Vatican City

Today we went on a class trip to the Basilica of Saint Clement in Rome and then made our way to The Vatican. Saint Clement was neat. Parts of the church are from the 1st Century AD and I drank out of a spring that's been flowing since then. I enjoyed that part as well as seeing all of the frescos and tombs and thinking that they basically dated back to Jesus's time. Peter could have potentially been there and Christianity was still very much illegal. To think of it in that context is amazing, but, and all due respect to Saint Clement, nothing can compare to The Vatican. I just used the word amazing to describe a tiny little church (because it really was amazing), but I can't even begin to think of the words to tell you all how incredible The Vatican was. It gave me goosebumps and literally took my breath away. The scale of it is simply massive, but the grandeur and history and spirituality associated with St. Peter's and the area in general is so tangible. To give an underwhelming description for an English major I'll say that it was overwhelming. I'll definitely be going back there to be in audience of the Pope and then also to climb to the top of the dome and maybe even to catch a mass.