Rome Prep: Madelyn's Gift

 

 

 

 

 

As you may have already noticed, this blog is probably going to become more of a travel journal in the coming weeks and months.  I'll chronicle my preparations and adventures as I approach the junior semester in Rome at Christendom College.

One of the biggest helps as I prepare for this massive undertaking has been my dear friend, Madelyn.  She spent five months in Germany herself, so she's able to reassure and counsel me in a lot of areas.

The Christmas gift she bestowed on me was such a crazy-brilliant-wonderful thing that I have to share it!

 

Okay, notice the jar.  See the little rolled-up dollar bills?  Well, each of them has a little tag on it, tied up with nicely curled red ribbon.  This is a gift not of money, but of adventure.

All twenty little tags are clever ideas for putting the dollar to use in my Roman excursion.  E.g. a map...a random touristy souvenier...a postcard to her...dark chocolate gelato...a book in Italian...  Madelyn decided to share some of her adventures and discoveries on her travel abroad with me as I experience Bella Roma.  I know the days of overwhelming homesickness and culture shock will hit, and I have no way of bracing myself for them.  No way - except by just going out there and, well, living!  I'm saving these for those days, and for the rainy afternoons when I just don't want to go anywhere, and for the days when I'm aching to be with friends, family and especially boyfriend.

How on earth can I say thank-you adequately?!  I plan to do as many of these things as I can - from steeple-climbing to taking a train to a town with an unpronounceable name, to eating pizza with weird ingredients that I don't recognize.  Expect to see pictures of these things in the future!  This gift has got me so excited, I can't even describe it!  I'm nervous about the whole trip, but this just makes me happy.  I can't wait to buy myself a flower in Rome!  Grazie, Madelyn!