Here were my flights, in central time:
Madison to O'Hare, 11:36am-12:25pm
O'Hare to Charlotte, 1:42pm-3:34pm
Charlotte to Munich, 5:55pm-2:45am
Munich to Dubrovnik, 7:45am-9:10am
When I arrived in Dubrovnik, it was 3:10pm local time, but my internal clock said 9am! So exhausting. Then we had to take a 3 hour bus ride from Dubrovnik (in Croatia) to Medjugorje (in Bosnia). So I spent a total of ~13.5 hours flying, ~9 hours in layovers, and ~3 hours on a bus - a whopping 25.5 hour-long trip!!!
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| New Passport stamp! |
Despite the long and exhausting day, I'm happy to say it actually went OK. I managed to grab 5-6 hours of sleep on the international flight, thanks to packing some ZzzQuil, and I napped a bit in the Munich airport and on the last flight as well.
And now, although it's 4pm Central time, the local time is 11pm, and I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I'm grateful for the exhaustion!
But before I give into dreams, here are some highlights:
I had breakfast at ~3am Central time in Munich, and it consisted of a flaky croissant, a banana, and a delicious cafe latte in this enormous bowl-sized mug. How good it is to be back in Europe!
I even bought a jar of Nutella in the Munich airport, because I have heard that German Nutella is even better than Italian Nutella...we shall see :)
The plane from Munich to Dubrovnik was a little regional guy, kind of like the ones I take from the Madison airport. Oddly enough, the older gentleman sitting next to me went to Loyola Chicago for his Undergrad! Small world.
We took this tiny little bus to Medjugorje, but it was fine because it turns out there are only 8 of us in our group. David (the guy organizing the trip) says he usually has over 20, but this was a smaller trip and there were some cancellations. So it's me and a bunch of people twice my age...!
It's okay though, they're all really nice, and there is one couple in particular that I really enjoyed talking to - about everything from miracles to Finance to the education system in the U.S.
The bus ride was also really gorgeous. Croatia reminded me a lot of Italy, with these little houses tucked on the coast and in all these hills and valleys. We stopped at this restaurant/cafe at the halfway point of the drive and the coffee bar was exactly like some that I went to in Rome.
There were also young men staring at me. I had forgotten about that, haha. At one point, I was so used to that, and I actually became quite the blatant people-watcher as well. It was a hard habit to break when I got back to Chicago! Haha
The man who arranged the bus ride for us spent part of the journey telling us the story of the apparitions at Medjugorje - in case we hadn't heard I guess. Here's a summarized version, with some things that I hadn't known before italicized:
- Mary appeared, holding a baby, to six children in Medjugorje. They were so terrified that they fled instead of approaching her. They had never heard of Fatima or Lourdes, and they didn't know what to think. The youngest who saw her was only 10 years old. Another was 16, but he was so freaked out they he locked himself in his room for the rest of the day.
- The next day, after calming down a bit, the kids all decided to go back. Some curious neighbors decided to tag along, and were astonished when all the children started sprinting up the mountain "as if flying" and dropped to their knees, eyes transfixed in one place, mouths moving, with no sound coming out.
- The children asked "Why here? Why us?" and Mary said "There is faith here" and "I do not always choose the best."
- The communist government was really upset for multiple reasons. One, they had brainwashed the people to believe that God was a fantasy, and two, they feared all these people gathering in one place. They dragged the children to a hospital and had them tested to prove that they were insane, but the doctors released them and said they were perfectly healthy.
- Some militia took to guarding the mountain where Mary was appearing.
- One day, a priest - Father Jozo - was praying in the church in Medjugorje (St. James) when he heard a voice say "Go outside and protect my children." He went outside and the six children were running from the militia and said "Father, please protect us!" He hid them in the church and then sent the militia running in the wrong direction. Father Jozo was eventually imprisoned for his support of the visionaries.
- Mary began imparting ten secrets to the visionaries. The third secret is the only one that anyone knows anything about, and all we know is that it will be a lasting sign on the mountain in Medjugorje, that it will be beautiful and indestructible and that anyone can come and see it.
- Once Mary finishes telling all 10 secrets to one of the visionaries, she ceases appearing to them daily. Only 3 of the 6 visionaries continue to see Mary daily.
- On the last daily apparition for one of the visionaries (Ivanka maybe?) Mary asked if there was anything she could do for her, and she said "Yes, I would like to see my earthly mother," who had died before Mary started appearing, and whom Mary had said was in Heaven. Ivanka's(?) mother appeared and hugged and kissed her and told her she was proud of her.
- One of the visionaries is named Marija. Her name is pronounced like Maria and she currently lives in Italy.
- Mary's primary message is this: convert and reconcile to God. Be at peace within yourself, and then at peace within your family, and only then will the world find peace. She says the lasting sign on Medjugorje will convert many, but that it is better to convert now.
I feel like my life has been anything but peaceful lately, and I really hope that this pilgrimage will sow seeds of peace in my heart that will last long after I leave this place!
When we finally arrived at the hotel, we got checked in and ate dinner around 8:30pm. We walked around town a bit, and I found myself laughing, because it reminded me a bit of Florida - meaning, there are souvenir shops every 3 feet! But instead of shot glasses and spray painted t-shirts, there are rosaries, cross necklaces, and religious statues. Too funny.
The best part of my night? Getting some gelato, obviously.
So. Freaking. Good.
Tomorrow we wake up early and head to the hills for an apparition! Stay tuned...!
You taught me some things I didn't know! I cannot wait to hear more. Praying for you!
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