Buon giorno!

The school year has come to a close, research papers are completed, many of my friends have graduated, and I've started rehearsal for my summer job at Bare Bodkins Shakespeare Company. However my life is on hold for a moment, giving way to music, worship, and tasty deliciousness. The University of Sioux Falls Concert Chorale has arrived in Italy.

To prepare myself for these adventures, I've been rereading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. And I found the following excerpt particularly relative to my travel experiences. The first line of the chapter is, "Truthfully, I'm not the best traveler in the world" (Gilbert, pg. 40). It is a shocking start for the reader who is thus far under the impression that this world renowned traveler and writer would have it all together. She admits her "faults" as a traveler - she often doesn't do any research prior to traveling, she lacks an internal compass, her stomach is not of steel, and she has a tendency to appear flustered when she is flustered.

Some of these faults I share - particularly in the research department. I try to cover this fault up with the face for adventure, but really I'm just kind of lazy/busy. Though I love adventure anyway - don't get me wrong! But it was nice to hear these "faults" from a fellow world traveler. My mistakes often happen to cost money. At least I've ever repeated one of these specific mistakes, per say (I think) - it just turns out that there's a lot of opportunity to make new mistakes. Who knew?

For example. TIP: When the prices for fish or steak on a European menu appear too good to be true, they are. If the fish says it costs six euros, it doesn't mean that you only get to pay six euros. It probably more likely means that you get to pay six euros per gram. Don't let your empty stomach and that spirit of adventure fool you. Woops.

But I don't let myself get upset about things like that anymore (at least not for more than an hour). You can't let small mishaps ruin a day, or even a week, when you're having an adventure (called LIFE). Pretty much I just pay the bill, learn the lesson, and move on. Also, TIP: When in doubt, just order the pizza. 

Anyway. My favorite part of the chapter of Eat, Pray, Love was what Gilbert said after she listed all her faults:

"Still despite all this, traveling is the great true love of my life. I have always felt...that to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless newborn baby--I just don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it's mine Because it looks exactly like me." (Gilbert, pg. 41)

I didn't realize until I read it that that's exactly how I feel about travel. You may have noticed that I have a small case of wanderlust. However, I take it one step further. Travel (and maybe this could still be compared to a baby - I wouldn't know) has not only taught me incredible things about myself, but also about the world. A few of the people I'm traveling with are first time pond crossers. Though we've only been here a day, its been cool to see these people confront the world in an entirely different culture than their own. I didn't even realize how much I've picked up in my travels by way of knowledge about etiquette, history, and language until I found myself answering questions, telling stories and simply enacting the things I've learned for them.

But the biggest thing I've learned is how little I truly will never ever know. Also, I've learned that tour groups are awesome (thanks, Dr. D-K!). Yay not having to plan things!

Today, we were given an introductory walking tour of Rome. We threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, saw the Egyptian Sun Dial, basked in the beauty of the Pantheon, ate the best bruschetta (pronounced: brew-skeh-tah), and generally stuffed our faces with pasta, beef, potatoes, mutton, panna cotta, and wine (OH the wine!). I tried to show off my knowledge of Italian goodness and introduce my friends to the glories of Italian hot chocolate (cioccolata calda - nectar of the GODS), but apparently its out of season. I guess it is summer in the rest of the world. Maybe South Dakota will catch up while we're gone. We had amazing and worldly dinner conversations and Dannika and I practiced our Italian (and she her Spanish) with the locals. Despite my fish failure, I'd call it an over all successful day. I am so happy to be here. I also brought my devotional book. This trip will not only refresh my spirit of adventure, but also my spirit in the Lord.

Ciao, bella!

Monkey Business in Bali

My earlier exclamation on Bali’s beauty and culture was a rash statement. I had only been here for two days, that’s hardly enough time to get to know an entire country. However, three or four days is totally good enough. BALI IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!

(Me with a monkey in my lap>>>)

July 8^th Today we went to the Monkey Forest Temple. It felt like we were in Indiana Jones and I’ve never seen so many monkeys in my life! We fed them bananas and just chilled with them. They’re so cute! One monkey even nibbled on my sister’s arm affectionately (though she claims it bit her aggressively) and one confused me with a tree and climbed all over me. The temple was so cool with Monkey statues all over the place. Everything here is ancient, it’s so cool. This morning we also ran into a girl who danced with Liz’s gamelan back in California and her sister. They’re of course staying in the same hotel because that’s how coincidences go. We tagged along with them on a tour of Bali. We saw HUGE rice paddies (though by now, I’ve seen thousands), this place where that make and grow all sorts of teas and coffees and fruits (free samples!), a mountain (which we of course plan to climb), and the water temple (Zelda fans, can you say “fricken sweet?!). Before entering a temple in Bali, one must wear a sarong. Many Balinese people just wear sarongs all the time. This was one of those temples where there was a blessed bath that people were praying and bathing in. I honestly would be cool with going back and jumping in.

July 9^th Today Liz and I explored more of Ubud, on a quest for Kebayas. The Balinese (and I’m sure many other touristy cultures) play this stupid game called “bartering.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with bartering, I’ll explain. The seller tries to sell you something for double or triple the price that the item is worth. If you look scared, the seller whispers, “It’s ok, you can barter.” You then have to proceed to either act uninterested or say something like “Psh. I wouldn’t pay that much. I’d pay…” And you say about 20 or 30 percent of the price. The seller then will either laugh in your face or tell you “No no. Ok, I give it to you for…” And then they knock off about RP 10,000. Then you add RP 10,000 to you price. You continue to go back and fourth like this until you’re at about 50 or 55 percent of the original price.

I hate bartering. Stupid stupid game.

Anyway, we went to the Market (where everything is still expensive, even after bartering) and bought our Kebayas. Kebayas are these long, pretty shirts traditionally worn with a sash and sarong by women at temple ceremonies and performances. After shopping around for a while longer, we met up with one of the young Balinese hotel guys Made (mah-day) and his much older friend, Made, and hopped on the back of their motorbikes for a tour of the countryside. Again, Bali is BEAUTIFUL. After our return to the hotel, we got our new traditional Balinese outfits on and went with our California sister friends, Rika and Linda, and their friend, Yoga, to a temple performance that Liz’s gamelan teacher was playing in. Balinese gamelan music now officially ties jazz as favorite musical style. It’s so magical! Balinese dance is pretty fricken sweet as well. We plan to take lessons soon with Yoga’s wife. After the performance, we hung out at Pak Wentan’s (Liz’s teacher) mansion for tea. He and his wife and Yoga all have such positive energy surrounding them - it’s amazing!

July 10^th Yesterday, Liz and I adventured through Ubud to Wayan’s Medicine shop, from Eat, Pray, Love. At first, she wasn’t there, so we ventured through the unexplored street, visited the book store, and came back. By then, Wayan was there and swarmed with tourists. In order to do her healing, she apparently has to drive her patients to her other location and could therefore not fit us in the car. Ah well. We headed back for our hotel when it started to pour.  TIP #25: If it rains, unless you are in a hurry, just stop somewhere for tea or coffee and wait it out. Don’t choose to walk the mile back to your hotel and definitely don’t choose to try and take a shortcut through the Market. Later that evening, Yoga picked us and Rika and Linda up again and took us to have dinner at Pak Wentan’s house and attend an all night long temple ceremony and performance. At dinner, we met a Lithuanian girl and a French boy whom we hope to rent a house with in a few days. We’ve met so many people from all over the world, it’s crazy. And they are always surprised at how short our stay is in Bali. But that's because Europeans take holidays - usually for a few months. Americans take vacations - maybe for a week? Anyway, we were all very sleepy at the temple performance. After the excitement of watching Pak Wentan dance, our attention began to wane. And after an hour or two of listening to traditionally dressed comedian drag queens without having understood any of their jokes (though the Balinese thought they were hilarious), we trekked back to Pak Wentan’s house and Yoga took us back to our hotel. This culture truly is amazing! But man, they stay up late for the ceremonies. Its like Midnight Mass every week! Today, Liz and I have no plans again, but as the past goes to show, I’m sure it’ll be another eventful Balinese day. Thanks for reading!