I had no idea what was in store for me when I signed up for an English abroad course in narrative art. After months of waiting and preparation, I embarked on September 3rd, 2018. I began my adventure with a 12-hour flight to the heart of Italy. Our first stop: Padova.

Tired, jet-lagged, and overwhelmed, my partners and I roamed the ancient streets in awe. We were alone in the vast world for the first time. Through the modernized streets, we went until we arrived at the cobblestone paths of the historical region of the city.

It felt like I was in a movie. Looking back now, it feels like a vivid dream.

Our hotel sat adjacent to our first church: The Basilica Pontificia di Sant'Antonio di Padova. What a grand, and humbling structure.

Next: The Capella Delgi Scrovegni. Regrettably, I did not capture any pictures because I made the mistake of leaving my phone in my bag (which was by no means allowed in the sacred structure). Although this was disappointing, it gave me moments of freedom to really experience the glory.

Out next destination was a taxi cab away: The Great City of Florence. Florence is massive! It's like a winding maze of yellowed bricks. It smells heavily of cigarettes and pee, but that did not deter our enjoyment of the beautiful, and famous city. After settling into our quaint hotel, we explored the main attractions of the city: The Duomo and it's adjoining museums.

Many breathtaking sculptures stole our hearts. A majority of saved artwork and artifacts are of religious contexts. Fables of Christianity and the Grecko-Roman Gods make up most of the commissioned ancient art dating from 2000 B.C to 1600 A.D.

The sheer massiveness of the detailed arches and buildings take the breath away.

Not only are there renowned works of classical art, but many Italians also take to the street to create modern art among the crumbling ruins and the rugged city walls.

Fresco after Fresco... Biblical tale after biblical tale. It is easy to see how influential religion was and is to the people of Italy.

Above: Filippino Lippi, Disputation with Simon Magus and Crucifixion of Peter, fresco, 1481-82. Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence.

The views, especially the aquatic views are those of legend. What a beautiful city, not so sanitary water though.

I also think I found my ancestors?

Modern skyscrapers have nothing on these. We visited the amazing Uffizi gallery and the Galleria Dell' Academia! These are some of the fastest and more luxurious galleries around. (more pictures further down!)

Ancient paintings and sculptures have really given me a new perspective on the human form: especially the female body. Notice how curves are celebrated as beautiful rather than slovenly.

The alleys of Italy aren't the scary, dark alleys of The Lower East Side. These alleyway's hold shops and restaurants: every nook and cranny of the city is full of old and new businesses.

I even happened upon a beautiful wedding in the little town of Montefalco. Italy is a picturesque place for a dream wedding.

Another lovely alley!

From Florence, we took a train to Arezzo, then to Assisi. Both towns are much smaller than Florence and allowed us a more intimate look at culture and life in Italy. I prefer the quiet towns to the tourist ladened cities.

A glimpse of one of our beautiful lodges.

The famous and colossal biblical David: standing a whopping 17 feet high created by Michelangelo.

Many artists evoke catharsis by focusing on detail: such as this brutal depiction of Jesus's stigmata in the Museum of San Francesco, Montefalco.

I saw over a hundred exquisite fountains.

Our last stop: ROMA! At first, I was so overwhelmed by the volume of people and cars in this city I was actually afraid. To the people of Rome, weaving through millions of people must be second nature. 2.87 million residents and 2 million commuters = FOUR MILLION BODIES.

Here is the fantastic Trevi Fountain. Morning, noon and night you can find hundreds of people basking in the glory of the magic fountain. If you toss a coin over your left shoulder without looking, then you might have a wish come true! Policemen and women stand guard at all hours, making sure no mischief is wreaked upon the coin-filled pool. The flow of the water is so powerful that merely sitting on the brink can get you a sodden butt.

A castle structure in Arezzo. I'm sure this has been used for many movies.

This is the Pantheon... NOT the Parthenon. I learned this the hard way. The crowds of people and screaming children and selfie sticks admittedly took from the glory of what we were seeing.

The Colosseum is colossal. We were encouraged to imagine the gladiator games. The tunnels of prisoners and the naval battles that took place there starting in 80 A.D. Apparently on the first day of the games 300 animals were slaughtered. Although disgusted by the depravity of behavior, I couldn't help but feel the significance of the stadium. Also, this was the first known Theater in the Round! Don't tell the Italian officials, but I stole a pebble from the rubble.

Roman Umbrella Pine trees! These trees are THOUSANDS of years old. They are much wiser than I, or you.

Quick back-step: This is the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. I've never seen so many nuns and friars in my life! This town is lovely and rural. I think it may be my favorite town.

Next: The GALLERIA BORGHESE! This is the most gilded, the most lavish, the most expensive sight we saw. It is a decadent place of literary overindulgence. Every square foot is worth at least a million dollars. I'll never see anything like it again

The Rape of Daphne.

The Rape of Persephone. (Noticing a theme here?)

This is ONE door in the Galleria Borghese.

Now, for my favorite part of the whole trip: the kitties! There is a cat sanctuary among the Roman ruins. What an inspiring and heartening use of historical land. The cats here are taken care of, nurtured, and allowed ultimate kitty freedom. I can only imagine the contentment they must feel surrounded by friends in a mega playground. This is reminiscent of Ancient Egypt, where cats were worshiped as God sent creatures.

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Can you find the cat in this picture?

This is another shot from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It depicts Judith's beheading of Holofernes.

Fun fact: the only three popular sodas in Italy are: Sprite, Coca-Cola, and Fanta. They are obsessed with Fanta over the Ocean — and wine. The Italians LOVE wine.

The courtyard behind the Vatican. This place is very important, if not the most important place for Catholics around the world.

I was constantly in danger of my phone dying while being lost. I'm surprised I made it out alive! The Vatican, in particular, is its own country. Yes, it is the smallest country in the world--yet one of the richest.

A Michelangelo, purposefully unfinished. It is said to be even more beautiful as a partial, hyper-realistic form of man.

My Professor managed to gain us access to the Pope's very own private chapel. It is said to be more humble than the standard Sistine Chapel (which was so crowded I couldn't breathe). The Pope's chapel is only available for special few people, and I felt very special indeed to witness such an important and sacred space. The DNA from my fingerprints will be there until they sanitize the undersides of all the pews!

More Umbrella Pines towering over the remains of the Ancient Roman Forum. They say this is the place of the assassination of Julius Caesar, and the podium in which Mark Antony gave his famous speech.

Another lovely view from the hills over Tuscany.

I even got to see the supposed tomb of acclaimed Dante. I saw many tombs, most of them empty. These works of art were and are more for the living than the dead.

Biking is very common in the big cities of Italy. They have bike share programs and apps that make it easy to get around in an eco-friendly way (plus it is infuriating to drive in the busy, thin streets). I didn't see many overweight people in the Italian crowds, so this system must be working.

There are always eyes on you, wherever you go. This shot is from the courtyard of the Vatican.

Now I've made my mark on history in the basement of a pizza shop!

SPQR — Senātus Populusque Rōmānus (Roman senate and the people) — has a valid point.

I can't even begin to describe how many elaborate double doors I saw.

I couldn't have said it better myself, obscure roman shop. When you stop to take a picture, the rest of your group doesn't always wait for you! I had to run to catch up after this shot.

My last morning in Italy and my last picture. This picture feels sad, yet beautiful.

After a death-defying taxi-ride at 6 a.m., and a 10-hour wait at the Roman airport, I take off, leaving the wonders of Italy behind. By this time, I am so exhausted that I'm glad to leave. Now that I'm back home in the Pacific Northwest, all I want is to go back. So, go on that study abroad trip. Take out a student loan if you must, work two jobs--because this is an experience that will build you as a person. It will shape your worldview and bring you joy, hardship, knowledge, and friendship. Even if you don't think it's an option for you--go out there and try. The world is waiting, but it won't wait forever.