by Bryan Doscher (Loyola College)I SUPPOSE I TAKE FOR GRANTED the things I have. I live in a wonderful country, I have a wonderful home, I go to school: in most people's eyes I have it made. I understand that, and I try to pay attention, but this place is just unreal. I remember sleeping on the bus ride here from Rome. I was exhausted from the plane ride, I couldn't sleep and I simply crashed into the rock-comfortable seats of the bus.
When we arrived, I was stunned. I did not know much about the town, and I had only seen a few pictures on the internet to get an idea of the area. This is just about as close to perfection as God intended humanity to live.The food is outstanding, the town is beautiful, functional and the scenery is outlandish. From the mountains, any of the few in the surrounding area, Cagli and the other nearby towns can be seen, dropped neatly into the hills and mountains blanketed in the green of the trees.
I returned from a trek up one of these surrounding mountains, showered, ate and went to Caffe del Corso to meet up with the rest of the group. It was a Friday night, and the road between Squa Qua and the cafe was packed, apparently full of out of towners, familiar with the annual tradition of American women making an appearance here in Cagli for the month. I speak very little Italian, and I was with two Cagliesi, Danielle and Giuseppe, for the majority of the night. I mentioned that I was from New York. He looked so excited it took me by surprise. He told me how much he wanted to visit, and how many times he tried to go to America. I told him how beautiful I thought Cagli was, and how amazing of a time I was having, but he just threw his hand over his shoulder and said, in the most perfect English he had used yet: "Nah, it is boring here".
I don't think it's cultural-- maybe regional-- but I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side and that early in the trip I realized how much I want to take advantage of this opportunity to be somewhere new, beautiful, and different in every way that I can.
