Unexpected

I would consider today one of those "unexpected" days. We got to wake up later, which was nice, especially since my housemates came back at 4 am again. So we were excited- maybe we were going to get a day without rain!

No. It rained. A lot. But we did get to eat out on the terrace overlooking our secret garden before it did, so that's a plus. Not a plus: my sandals did not do well on the slick cobblestones, so I had to walk around Rome barefoot.

But not all was lost; it turned into a wonderful time for an introvert like me. You know the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"? Well, we decided to do that, and it worked out nicely. Italians take care of themselves first, so if it's raining, they hop under the closest overhang and wait it out. Americans, on the other hand, trudge through the rain ending up grumpy, distraught, and soggy.

But these Americans were tired of the rain, so two of my friends and I went into a chocolate shop, which turned out to be amazing. As a little girl, this would be a wonderland for me with all the sweets, bright colors, and the layout of the place. As a twenty-year old, it was still a wonderland for me. There was only one older woman working who was obviously the owner and she did not speak any English.

Side note: I LOVE experiences like this. I love struggling through language barriers because it's exciting, not frustrating. Communication is not just language, it's so much more.

So this women and Jill communicated through writing, pointing, choppy Italian numbers, and a lot of smiles. She was so sweet, and the chocolate was great! I got all dark chocolate; one was a ball rolled in hazelnuts, another had a soft rum filling, and another had a delicious coffee filling. Souvenirs? Yes sir!

Then we wandered into a sandwich shop a few doors down because it was still raining. The guy spoke English, and it was one of the most positive interactions I have had since I got here. He learned English from watching Jack Bauer on "24" and "Lost", which convinces me that I need to watch everything in Spanish so I can speak it fluently. We were there for about an hour, we talked a lot, he was hilarious, and he gave me free espresso :).

Next, because it was still raining, we headed to bookstore, which was cute! Italian books are oddly priced, so I didn't get anything. Possibility for souvenirs later- holla!

Then we went to a tourist trap souvenir shop, which was awesome. I got Steven a little somethin' somethin' and scoped out some more. We had a great conversation with the person at the register about America and how she wants to go.

Italians are beautiful people. They are so nice and so kind, and if you give them the time of day, they will give their left arm for you. Italians are all about relationships.

Italians would make great Christians.