La Vita è Bella

Spending the last two weeks in Europe has taught me quite a few things. Whether it be about myself or the world I live in, it has been quite enlightening.

It is becoming much harder to get up everyday. The excitement isn't quite at the levels from my prior trip to Ireland, so motivation to get out of bed is back to normal. But that also means I'm getting enough sleep, now. It's one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't, situations.

If you can't read it, this is a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
If you don't know who he is, don't feel bad. I don't know either.

So yea... Today I had five hours of Italiano. There are limits to how much language I can absorb in one day -- and we got dangerously close to that limit today. After all of my classes today, a group of us headed into Florence. I had intended on getting running shoes in town, but that quest continues to elude me. So I'll try again at a later date. On the bright side, I got two soccer jerseys for 8 euro. They are replicas from the World Cup, but I think they are still really cool and quite well made.

We're about to watch Life is Beautiful at nine, but that's all I've got planned for now. Although, I have to reshuffle my entire Spring Break now... grrr.... let's hope I keep my sanity through the entire thing. I love you guys! Keep reading and commenting! I want to hear from everyone!

God bless!

For most of my evening I have reflected upon Life is Beautiful. There is so much in this movie that entire novels could be written about. Subjects so diverse that it would put my blog to shame. What struck me as I watched tonight was the selflessness of Guido. I'm trying not to ruin the movie for anyone, but if you haven't seen it, you have something to do this weekend. There is more to selflessness than simply putting someone else's needs in front of your own. As Guido showed so clearly throughout the entirety of the movie. His love of his son and his wife shattered worlds that couldn't even fathom the way in which this small man approached his life. It was hard for me to see the humor or react to any that was present in the WWII segment of the film, but therein lies the beauty of this masterpiece. Even in the bleakest of times, life can truly be beautiful. Whether the charade Guido performed for Joshua is realistic is null. Guido is the image of our inner childhood. A childhood so vibrant and alive: an inner child that all of us wish to hold on to -- at least for moments. It's films like this that make you consider your life in new light. Count the blessings you have, regardless of where you are, what situation you are in, or what hardships you face. Dance when everyone is crying, sing when the world tries to silence you. We only have one life: make it beautiful.