Changing My Major

So, I'm absolutely certain now that I'm changing my major to Social Work.  It just feels like that's what God is calling me to do, and He's been leaving signs for me for years.  That's why teachers used to come up to me while I was waiting to be picked up after school (at Our Lady of the Rosary) to tell me everything weighing down their minds.  That's why I stayed up late at night talking friends out of suicide and helping them cope by just listening and being there for them- why I'm still doing that.  That's why I feel so strongly that it's more important to help people with your God-given gifts than to gain personal glory from them.  That's why I've been second-guessing Political Science from the moment I signed up for it.  That's why God gave me a talent for communicating with and listening to people.  It all makes sense.  Now, I just have to do it.

That's the hard part.  When I get back to the home campus, assuming I take 18 hours a semester (full course load), I have 72 hours in which to complete 66 credit hours of work (luckily, 1 of my political science classes will definitely count towards this new major....maybe I can argue to get some of my other classes to count too) towards the major on top of finding time for biology.  It's doable, but it's going to take quite a bit of planning, not to mention patience and perseverance.  I keep telling myself, though, that if this truly is God's plan for me, it'll work out.  Somehow.  I hope.

I'm nervous for someone to reply to my email.  I hope they reply soon!

In other news, I finally met one of the girls who's staying down the hall from me.  She's from Canada, and is going to India to work with the Missionaries of Charity (as a lay volunteer).  It was really cool to talk with her.  It's funny, the people God brings into your life at odd moments.  :)

I'm staying at a convent in Rome right now.  You should see how high the walls are...it'll be nice to relax for a while, though.  The Sisters I've met have all been very nice to me- I think I'm going to try to go to mass with them tomorrow.  I want to go see San Giovanni in Laterno- or St. John Lateran- tomorrow.  The Holy Steps are there, and it's supposed to be amazing.

Erin left today.  While she was here we went to Florence, took a cooking class in Greve, went to Pisa for the leaning tower, spent an evening in Lucca, went to Venice, Murano, and Verona, then back to Rome.  We had an awesome time. Venice was my favorite place to see.  We went to mass in St. Mark's for the Epihpany and saw the Bishop of Venice, went to the Doge's Palace for the "secret itineraries tour" (to anyone going to Venice- it's more than worth the extra 4 euro to do this tour.  Call in advance because you have to reserve a spot.  All the really cool stuff is on the secret itineraries tour, and both Erin and I agreed we would have been really disappointed if we'd payed 12 euro to do the basic tour), and spent an evening shopping in the Rialto area.  We got to see glass blowing in Murano (which is next to Venice in the same lagoon- this is where "Venetian glass" actually comes from).  Unlimited tea and a few movies the bed and breakfast owner lent us made the evenings perfect (there isn't much to do after 6:00 except eat or go to bars in Venice- at least not at this time of year).  It was awesome seeing all the Carnevale masks, too.

I don't want classes to begin again, but I know this next semester will go quickly.  I have so much I'm looking forward to doing- both here in Rome and when I get home.  I hope everyone had a great Christmas!  I spent mine in Siena and Assisi.

This past weekend was wonderful.  I stayed in Rome, although most of my friends went travelling.  I got to go to "Java and Jesus" with one of the seminarians on Saturday morning, and I got to go to bars to try talking with Italians.  The first night was not so sucessful because the only people I got to talk with aside from my friends were Swedish girls and a creepy Englishman who seemed to think that he was the shit.  He wasn't.  Not at all.  We kind of told him off.  Saturday night, however, I got to talk for at least two hours entirely in Italian.  Of course, half of it was easy stuff, but I was slightly surprised at how words can just pop up in my mind when I actually need them.  I still can't quite "think in Italian" yet, but I hope it happens soon.  I guess the thing to do is just to try and keep talking in Italian.

I have to hop off to lunch at the Tiziano.  I hope it's a gelato day.....

Any ideas for movies for a mass comm. paper?

I'm really missing home....

Of course, I'm loving Rome, excited about going to Napoli next week, and have plans to go to Sicily over Thanksgiving break. 

It'd just be nice if my family would call.  Or send mail.  Or really, if people would just keep in contact better.  But people are busy, of course.  And there's the whole problem with time zones.  And, I think my family wants me to be independent and learn to be happy on my own.  It's just that my roomie gets mail from someone almost every week, and a call from home almost every day.  Maybe my family just thinks that I don't want to talk.  Maybe they don't want me to miss out on life here by being obsessed with what I'm missing at home.  I don't know....