This trip has been truly remarkable. I have seen buildings, ruins, sculptures, and paintings that I never expected I would be able to see in my lifetime. I didn't expect to see more than Florence, Cortona, and Rome, so seeing Siena and Assisi were great additions!

Rather than writing about the places we've seen so far, which have been breath-taking, I'm going to write about something small that happened but struck a chord in my brain... if that makes any sense.

Our chef/waitress at the hostel in Cortona was a hoot. While eating dinner at the hostel, she found out we were from the U.S. and yelled "OBAMA" with a big smile. She then said "Bush" in a hushed tone, made a noise, and pointed two thumbs down. She didn't hold anything back, and it definitely caught me off guard. While some of our group hooted and hollered, I sat there and realized just how much some Italians know about our government. I've learned that many Italians know more about our government system and leaders than I do. I don't know much about the current Italian government system. This is a shame, and I hope to research the subject when I get home.

Unfortunately, in our current schooling system, we don't learn about other countries' current situations. We mostly learn about other countries from the perspective of how they affected the United States. It would be very beneficial for students to learn more about the current governmental situations in foreign countries, as well as their history.

I'm looking forward to our last few days in Rome! When I get home, I definitely plan on doing more research to learn more about this country that I've called "home" for a week and a half!