Counting down.

October 21st. (Wait what?) We are more than halfway through our Italian adventure. Time doesn't even exist, I swear. 

For this post I'm actually going to copy down what I already wrote in my journal yesterday. One reason is because I can write a lot better in there, cause it's personal and I take more time, and journal writing is just what I do. And another reason is because right now my mind doesn't want to think up new things to say, when I really already said it all in my journal. And it's 1 AM. So here ya go: 

"Today was an absolutely wonderful day! (Despite waking up at 7:00 am on a Saturday) We grabbed breakfast to go at our favorite Cafe, and headed to Santa Maria Novella, the train station, to get on our bus to SIENA! I'm really getting good at sleeping on buses, by the way. The drive was about an hour and 15 minutes long, but the sleeping made it seem like only a few minutes. But when we got there I felt so great!! That makes two field trips in a row where I didn't feel sick. I love feeling well and being able to focus and thoroughly enjoy the experience. Siena was not at all what I expected it to be. I pictured it to kind of be like Cinque Terre, but it was more like Lucca, maybe even a little smaller! It was still beautiful but to be honest, I was expecting our tours to be similar to ones we have already been on. There is a huge Duomo that we were able to go inside of and Frans was our tour guide, as usual. Braxton and I have really gotten to know and love this sweet man - the first tour we went on with him was in Pisa, and we have gone with him ever since. He's just so smart and hilarious too! Through the Duomo, we wore little ear phones so Frans could talk quietly into the microphone, and we would still all be able to hear him. Even that simple detail was a fun, new experience. After that and a couple little random tours and lectures, we had some free time. And thank goodness for that because today I think I may have experienced my favorite part of this entire trip so far!!
Ian, Dylan, Braxton and I-oh and Frans and Felicia-decided to check out the world famous Steve McCurry exhibit. 
I am literally sorry to say that I didn't know about this collection prior to today. I mean, I had seen some of the photographs just because of their fame, but I had no idea what or who they were, or what the significance of them was. And let me tell you, they were definitely significant. 
This incredible Steve MuCurry guy dedicated 30+ years to these amazing photos. The most famous one is a girl from Pakistan...He went into a school and asked if he could take pictures of some of the girls. He saw this girl, and the intensity of the story in her eyes, and he had to photograph her. He learned that this wa the first picture to ever be taken of her.
His focus is on the people in 3rd world countries. 
There was also a room that focused on the evil of the world. The display was called "Dizziness", but in Italian. The photos were set up in a way so you are completely surrounded by the photographs, which fits the sense of vertigo and nausea you get by standing in the midst of these real life, terrible, amazing photos. McCurry also just so happened to fly home to New York, from a 4 month stay in Japan, on the night of September 10th, 2001. So photos from that day were in this room as well. It was so emotional, words can't explain. Yes, I cried. We all did. But doesn't that just give you chills?? He got home the night before it happened. That just goes to show that this is exactly what this man was meant to do with his life. Ahhh. Incredible. 
I wish everybody in the world could see this. 
It'd change things."

So yeah! There's that.... and wow, I really can't explain to you how amazing it was. My roommate and her mom went today, and they listened to the audio tour, which was done by Steve McCurry himself, and they said it was unreal. We didn't have the time to listen to it, but I am planning on going back so I can. I can't even imagine having him tell the stories of each painting...


Look. ------->  www.stevemccurry.com