The arrival:

It is finally July and the North Carolina Young Artist Project has made the journey over to Italy. Following an overnight plane ride, we quickly passed through customs and loaded onto a bus that took us to Sansepolcro, Toscana Italia. We pulled up to a gateway of a city that has withstood a thousand and one years. The bus cannot drive into the city, for the streets are too narrow. We unloaded our luggage and pulled it down center street to the Palazzo. Rich, warm colors surround us as walked and every door seemed to have it's own personality. They are heavy, and, at times, ornate. Everywhere you look, you can see something beautiful and full of history. This place inspires the mind to wonder about the people that came before. If the walls could speak, what stories would they tell? Once we were unpacked, we had a meal and a tour of the city. The people of Italy are so vibrant, and the language is gorgeous. At home, most times I feel as though I am inconstant motion, striving for the next thing I must do and never having enough hours in a day. Here, the pace of life is different. People are to be savored. They work hard, but they enjoy life; they enjoy each other. We begin rehearsals for the opera tomorrow, and I cannot wait. I will be working with some lovely artists. In the country of opera's origin,  I feel incredibly blessed to be able to learn, work, and sing in this place. I feel so at home here. On Friday, the city will celebrate the thousand and one year of existence with a festival.
 
                                                                                           a domain,
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                 Jessica Samples