found ourselves on the 5th floor, which again required some more walking (let's just say that by the end of this semester my calves and ass should be amazing). But when we reached our room, this was the view!
The retreat was good, filled with expected Jesuit insight about finding our paths in life. Excitingly, all the provided meals included wine. Oh, and may I just say before I forget that I am in love with Italy's obsession with coffee. We stopped at a gas station on our way to Assisi, and the cappuccino there was better than any I've ever had in the states. But back on topic, the professors guided us through some amazing places. I saw St. Francis' original church, the place where he is burried, the cross that spoke to him, the church where St. Clare is burried, and also clothes worn by them both, and St. Clare's hair. The place felt so sacred and special, it looked how I imagined the whole of Italy should look. We all sampled our frst true Italian gelato, and a group of girls and I (legally) purchased some wine and had an amazing girls night. The last day a large group of us decided to climb up to a castle: Rocca di Maggiore, at the top of the mountain. Luckily for us, we ran into three Italian young men who escorted us! (fyi none in of the streets anywhere in Italy run parallel). Otherwise, we probably would never have made it. Overall, if you ever go to Italy, make sure you make it to Assisi, especially if you were raised Catholic, because you wil understand all of the stories and legends behind this magical place. Cioa!