My time in Italy has been rewarding. The people of this small town are so kind and warm to the funny American students, and some of the local shop owners will even ask what state you are from and then point it out on the map they have. I found this true at the little bar (we call them coffeeshops) around the corner from the school, which I like to go to on the weekends. I particularly enjoyed it on Saturday before the start of the second week. I knew it would be a long week ahead with starting Genesis or Experiential Leadership Training on Wednesday morning and running until late Friday afternoon. I do not think the twenty-seven of us here were expecting what was going to happen in the coming days.
We got done with lunch on Wednesday and all said our peace about the upcoming days and how we just wanted them to get over with. Just before two o’clock we showed up outside the classroom, got our names called for attendance, and filed in to find a seat. Many hours and 2 days later we walked out of class with some of us having cried for the first time in front of people, some telling personal stories they had not told anyone before, and twenty-seven of us feeling as close as we could be to each other. It was a quiet walk up to the fourth floor, where our rooms are, but when we got there, you could tell we were happy to have completed this and now on to the celebration dinner.
We were all so hungry and so excited to have this experience. Back home when you go out to dinner it is to an Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, or something like that. You have your starter or appetizer then a main course and then possibly a dessert. Well not in Italy and not for this dinner. When we walked in there were glass pitchers with water and baskets of bread on the U-shaped table. We all found a seat and sat down, some went right away and started to eat the bread, and like me, others did not know what to do, and we just sat there. One of the professors stood up and started to explain what was going to happen. We had our first course, and appetizer and that is what the bread was for. Our second course was meat and cheese, and they did bring us more cheese. The third course was the most delicious risotto I have ever tasted in my life. The fourth course was spinach gnocchi, and I tried hard to like this; I could not get over the texture. The fifth course was delicious meat, paired with wonderful roasted potatoes and eggplant. As the night was ending, and at this point, it was over two and a half hours from our arrival, we reached the desert, the sixth and final course or so we thought. Italy itself is known for its lemons, so they brought out lemon crème brûlée. To wrap up what had been a long week, long day, and long night an espresso was set in front of us for our final course of the night. Some of us drank it, I did for sure, and some did not.
This experience was magical I just sat through is not the norm in the United States, we are a hurry-up and-eat country, and Italy is a more take your time and enjoy, savory your food and enjoy your company.