I had the pleasure of driving the group from Cesano Boscone and Rho on this pilgrimage, and I loved it. I had fun too. I made wonderful friendships—both with staff and with the young people, all of them special, gracious souls. Angela, someone truly out of the ordinary, extraordinary. Paolo, always full of energy, pushing everyone forward and pulling you in. He and his minibus traveled with me the whole time. Lucia and Flora were fantastic, never sitting still, always smiling, always a kind word for everyone. One thing that didn't go well: the moment we left Rome was chaos, complete confusion—you couldn't tell what was happening. I clashed with a couple of my fellow drivers because they didn't understand what it means to work with people with disabilities. They have their own rhythm, their own pace. You have to travel at their speed. You need to walk in their shoes to really understand them, to grasp what their world is like—and when you do, a whole new reality opens up. You need to treat them with the right touch, with patience. You have to move at their pace. You can't push them. If they need to stop, you stop. They have their own needs. If you arrive a few minutes late, so be it—what matters is that you get there. This experience with disability changed me. It made me grow. Once you live it, you understand it in a way you never can otherwise. A person with a disability, whether young or old, needs care, respect, support, help doing what they're able to do. Getting to know them opened a whole new world for me. You never stop learning. On the last day, I got emotional. The people on my bus gave me a T-shirt—way too big for me—with everyone's signatures on it, and a cap. I was completely taken aback. I had no words. I never expected it. The cap hangs in my bus now, so every time I see it I remember. I wore the T-shirt a few times at the beach this summer; people noticed the symbol and the signatures, asked me about it, and I told them the story. They listened, fascinated. Thank you all. I send you my warmest embrace and hope to see you again soon! I won't forget you!
