Madison J. Caplinger

Bongiorno, readers. I write this from a cute little apartment in the busy streets Florence, Italy. I have the incredible opportunity to study abroad here and study my passion, music, for the next four weeks. It sounds like forever and no time all at once.

I’ve excitedly planned for this trip for almost a year. World travel, especially to Europe, has always been a dream of mine. So yesterday, after hours and hours in the air, I got to the apartment in which I’d be staying and… cried. I bawled my eyes out because I felt homesick. Everything was different, and I missed my family, Josh, Kentucky, the United States, and labels written in English. I imagine the element of exhaustion didn’t help.

I was so jet lagged and upset that I couldn’t even sleep. But God is faithful, even when we are a mess. (Which is good, because I’m usually a mess). My parents, Josh, and my sister encouraged me to enjoy myself and to pray, and I did. Of course their encouragement was immensely helpful. But He spoke loudly through a friend of mine, who reminded me:

“Everything you’re feeling right now… is the devil whispering lies into your ears, telling you you’re not tough enough to handle this. But you are! God let you be there on his accord, so don’t let the devil fool you into thinking you’ve made a mistake.”

God is not confined to the corner of the world where you are comfortable. 

He is so much bigger than our homes and our comforting zones, and often so is His plan for us. When I needed Him most, God met me here. He has placed beautiful reminders of His grace, love, and presence everywhere, from towering cathedrals, to nature, to art. I pray He teaches me about himself on this trip. He has begun drawing me to Himself, at first out of need for Him, but I pray that becomes simple awe. 

Ciao, Kentucky. I’ll see you soon, but for a few weeks, God has planted me here.