It's 11:11pm in Rome right now. I tried to go to bed an hour ago as I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. However, I cannot sleep. This time the inability to fall asleep has nothing to do with the incredible heat of my room or the flies that occupy it (I have to keep the window open). Rather, it has something to do with a newfound sense of purpose, excitement, and the inability to shut it off for 8 hours. So, it's time for another update.
I have now been at Sant'Anselmo for one month. The time really is flying by. Although I am beginning to feel more and more at home here, I STILL cannot believe that I actually live here. The purpose of this blog is three-fold: A) Tell you what I'm currently up to; B) Explain how things have changed since the last post; and C) Attempt to offer a glimpse of what all of this means to me at the moment. So, here goes...
A) What I'm up to: Last Friday was my final day of Italian class at Dilit Language school. The last four weeks have been very intense in the classroom as I went from practically zero Italian to now having a basic knowledge. I must make clear that this "basic" knowledge is very primitive and lacks little if any sophistication. The good thing to keep in mind is that it will only get better from here on out...one can only hope. So, having my afternoons free now, my job description is now changing quite a bit. I will continue working on the grounds, for the time being, as well as working behind the scenes for the Congress of Abbots that is currently going on here for the next 10 days.
B) What has changed with me: I now understand why the people here at Sant'Anselmo tell me to "stay flexible." This has nothing to do with stretching or calisthetics in the morning in order to develop vigor before work. Instead, I'm finding out more and more the necessity to stustain mental flexibility because, starting today, every day will be different for a while. This week begins the Congress of the Abbots which is hosted every four years at Sant'Anselmo. I am not entirely sure of the details of the Congress, but about 250 Abbots from monasteries all over the world will be arriving at Sant'Anselmo these next few days for the Congress. Today was jam-packed full of excitement! I spent today preparing documents, attending a couple of meetings, greeting the incoming Abbots, showing some of them to their rooms (many of whom I couldn't understand a word they said...and probably vice versa), and washing dishes after dinner this evening. Tomorrow, I will do this all over again, but maybe in a different order, maybe something entirely different, probably the latter, I am not really sure. All I know is I better stretch after my run in the morning...
C) What does this all mean? Well, to put it as simply as I can, it means that just when I think I have a routine in life, things can quickly change directions and all I can do is go with it, stay enthusiastic, and enjoy it along the way. I've known this reality in life before, yet I constantly forget all about it when I get into a routine. The first four weeks I was here, I had a routine and it was nice. Yet, that is not why I applied to the BVC and it's not why I came here. I came to Rome to challenge myself, try something new, step out of my comfort zone, and learn a thing or two about myself and this big unique world. So, for me, these new challenges really force me to step out of my comfort zone. Back home, in the United States (both in Omaha and CSB/SJU), I was around people whom I knew, a language I used freely and easily, and I usually had a routine. I come to Rome knowing nearly nobody, though I'm quickly making friends (the people here are so welcoming), and trying to speak a language I've just learned to people I've recently met. There have been a few uneasy moments where I've questioned "Why am I here?" Yet, each new day brings more and more reassurance that this is where I need to be right now. That through this experience I'm going to continue searching and figuring out the person I'm suppose to be. Maybe not, but I do know that the only way it COULD happen is for me to continue feeling a little uncomfortable every day and experience an element of "how do I get through this?" I know there are people here working WAY harder than me, so I'll keep that in mind. All I can do is continue to make it my goal to try my best, be honest with myself, seek new challenges, and hopefully grow in the process.
Writing this has made me a little tired, so I think I'll hit the hay.
More pictures coming very soon (maybe some artwork too)...
A shot of the River Tevere at night.
View from the tower at Sant'Anselmo. The taller white building is the Vittoriano in the Piazza Venezia in Central Rome, about a 10 minute walk from where I live.
A Swiss Guard standing watch at the Vatican. They literally do not move. 
Lukas (black shirt) and some friends from Italian class at the Campo dei Fiori. Lukas is the other volunteer here at Sant'Anselmo for the year from Germany.
This is a posed picture of me throwing a coin in at la Fontana di Trevi. I really did throw a coin in before this was taken. Legend has it that throwing a coin into the fountain brings good luck and ensures a visit back to Rome in the future. Sweet.
