"A friend i a gift you give yourself."

Like most other mornings in Monopoli, I was reminded by the 7:30 AM bells and chanting, that I could no longer hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. My first thought of the days\ was, “Wow, is it Wednesday already?” This statement was repeated at the breakfast table as the discussion centered around how time flies. It was only a few days ago that we walked into the dining area as strangers but now we know who likes fizzy water, who eat meat, who eats dessert first and who will eat just about anything (Jeff!). I don’t think any of us expected the time to pass so quickly.

After breakfast it was another day at the church school for Jeff and Martha. I can tell from their faces that they are excited to meet with their students no matter who they might be this particular day. While most of the group headed to the high school for another day of classes, Michelle, RC and Philip headed to the San Dominico School for a “quick” tour and then one-on-one tutoring of a few new students. Valerie, Melanie and Shirley had toured the school the day before and had raved about the view of Monopoli from the very top.

After class, E.K., Currie and I headed to Cafe Venezia for a light lunch and some party planning. Then it was time to go in search of our picnic items before hitting the beach--if only all errands could be this fun! The afternoon passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time for evening classes at the church school. Valeria and I had a full house--all of our students were present except for one. We took the opportunity to take some group photos which was followed by a highly-competitive game of hangman. After class, the group headed to Upendi for dinner. E.K., Currie and I headed to the old town to pick up materials for the farewell party. Walking in old town has become quite an adventure because we run into someone we know at every corner. After grabbing some pizza, E.K., Currie and I, along with Fabrizio’s mother and father, went back to Cafe Venezia to listen to a U2 cover band. We also happen to know the lead singer, Francesco, and he had saved the best seats in the house for us. Throughout the evening, we ran into even more acquaintances, including the owner of Cafe Venezia who had remembered us from lunch. Before we knew it, our table was full with what seemed like old friends. The language barrier did not inhibit the laughter and through broken English and a few Italian phrases, communication was easy and fun. At the end of the night my only thought was, “my cup runneth over.”

- Larae