It's a pandemic!

Or an epidemic.. or maybe just my roommate is sick and I'm being dramatic.
Ya, that's probably it.
Regardless, my actual roommate, the one I share a room with has the flu and Bronchitis. So me, being the germaphobe that I am, and staying far far far away from her. I love her and all, but I dont have time to be sick. I'm a busy girl. This weekend I'm off to Florence, next weekend I'm off to Venice, the following weekend I'm going to Palermo, the weekend following that I'm going to Pompei and then it's spring break and I'm off to London, Scotland, and Dublin. You think I would come back and chill but the next weekend, the first of April (yikes) I'm going to Greece. So I mean, there is zero time for illness. Not that I ever have time for illness, but now more than ever, I need to be healthy and well so that I can walk everywhere and be alert and attentive.

Speaking of attentive....I have zero attention span. It's getting worse by the minute. I literally cant pay attention to anything my Art History teacher says, even though she is wicked cool and is teaching me things I want to know. The minute she opens he mouth, I want to nap. I should have her come over on the nights I have insomnia and have her lull me to sleep.
Today we went to the Church of St. Augustine and saw a painting of the Madonna by Caravaggio. The priest that was in the church was talking to our teacher in italian and was saying that this painting was the most beautiful painting in the world, and that this church was the second most important church in Italy (second to St. Peters, duh). The painting was very impressive, but only because Caravaggio is such a dark artist. He saw things in a way most painters didnt. And portrayed them in ways you werent expecting. He was also a runaway, seeking refuge because he killed a man, but the Cardinals loved him and his art, so they kept him safe. He was called "A damned artist", which makes him sound like a badass.
I started to pay attention towards the end of this because I was interested and I learned that during the baroque period, the put skulls all over churches as "Momento Morti" which basically is a reminder that we're all going to die. And it seems a little redundant because most of us dont really forget that little fact, but they were trying to reinforce the idea that you shouldnt dote on the fleeting and focus on the things that truly matter (in the case of the church, God) and live everyday as if you were dying tomorrow. And I love that. I think if you use that mentality you'll take more risks and live more open. Which is crucial to a full life. Being open to things. So I'm learning anyways. I learn so much here. Not just about culture or the world, but about myself. And it makes everything worth it. Because knowing who you are makes life easier. It enables you to make decisions to better suit YOU and the future you're trying to create. It's power.
Also, if I ever get the Mexican Sugar Skull tattoo, I'll get momento morti under it. or in it. But I doubt I'll get it. I'm running out of places to hide things hahaha.

Today was actually a great day I spent the day with my roommate Krista, getting gelato, going to the Vatican post office, and adventuring to Villa Borghese (the biggest park here) where we took impromptu photos and did our homework. Now we're off to make dinner with the boys and then to a wine bar. We're also going to book Greece and plan out things we want to do here. We both like to plan and write things down. And be clean. So basically, I love her haha.
OH! Today was my first time reading a map. And though I LOATHED looking like a tourist, I was proud that I didnt get us lost! Holla at ya gurrrl.