July 10th - The Final Day

Yesterday was the last day of my first residency with Spalding. It was a full day of bittersweetness. The morning started off with an amazing lecture from Ed Boland about his book Battle for Room 314. I so have to read his book now. It’s about his experience teaching kids which didn’t go as planned. Something I could really connect with. This was followed by our travel journal readings. I read twice and it felt good to share. Morning classes ended with a follow-up to the cross-genre assignment. We had all turned in a 2 page script involving architecture or art object of Rome. The faculty read through them all and picked a few to perform.

And they were hilarious. The ideas people came up with were great and the faculty really know how to ham it up. Plus, my script was chosen!  Seeing my words performed for everyone was surreal. Nothing beats watching Sena use a ‘blaster.’

Lunch was low key in the hotel with Mary. I decided to use the time to also book a tour of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius instead of braving it on my own and having to worry about everything.

The afternoon started with graduate student readings. We had two excerpts of novels and two performance pieces. All were amazing. It’s cool to think that one day that will be me.  Graduation rounded out the afternoon which was an interesting affair. It was a simple ceremony in the same room we had been in all day. The graduates walked in from the back of the room with golden laurel wreaths adorning their heads and Atul decked out in a toga. Unlike other graduation ceremonies, this one had audience participation. We all hummed the pomp and circumstance tune as the graduates walked in. At the very least, it made you feel a part of something. A couple speeches, hooding of each graduate, and presentation of diplomas and it was done. What could have been a super long day staying in the same room all day zipped by in no time.

The only thing left to do was eat. Our farewell dinner was across the street from where our welcome dinner was. And it wasn’t as good in my opinion. The first course was a great pasta dish with vegetables. That was followed by a vegetable lasagna which was way too cheesy, plus I was already finished with the first course, but there is always room for desert. Especially when that desert is tiramisu. 

Back at the hotel it was time for hugs and goodbyes. I met up with Greta who happened to also be in Italy, and we joined the others on the terrace for the night.