OVERWHELMED.

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TIMES IN MY LIFE, WAS WHEN I WENT TO ROME.  THERE'S A LONG BACK STORY, AS TO WHAT LED ME TO TRAVEL TO ITALY, BUT I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE DETAILS.  I CHOSE ITALY BECAUSE OF IT'S HISTORICALLY ARTISTIC BACKGROUND AND ALSO, MY FASCINATION WITH THE ICONIC RELIGIOUS DRIVEN ARTWORK OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.  IT WAS LIKE NOTHING I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE BEFORE.  I SAW THINGS, THAT I'D ONLY SEEN IN TEXT BOOKS AND PICTURES.  IT WAS AMAZING TO SAY THE LEAST.  ONE OF THE MOST MOVING EXPERIENCES FOR ME, ON THIS TRIP, WAS DURING A TRIP TO THE VATICAN.  THAT WAS MIND BLOWING IN ITSELF, BUT, THEN WE WENT TO SEE THE SISTINE CHAPEL.  THE TOUR HAD US PACKED IN THERE LIKE CHICKENS IN A COUP, SO THERE WASN'T MUCH ROOM TO LOOK AROUND.  WE WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE IN THERE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, BEFORE THE FLUSHED US ALL OUT.  NO PHOTOGRAPHY WAS ALLOWED EITHER.  HOWEVER,  THE EXPERIENCE, OVERWHELMED ME SO MUCH.  FIRST OFF, IT'S NOT AS BIG AS IT SEEMS.  SECOND, IT IS COVERED IN ARTWORK FROM, BASE TO CEILING.  YOU USUALLY ONLY HEAR ABOUT THE CEILING AND THE CREATION OF MAN PAINTING THAT IS THE CENTERPIECE, BUT, THERE IS SO MUCH ARTWORK THAT IT'S HARD TO SIMPLY FOCUS ON JUST ONE THING.  I REMEMBER STANDING THERE AMONG ALL THESE STRANGERS, AND FEELING SO SMALL IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS ARTWORK.  I GOT CHOKED UP, AND NEARLY CRIED, BECAUSE I THOUGHT TO MYSELF ABOUT ALL THE TIMES I HAVE WORKED SO HARD ON A PARTICULAR PIECE OF ARTWORK, AND FELT THE FRUSTRATION OF WANTING TO GET THE PIECE PERFECT, THE DETERMINATION TO KEEP TRYING, AND ULTIMATELY THE SATISFACTION OF COMPLETING THE WORK.  I COULD ONLY IMAGINE THE EMOTIONS THESE ARTISTS WENT THRU, FOR THIS CHAPEL.  SO MUCH WORK, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING THE TIMES THEY MADE MISTAKES OR DECIDED TO MAKE CHANGES.  I AM GLAD THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS IN MY LIFETIME, AND IF YOU EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO.  IT IS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.   - 925