It's hard to believe that I leave Perugia in exactly one week. It's scary, but I am ready it. I finished my Italian course this morning and the rest of my exams are next week. I have one weekend to tie up all the loose ends, see friends, eat at those last few restaurants, and do all my laundry. It's gone by so quickly, but at the same time, the timing is just right.

In the mean time, I met my friend and old roommate Kate in Rome this weekend. It was exactly what I needed, a good friend from home, a weekend of travel, and lots of ancient Roman stuff. I am so glad that she thought to go to Pompeii, it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I found a similar sense that I experiences last summer in the ruins of Chaco Canyon. But at the same time, it's completely different. I couldn't help but sense the tragedy of the place, such a sudden end, and the expression of the figures that were preserved, really very powerful. We walked for a good four hours and probably only saw half of what there was. Between that and the fact that my camera batteries died after the first hour, I am very glad that I am going back in a month with Kerry and Alex.

The thing is, it's an entire city, and I didn't really register what that meant before we got there. We walked through villas, shops, baths, theaters, temples, streets. The floor mosaics as well as tons of wall paintings were all amazingly preserved. We know from Pliny that the ancients did amazing and extensive wall paintings, but until the discovery and excavation of Pompeii, we didn't have extant examples. Imagine what it would have been like to be the one to unearth those frescoes...

PS: This is my last week with free, regular internet, as well as the last week I will have my laptop. I will do what I can to update about my nomadic summer, we'll see how it goes!