the waiting game

the waiting game. doesnt everybody just love to play it? waiting for final semester grades. waiting for a boy to call. waiting for vacation. waiting for a surprise. in my case - waiting for a mission call.

checking the internet every hour for grades. sitting by the phone, waiting for that call. looking at pictures of all of the wonderful places you could be, but your not. hoping for something new, exciting, and random to happen. in my case - dad walking out to the mailbox through the snow every day, me watching from the window. looking for that big white envelope in his hands.

i was making cookies, a new recipe. dad had just checked the mail and said it hadnt come, and i thought that it would never come. next thing i know, i am getting poked by something, and i turn around and see a big white envelope... to sister brooke baker.

and we all know what happens after this - we get everyone on the phone. i tear open the envelope, read where i'm going and shout "i'm going where i wanted to go!!!" of course, no one had any clue, because i hadnt read where i was going out loud. AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE MISSION. and i think everyone is a little surprised.

why? why would they be surprised? first of all, no one guessed anywhere even close to autsralia for me. they all guessed in the states. for good reasons too. all the missionaries in our stake are either in the U.S. or in South America. and here i am, going to AUSTRALIA!!

to say i am excited is an understatement. i cant be more thrilled or happy about my call. foreign. english speaking. perfect. only down side to my call - i dont leave till june 22nd.

and that my friends, is what we call karma... i rushed to get my papers in before we left for our trip back east, i put my ready date in february, and i decided to not go to school this winter. of course i would get my call soon after my ready date. right? boy was i wrong. i have a 6 month wait. stuck in moses lake. what am i going to do? i have no idea. only time will tell...

culture shock

my professor said that when i got back to america, i would experience culture shock. i laughed at the thought. why would i experience culture shock in my own culture? well.... little did i know that he would be right.

saturday night i went to a relief society dinner with mom. my feelings? OVERWHELMED.

for the last three months i haven't...

1.) been around that many members of the church. there were only 30 people totally in our branch in Siena (including our small group)

2.) been surround by conversations that i could actually understand every word (i love english!)

3.) had so many people asking me questions, about my life in italy

4.) had time to only speak and think for myself, i was always translating for my roommate, or taking charge in the conversations. for the first time, i didnt have to do that, and i didnt have to concentrate on every word the other person was saying to me. i actually had a hard time thinking of what every word was in english not italian, to respond to people!

5.) had space. and here there's wide open spaces - everywhere. you can't just walk to the place you want to go, you actually need a car.

6.) craved pasta. but now that i'm back, i actually crave it. i ate it everyday for three months straight, and we just dont eat that much pasta here. i miss it.

dont get me wrong, its great to be back. but i fell in love with italy. and i miss it with all my heart. i miss going out and doing something new everyday, i miss talking with all of my friends in the program... i find myself getting bored at home... but i am slowly, very slowly adjusting. life is good, america is good. i just need to accept the fact that i'm back and that its finally time to figure out what i'm doing with my life.

wish me luck!

a TaStE oF tHe SoUtH

ViTuLaZiO.

NaPoLi.

PoMpEiI.

SoRrEnTo.

CaPrI.

PoSiTaNo.

AiRpOrTs

airports.

i am currently spending the night in one. it is an interesting business. there are people everywhere. spread out on blankets. huddled under jackets. pushing around luggage. trying to stay warm.

me? i just woke up from an hour nap, curled up in a ball on the floor. in the middle of a ring of luggage, after packing and repacking my bags... trying to make the correct weight. it is now my turn for watch duty.

this last week has been a blast. napoli, vitulazio, pompeii, sorrento, capri, positano, amalfi coast, roma. catching trains, eating lemon sorbet in an actual lemon, trudging through the pouring rain, for the last three weeks...

i am ready to go home. never thought i would say that. but lugging around two suitcases and a packed bag? i dont like it. i am ready for warmth, hot bubble baths, popcorn, english, movies, toilet paper hanging from the wall, a large bed, and family.

arrivederci italia. hello america.

L.O.V.E.

ARRIVEDERCI SIENA.

i have officially left my hometown. for good. i got

to cook with my dad one more time, got a kiss from giuseppe, and was told that where your heart is, you will never be far away. i love my host family more than words can express. i wish everyone could meet them and see just how wonderful they truly are. they will always be my second home, and i will never forget them.

what will i miss about siena? just about everything. sitting in the campo, bottles of wine on the dinner table, italian class with enzo, wednesday markets, contradas, zuppa di funghi, and the list goes on and on.

while i am sad to say goodbye, i know that i will be back someday. that this is not the end. this is only the beginning.

CIAO ROMA.

i am back. back in this beautiful city full of history and ruins. it is true, compared to siena, it is dirty, crowded, and noisy. but that is rome. and i love it.

i have been to the galleria

bourghese, the capitoline hill museum, the creepy bones church.

i have traveled to the ancient poet, horaces villa. and the ancient emperor hadrians villa.

i have wandered in the rain, and had many adventures with my 30 days of firsts.

what is on my bucket list of things to do here? simple.

-visit the rome temple site

-eat gelato as many times as humanly possible

-see the pope at the vatican

-maybe jump in a fountain. maybe.

-and soo much more...

LOVE = ITALIA

am i ready to leave this beautiful country? the answer would be... yes and no.

YES. i am looking forward to understanding

everyone around me, and being able to communicate, and having warm towels, fresh outa the dryer.

NO. i am not ready for school, dating, real life. can i be on a permanent vacation?

so what is the solution? enjoy every single minute that i have left. its not everyday that i get to live in italy, having all of these crazy/fun experiences. its time to seize the day!

30 days of firsts

my roomie and i have decided that for the month of november, we will do one new thing everyday, one thing that we have never done before. so here is a list of my 30 days of first...

november 1st- well, didnt decide to do it till after 9pm at night... so no firsts for this day.

november 2nd - first ever visit to a jewish synagogue, and first

time i've ever met someone from jerusalem

november 3rd -first package ever recieved in italy (from home!!)

- the first time i've ever bought delicious blood red orange juice, with white blossom extracts.

november 4th - watched my first full movie since i have been here in italy - stardust -(boy how i miss just chillin and watching a good movie!)

- leaving the talbots place at 2 am (latest that i have been out since i've been here) and having to take a detour because of large crowds on the street

november 5th - goingto an italian pharmacy (instead of a doctor), and getting eye drops (this pharmacy is even in guide books!)

- buying the largest piece of lindt chocolate that i have ever seen, and enjoying it!

- discovering the medieval and botanical gardens on a beautiful fall day, by myself

- buying the best panino from gino cacino's! (love that man!) panino = mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes in oil, and bread! delicious!!

november 6th - didnt get on the computer at all, not even to check my email! no connection at all to home for one whole day!

- first time ever going to the bargello in florence

november 7th - this was my fifth day of NOT wearing ANY make-up at all!! (impressive, right?)

november 8th -bought ALL NEW italian make-up

november 9th - ate a chocolate covered riccarelli - delicious! (not cooked in the middle!) it looked kinda like an almond joy

november 10th - bought food at the mercato today - fried m

ozzarella balls are delicious!

- waiting for over 40 minutes for my bus, and then having to fight

my way off once i got to the station. no one would move for me!

november 11th - visited two churches in siena that i hadn't been in yet, and saw several dead bodies (saints) in them! creepy!

november 12th

- went to montepulciano and saw where new moon was filmed, and re-created bella running through the square to save edward. so fun!!

november 13th - found all 17 of the contrada fountains - beat that! climbed the duomo arch, beautiful view of siena!

walked to the fonte bronda at night, and was tempted to go

swimming, but dont worry, i didnt =)

november 14th - had egg rolls for dinner - first chinese food that i have ever eaten outside the U.S. can you believe it? i ate CHINESE food in ITALY!! craziness!!

november 15th - first time eating torta caprese - amazing!!

november 16th - first time i've ever gotten a 95% in an italian class!

- and also the first time i've ever walked around on the top of the fortezza.

november 17th - first time i've ever had to leave my host family

for good... sad. hopefully i'll see them again someday!

november 18th - first time since i've been in italy that i've had a group of guys (prolly drunk) whisteling and catcalling at kelli & i, feeling threatened, and being very thankful that i had a couple of protective guy friends there with us.

november 19th - first time that i have ever eaten TOFU SOUP, at a chinese restaurant, in roma. and yes, it was delicious!!

- also the first time that i have ever kissed a giant foot (part of the remains of a sculpture of a man at the Capitoline hill museum) - the only thing that i will get to kiss while in italy!

november 20th - first time going to ancient ruins of hadrians villa and absolutely loving it! i recommend it to anyone who decides to go to italy!

november 21st - first time that i have stayed indoors all day since i have been here in rome. due to the weather - lightening & thunder, pouring rain. there is a reason why this is the off season for tourists!

november 22nd - first time truly appreciating ALL of the art in the vatican museum

november 23rd - first time trying a kebab - and i didn't like it! too much meat, and it was really spicy

november 24th - first time walking around in the pouring rain without an umbrella or a hood! just soaking it up. literally.

november 25th - first time eating thanksgiving in rome. in the piazza rotunda at a fancy little outdoor restaurant, right in front of the pantheon!!

november 26th - first time going to H&M in roma!

november 27th - first time being in a car and getting stuck on a cute little italian street in the middle of the night, in the middle of the country. luckily, carmellina got us out of that scrape and we made it back to vitulazio!

november 28th - first time ever eating a whole pizza all by myself! also, the first time ever eating soo much food in one day - i ate more than i usually do on thanksgiving day! now that is saying something...

november 29th - first time ever going to napoli. my first response? repulsion. and then it slowly grew on me the more we wandered around in it.

november 30th - first time eating delicious lemon sorbet. in half of a lemon. i was in heaven.

-also, my first time ever going to capri. beautiful - you dont even feel like you're in italy anymore... you feel like you're somewhere in greece. (thats what imagine greece to feel/look like anyways...)

- i have finally finished my 30 days of firsts... and it has definatly been a time of adventures! if you ever feel like your life is too routine, or boring, try doing a 30 days of first, it definatly spices life up!

...chocolate...

chocolate in italy is my #1 weakness. kinder bueno, kinder latte, ringos, fondente, chocolate with hazelnuts, caldo cioccolato, nutella... you name it, i love it. a chocolate (or two) a day... keeps the doctor away? i think so.

today is the first sunny day we have had in at least three days now. when it rains here, it pours. literally. non stop rain for two days straight, day and night. lets just say that i enjoyed our class field trip to the fonte bronde; sitting outside, soaking up the sun, and reading dante, (while eating free gelato from kopakabana's).

we visited a jewish synagogue today, and i have to say that i think it has been one of my favorite things that we have done this whole trip. eli (their stand in rabbi), is from jerusalem, and has been living in italy for two years. he was really nice, and told us all about the jewish religion, its history in siena, italy, and europe in general. he answered all of our questions, and even told a jewish joke! i want to learn/study more about the jewish religion and culture, and would love to go to jerusalem someday. maybe another study abroad in a year or two...? i think yes.

oh, and by the way, today is my one month mark till i leave this beautiful country. and two more weeks till i leave siena. sad. so i'm taking advantage of every moment that i have.