Aside from the murderous, obsessive behaviors of Tom Ripley, I believe we have a few things in common and f course our differences.When I began reading The Talented Mr. Ripley, I thought for sure it would be boring with too many adjectives explain the sences and characteristics of places like Rome and Venice. Although I could list ten pages of words describing the places I have visited I did not care to actually read every word. I was seriously surprised when the book had an interesting story line and captured every essence of famous cities in Europe exactly how I would explain them.
In the last 8 weeks, I have experienced more things than I have in my entire life. Although the trip had a few negative aspects, I do not regret a single moment of it. It has also taught me more about myself than I would have ever guessed. I believe the experience has brought me closer to my Mom and has made me truly appreciate the life her and my Dad have worked so hard to give me. Don't get me wrong, I have always been grateful for what I have and know how lucky I am to be blessed with such a great life. In the book, Tom only had an abusive Aunt to go home too. Of course, spending the rest of his life exploring Europe was a great idea. If I had no one to return too and a bank account full of money (preferably I would not have killed someone to obtain said money) I would never want to return to my past life either! Europe, especially Italy, is fascinating and never stops surprising you.
Aside from becoming closer with my family, I also think this trip has made me more American. I of course have always been proud to say I am American but now, I have an overwhelming sense of pride. Italy certainly has flaws that I could never become accustomed too. After using public restrooms in Italy, I will never complain of a few paper towels on the bathroom floor again! As silly as that seems, it is the truth. My boyfriend is a police officer, firefighter, and EMT. I will always believe that people in this field of work should be paid more money than they make but, it makes me extremely proud to think that men and women all over our country work and volunteer for these difficult professions and our system is 100% more effective than that of European countries!
During my trip abroad, the views of Rome, Venice, Paris, etc. have taken my breath away. When walking out of the metro and seeing the Colosseum for the first time, I was literally speechless. I suppose it is views like this that also captured Mr. Ripley's interest. America, has beautiful scenery and landscapes but there is something about seeing ruins of old cities that leaves you awe struck. How could our ancestors that only had a fraction of the tools we have today build such structures that are still standing today! The history buried in the roots of Europe are incomparable.
As I finish up my last week here, I am anxious to get home to my family, the love of my life, and my quite farm life. I certainly will not miss the hustle and bustle of Rome or the itchy sheets on campus. I am however, sad to be leaving this country. Although, I could never live here there is something about Italy that keeps me drawn to it. When I watch movies based here I get chills thinking of the memories I have made and the places I have gone. Maybe my coin toss in the Trevi Fountain this week will bring me back to this amazing country and view the rest of the places Tom Ripley explored and loved. Well, I guess there isn't much else to say so as the Italians would say, Arrivederchi.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Soc 490, Week 6!
WOW! I can not believe I am typing the last blog for this class. This adventure is really coming to an end. Hm.
To begin I will quote; William Hoar, "The current healthcare system in this country has plenty of faults, but it's been proven time and again that there is no problem so grave that more government intervention cant make it even worse." Do you agree? I certainly do. History, if you haven't noticed, repeats its self. Yes, our economy is in a horrible state right now. Something needs to be done but, are we willing to take such a huge risk? The possibility of a new healthcare system is not certain to work. It may bring us out of debt now, but who is to say we will not end up like Spain? Why would we want to create a worse health care system then we do now?
After doing our interviews at the market, I do not want to end up like Italians and feel the way they do about their healthcare and hospitals. I reviewed my interview papers and almost everyone rated their doctors and hospitals low. Why would we want to make a similar problem in America? During our interviews I had a tough time finding real Italian citizens to fill out my surveys. When I finally spotted someone who appeared to be one, I was often turned down. At first, I was nervous to even ask someone the questions but was soon stalking people so they would fill out the paper! Half way through our alotted time, I ventured over to the university and was able to get my papers filled out very quickly and had the opportunity to meet some really interesting people! The interview activity was a great way to gather information but, it was also a terrific experience!
In class we discussed the power of prayer. I am currently trying to discover my own faith and it was interesting to hear about my peers beliefs in opinions. It is hard for me to pick one side or the other whether prayer works or not. If prayer does work, then why aren't all little kids with cancer still living after months of praying? Then again, what is a miracle? See my dilema? I like to believe that prayer does work and thats what miracles are. I will continue saying a prayer for the sick and hopefully, someone will get a miracle out of it.
Soc 490 has made me a more open minded person. Coming into this class I knew what I believed and did not even bother learning about the other side of the argument. Now, I feel like for every argument that arises I will learn about the other side and then base me decision off facts and not just what I believe. I still believe healthcare is a privelge but, I am open minded to the idea of it also being a right in some cases.
To begin I will quote; William Hoar, "The current healthcare system in this country has plenty of faults, but it's been proven time and again that there is no problem so grave that more government intervention cant make it even worse." Do you agree? I certainly do. History, if you haven't noticed, repeats its self. Yes, our economy is in a horrible state right now. Something needs to be done but, are we willing to take such a huge risk? The possibility of a new healthcare system is not certain to work. It may bring us out of debt now, but who is to say we will not end up like Spain? Why would we want to create a worse health care system then we do now?
After doing our interviews at the market, I do not want to end up like Italians and feel the way they do about their healthcare and hospitals. I reviewed my interview papers and almost everyone rated their doctors and hospitals low. Why would we want to make a similar problem in America? During our interviews I had a tough time finding real Italian citizens to fill out my surveys. When I finally spotted someone who appeared to be one, I was often turned down. At first, I was nervous to even ask someone the questions but was soon stalking people so they would fill out the paper! Half way through our alotted time, I ventured over to the university and was able to get my papers filled out very quickly and had the opportunity to meet some really interesting people! The interview activity was a great way to gather information but, it was also a terrific experience!
In class we discussed the power of prayer. I am currently trying to discover my own faith and it was interesting to hear about my peers beliefs in opinions. It is hard for me to pick one side or the other whether prayer works or not. If prayer does work, then why aren't all little kids with cancer still living after months of praying? Then again, what is a miracle? See my dilema? I like to believe that prayer does work and thats what miracles are. I will continue saying a prayer for the sick and hopefully, someone will get a miracle out of it.
Soc 490 has made me a more open minded person. Coming into this class I knew what I believed and did not even bother learning about the other side of the argument. Now, I feel like for every argument that arises I will learn about the other side and then base me decision off facts and not just what I believe. I still believe healthcare is a privelge but, I am open minded to the idea of it also being a right in some cases.
Monday, December 3, 2012
GL 350, Week 6!
Last weekend was our final group weekend. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing that I will be home in just 11days! I am over joyed to see my family and friends and excited to use clean restrooms but, I will miss Italy. Two months seems like such a long time to be somewhere but, when there are as many things to do as there is in Italy it doesnt seem like enough time. Hopefully, my coin toss in the Trevi Fountain next week will bring me back to Italy and I can share the experience with my family.
Last weekend we traveled to Sorrento and Pompeii. Although it rained almost the entire weekend, I still had a lovely time. Sorrento is beautiful and the perfect town to live in. It is quaint, but still has a lot of shopping and activity. With the dreary weather it was hard to enjoy all the beautiful views but, it was beauitfully decorated with Christmas decor! Sorrento has been the most decorated place we have been and put me in the Christmas spirit! My favorite part of Sorrento was traveling up the windy road to arrive in the small town and to our hotel. I was very impressed with our drivers control over the car and the people of Sorrentos driving!
On Saturday, we traveled to Pompeii to visit Mt. Vesuvius. Our tour guide was very funny and made parading through a thunderstorm a lot of fun! Pompeii is so interesting because of its history. It was destroyed when a volcano erupted covering the city and all of its population covered in thirty-five feet of ash! Archeologist have done a fantastic job at uncovering a lot of the city and have found a lot of preserved things such as buildings, brothels, and even people. It is sad walking through the remains but very cool to hear about it.
Last week we started reading a new book, The Talented Mr. Ripley. The book has an interesting story line but what makes it so enjoyable to read is being able to compare Tom Ripley's, the main character, experiences to my own. Experiencing siesta for the first time and riding his first public bus were just a couple of things that Tom and I shared. It is fun reading the book and hearing the names of places he has been too or train stops that I passed by. I am only halfway through the book but am hoping to finish it before I go to bed tonight! Speaking of, I should probably start getting ready for bed. Ciao!
Last weekend we traveled to Sorrento and Pompeii. Although it rained almost the entire weekend, I still had a lovely time. Sorrento is beautiful and the perfect town to live in. It is quaint, but still has a lot of shopping and activity. With the dreary weather it was hard to enjoy all the beautiful views but, it was beauitfully decorated with Christmas decor! Sorrento has been the most decorated place we have been and put me in the Christmas spirit! My favorite part of Sorrento was traveling up the windy road to arrive in the small town and to our hotel. I was very impressed with our drivers control over the car and the people of Sorrentos driving!
On Saturday, we traveled to Pompeii to visit Mt. Vesuvius. Our tour guide was very funny and made parading through a thunderstorm a lot of fun! Pompeii is so interesting because of its history. It was destroyed when a volcano erupted covering the city and all of its population covered in thirty-five feet of ash! Archeologist have done a fantastic job at uncovering a lot of the city and have found a lot of preserved things such as buildings, brothels, and even people. It is sad walking through the remains but very cool to hear about it.
Last week we started reading a new book, The Talented Mr. Ripley. The book has an interesting story line but what makes it so enjoyable to read is being able to compare Tom Ripley's, the main character, experiences to my own. Experiencing siesta for the first time and riding his first public bus were just a couple of things that Tom and I shared. It is fun reading the book and hearing the names of places he has been too or train stops that I passed by. I am only halfway through the book but am hoping to finish it before I go to bed tonight! Speaking of, I should probably start getting ready for bed. Ciao!
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