now's the time, if anyone's still interested

I think I'm pretty good at appreciating things and getting the most out of them, but sometimes no matter how great you knew it was at the time, looking back you see a completely new perspective and you're gratitude hits you again 10 fold. I wish I could put into words how amazing my trip to Italy was. I still think about a whole lot and frequently long to go back and relive moments. The fact that it was a choir tour was probably the best aspect about it. Being able to sing such beautiful songs in such detailed, ornate, ancient and beloved places is something few 17 year old girls get to do. And honestly to try to explain how amazing that really was is quite impossible. I can say that each performance ended with tears and I was continually left in awe. But even just sitting on the bus listening to my favorite songs and staring out the window and the countryside of Italy was amazing. I am so lucky it's insane. Some things I learned while in Italy:
You've got to love. There's nothing else to it. You've got to love the little Italian men that say chao bella as you pass and the African men who call you Shakira and are constantly shoving fake purses in your face. You've got to love the music you're singing even if you've sung it 100 times. You've got to love the food even if it Chicken and potatoes for the sixth straight night. You've got to love the people you're with and give everyone a chance even if you are completely different. I was shocked to get to know some of the kids in my choir. I realize more and more how quickly I stereotype and build barriers. It was so fun to sit with different people at almost every meal and to just love people for who they are, I admit I could have been a lot better at that though. You've got to love you're closest friends being with you in Italy and not trying to impress them and just having a blast playing cards at 1 in the morning or touring the Vatican or teaching them to make bracelets or getting the daily gelato. You've got to love the Italian high school kids we met and they're fascination with California. You've got to love the architecture and the background behind every basillica and building. It completely amazes me that these people built such large and beautiful buildings with such little resources. I seriously don't get it. I wish we put as much passion and creativity into every building like they did. You've got to love you're tour guides and their attempts to make jokes and keep people interested. This post could go on forever but I don't think it's as interesting for anyone else as it is for me.
Quick highlights:
*gondola ride in Venice
*Singing in the baptistry at Pisa -11 second reverb
*St. Peter's Basillica(singing and touring)
*Sistine Chapel-unbelievable could have stayed in there forever
*the David- Michalengelo is my new hero.
*Bell tower in Florence
*Last concert in Rome
*Colosseum
*Nighttime adventures/sneaking into peoples rooms and around the hotels
*Last dinner/dance party with a random Italian work group
*Art everywhere
*getting pooped on by a bird-it's my 1st time so it's kind of monumental
*Singing for the Pope
*ipod spiltters
*margherita pizza
*sparkling water- I messed up and bought sparkling instead of flat 3 different times
*Gelato at least once a day
*really good swiss chocolate on the plane rides