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July 24th - The continuing to lean Tower of Pisa,

I can now say the that the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa checked off my bucket list. The chance to capture cool different perspective photos witht the leaning tower was so fun. However, the moment we stepped off the bus we were bombarded with many venders offering 'Gucci' sunglasses and merch. I found it very disheartening that many people have to live a life like that. Living off the sales of fake items. And not only that they have to bear the blazing sun to do so. I wanted so badly to buy something from them because i felt bad, and 20£ could be more useful to them than to me. Every time i passed a vender i could not look them in the eyes because of my guilt. This made the visit to Venice and other tourist attractions a little upsetting, despite the fact that we were standing in beautiful ancient ruins. I hope the venders, and any people who have to make a living in a rough way find happiness.

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July 25th - Letters to Juliet,

To truly get the full impact of Juliet's house you would have to walk through the cobblstone passage way yourself. Today i had the opportunity to. All the love letters on the walls and the different unique ways people left to Juliet is so cool. However using gum to stick the notes to the wall i find is kind of gross. Instantly i remembered the movie Letters to Juliet with Amanda Seyfried. At the time i didnt really understand the historic significance of the movie, but today i was able to piece the story together. Shakespeare's tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet about two lovers who's families are sworn enemies, and how they end up dying for their love. From this their families unite. This shows me that true love is possible evan if it does not come easily. I didn't get a chance to stand on the balcony or leave any love ritual, but being able to complete my idea of Romeo and Juliet impacted me greatly.

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July 23rd - Tapping into my inner artist,

For the first time on this trip i was actually engaged and interested with our tour. We visited the Uffizi Art Gallery, which contained some of the most famaous protraits done by various artists. Knowing that my dad and brother would kill to be able to visit this gallery, i tried my best to see as they would. The guide was very interesting and interactive which made my job easier. I especially liked the story of The birth of Venus and how she began shy and modest in Sandro Botticelli's painting. Then is depicted as more confident in the Venus of Urbino by Tiziano Vecellio. However i only was able to see one of the two, so in the future i would like to revisit and see the other one. By listening to every interesting detail the guide pointed out made my experience at the Uffizi Art Gallery very delightful. I cant wait to show my dad and brother the pictures and tell them the amazing stories behind the paintings!

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July 21st - Unexpected friends in Assisi,

Today i made a unexpected new friend. While on our way to Florence we stopped at Assisi to visit the large beautiful chapels. I lost track of my group and was left with some people i only sort of knew. It day pushed me outside of my comfort zone to really branch out to others, and im glad i did. I got to know this girl named Jessica, who actually goes to the same highschool as me. This reminds me of when i was little and i didnt like leaving my mum. When it was time to start JK i was terrified. However, i can still remember, when i met my good old friends and created unbreakable relationships. There is no doubt that this trip has formed memorable friendships that i hope i can maintain even when i get back to Canada.

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July 20th - Retreat and Reflection,

The challenging walk up to Pope Celestino V's retreat was for sure worth the site. Once i was able to catch my breath, i was able to take in the amazing scenery. I found it interesting that unlike other popes, Pope Celestino V was more preserved. He chose to retreat to a private calm place in order to reflect. This pope inspired me to be who i am. He was able to fulfill his duties as a Pope, and still stay true to who he was; quiet, moral, and devoted to God. Also what made the trip up to the retreat even more incredible was the fact that the grounds keeper did this hike almost everydayin order to maintain the beauty of this holy place. His dedication and perseverance reminds me of Guido in Life is Beautiful. The measures he takes to protect his child, Joshua, were more extreme but similar to the grounds keeper for this retreat. This pushes me to stay strong and fight for what i believe in.

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July 19th - Abruzzo National Park,

The experience of visiting the Abruzzo National Park will definatly be one of the most memorable parts of this trip. Not only did i get to see horses, but i got to escape the city and enjoy our natural world. The achievements mankind has been able to get to today are no doubt amazing. However, i think we forget about how truly important the world we started with is. The decline of the Earth is because of mankind, and this mentality: to create and evolve. But the consequences of this are ruining this Earth. The Abruzzo National Park will not be able to be enjoyed by others as i enjoyed it. The way the hotel in Sulmona doesnt renew the towels everyday, shows how we can help reduce and reverse this damage. I hope we can move towards bettering the Earth so maybe in the future i can even visit this place with my family.

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July 17th - Pompeii,

I have been told stories, shown pictures, and watched documentaries of the world-known site of Pompeii. Today i was able to fulfill this image in my mind myself. Up to this day i havnt put much thought into the tragic story of Pompeii. The way they were covered with hot ash and had no way to escape is devastating. There are many tragedies in this world like 9/11 and and the WWs, in which we can blame mankind. This time however, who was to blame? Mothernature? This made this story even more heart-breaking. The reason i was even visiting this certain destination was because many innocent citizens died in a cruel and horrifying way. No one deserves this pain that was brought on these citizens. I hope that society today recognizes and remembers about what past mankind had to endure, and realize that the pain of losing your phone for day does not measure to being burned alive.

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July 16th - Confetti in Sulmona,

Today we were able to wonder and explore the streets of Sulmona. I remember yesterday being told about how at Megan Markle's and Prince Harry's wedding; they gave out 'confetti' as their thank-you gift. What i found even more incredible was that they ordered them specially from this town. So today i made sure i visited these cute 'confetti' stores. This however reminded me about my visit to China, and how each city has a special craft that they are known for. For instance, from my hometown they are known for their beautifully detailed embroidery. So this made me especially interested in the 'confetti' in this particular town. Like the embroidery in Hunan, every candy piece showed the time and effort put into them; in which they rightfully took pride in. I cant wait to continue experiencing the delicacies of each city.

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July 13th - Church,

Today we experienced a refreshing change after days of classes, we attended church. More specifically we took part in an Italian service. In the beginning, I felt out of place and a bit nervous of messing up or something. However, as mass went on and i hearsa aome English hymns, i recogmized that rhey do Catholic servuces the same order in Italy as we do in Canada. This was pariculary facinating to me. The way our religion is able to unite, and share traditions across such a vast area is incredible. I was no longer worrying abour making a wrong move, and i was able to relax and reflect as i would in church back home. Overall this gave me a sense of being home, and gave me strength to continue this amazing trip.

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July 10th - Unconditional Love,

Today was the first time i watched Life is Beautiful in the conference room. The movie was not what i expected. The way the father was able stay determined to make good things out of a very bad  siruation was inspiring. All the sacrifices and unconditional love in the movie alone, moved me greatly. I then thought of the sacrifices people have made around me. My mum and dad sacrificing their time and patience for me, especially in the first semester of grade 11, where medical issues arose. Just like Joshua's father, my parents show me their unconditional love for me in every action. From this i wanted so badly to give my parents a hug. I wanted to thank them and show the appreciation they deserve, in other words my unconditional love for them. The movie Life is Beautiful should be more widely known, the way they represented Unconditional love was very powerful to me.

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July 9th - Chieti,

Going from the the hustle and bustle in Rome, to a nice subdue breathable city, named Chieti, was greatly needed. Being as high strung as i am, Rome was little much for me; however i am very thankful of my time spent there. On the other hand, the moment our bus hit the relaxing rolling hills and mountains i instantly felt my tension release. Whilst our adventure by ourselves around the city, we came across so many beautiful cobblestone roads, with cute balcony-embellished apartments, just like you would see from the movies. Then i came across this stairwell which changed my mood instantly. This graffiti covered stairwell made me sick. The time and work put into each and every structure should not be disrespected like this stairwell was. How could someone take it upon themselves to cover someone else's work? I thought of how i could change from this, and came to the conclusion: i must not 'disrespect' the opportunities given to me on this trip as much as possible. I must continue with a "glass half full" mentality on this trip like how the city of Chieti should be thought of.

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July 8th - The Vatican,

Today we visited the famous Vatican in Rome. This photo is a famous portrait of Adam trying to touch God, by the famous artist, Michelangelo. Again it was extremely hot, but what made me struggle was how crowded it was. The theme that day was "all man for himself." Constant pushing and shoving just to see what everyone else wanted to see was endless. You almost forgot that this was a sacred place, and the Pope's home. Tourists treated eachother like flies, and the art peices like the food in which they wanted to devour. Most only cared about getting a good picture of the sacresty, or beside the holy water, and did not take the time to reflect on where they really were. And while i was annoyed with all this disrespect, i realized i was just like them. This picture displays my ignorance towards the masterpieces. They asked tourists not to take pictures, and just like the other 'annoying' tourists, i grabbed a quick shot to "remember the moment." Later i realized that being there should of been enough, no picture or video could ever come near being there myself to reflect.

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July 7th - The Colosseum,

This photo reflects on the day we had the opportunity to visit the Colloseum. This day pushed me to keep going nevermind the heat. Not only to keep with the group, but to also appreciate the art in which we were standing before at the same time. I then realized that in order for us to be able to be there, someone must of worked through this heat, with way less accommodations, day and night on this Colosseum. Most of society today has withered greatly from the past; spoiled with air conditioning and automatic machines. This made the Colosseum, to me, this much greater, which encouraged me to take in all i could, and ignore my aching feet, and the heat.

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July 6th - Exploring the Culture,

This photo taken of some old building in Rome made me appreciate the Italian culture much more. While on the day of arriving, we walked around Rome, i saw many intricately designed buildings. The time and detail put into these buildings is shown greatly. Also many of these buildings were built by hand, which is fascinating to me. Reminiscing about the sky scarpers built, efficiently and modernly, to the buildings crafted like art here, made my presence in Italy that much more respected. I cant wait to get the opportunity to step inside the Colosseum tomorrow!

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This photo taken on the plane departing from Canada to Italy made me make a connnection to the novel 'Night.' Leaving my family willingly to experience an incredible time in Italy was very hard. The way Elie must of felt, being torn away from his family, knowing they too were going to a bad place, and most likely seeing eachother alive for the last time, must of been heart-breaking. This makes me thankful for the opportunities i am offered, and grieve even more so for Elie and others who experienced the holocaust. Therefore, whilst on this journey i feel that the novel, 'Night', motivates me to enjoy this trip abroad even more.