Thank you for supporting this trip and thank you for all the prayers. This trip was a life changing experience for all the kids and for myself. Thank you for believing in me and for being faithful givers and supporters. I love you all!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Africa Journal
July 31st
Today was an awesome day. We left Johannesburg at 730 am this morning, our plane left at 1015 p.m.. On the plane, I met this guy who was from Malawi and we spent the whole entire trip talking. We talked about many things, but the craziest thing was that he was a journalist and he had been beaten for talking about political issues that were not agreeable. To top it off he continued to tell me that he got his graduate degree from Harvard. So you know me, not thinking blurted out with, "No way, seriously?" Of course he took it literally, like I didn't believe him (I need to remember that people from other countries don't understand our sayings) so he took out his Harvard ID and his Mass. drivers license and proved to me that he really did graduate from Harvard. It was nuts and kindda cool. It's just unbelievable when you hear someone from the US that went to Harvard so to hear someone from Malawi that went to Harvard was amazing. We then continued to discuss where we have traveled to around the world and he has been to so many places. We went down the fifty states in ABC order and he has been to 26 states while I have only been to 17. Then he took out a map and showed me all the places he has been and what he was writing about. I was reading the book A Long Way Gone and turns out he has a friend in Massachusetts that was persecuted by the rebels when we ran away from them. It was just a great experience getting to know him and hearing his story. He truly inspired me to stand for what I believe and daring. What a great way to start the trip.
Once we arrived to Malawi, we got our luggage and were greeted by the COTN staff who all remembered me from the last time I was here which was incredible and it filled my heart with joy. When we arrived at the COTN compound we unloaded and headed to Mtsiliza for the welcome party that the widows and kids had prepared. It was great to relive everything, but being here for the second time allowed me to feel more comfortable. The coolest part of my day happened when I noticed Saidi sitting on the front row of the group. I just yelled out his name and waved at him. He looked a little confused, but then ran to me, gave me a hug and sat on my lap. It was phenomenal that be recognized me and it felt great to hug him. What was even better was to see him wearing the shoes and clothes I had sent for him. It made me feel amazing and so glad that I am able to provide for him. It made me realize how awesome it is to sponsor a child. I also got to meet Saidi's mom and sister. Saidi's mom gave me a huge hug and thanked me for providing for Saidi and being a blessing in their life. I was so happy, I cried.
The saddest part of my day was when I had to tell Henry, Steven and Ester about Fabians death after they asked about him. They were in such a shock and Ester started crying which made me cry and it was just absolutely awful and hard to talk about. Saidi's mom was concerned about Julius not being sponsored since Fabian was his sponsor, but I explained the love many of us share for Fabian and therefore we would not allow that and eventually someone would take over the sponsorship. That made her feel better and I'm sure relieved. Other than that today was an amazing day! I had so much fun and overjoyed with the fact that Saidi remembered me. :)
August 1st
Today was incredible. Kyle and I were partnered up to work with a 16 year old girl named Zione. She is absolutely beautiful and intelligent. Zione has a disability, I am not exactly sure what it is, but she cannot walk or use her legs. She has very strong arms because she uses them to get herself around, but she has very short humerus bones so her arms are very short and it's hard for her to move her wheelchair to get around. I think they are short because of how much pressure she puts on them when she is trying to lift herself up or move around. We took her for a walk on her wheelchair and she was so happy and grateful. Zione is phenomenal at crocheting she has crocheted an entire sweater out of yarn. Both her parents passed away and she was taken in by her aunt since she was left homeless. Zione also loves to sing and share the gospel which is amazing. Her auntie is also a Christian who loves Jesus (and you can tell, considering she took Zione in willingly). The kids in the village are very sweet to her and do not treat her any different which I thought was so cool. Nothing worse than bullies. We learned so much about Zione and her care taker during the first half of the day that I feel like I have known her for years now. She is the sweetest girl who wants to make a change in the world. I know she will love it when we take her on the safari. When I asked her what animals she wanted to see she said an elephant, so I really hope that we see some elephants.
During our time with the family we muddied the floor. It was an interesting experience, but I am so glad I was able to help the best way I could. In the afternoon we cooked for the families and ate enzima with pumpkin leaves. We were able to cook the food (with some help) and have dinner with the entire family; which was absolutely incredible to share because you learn so much about people when you eat their food. The experience was one of a kind and I am just so excited to be around Zione for the next few days.
The food the kids eat isn't the greatest food they should be eating. It concerns me how little protein these kids eat. Enzima is made with flour and water; nothing else. It's really bland, filled with carbs and just doesn't serve a nutritious purpose except to fill their bellies.
We saw a baby with a bloated belly and you could just tell it wasn't healthy. He either lacked the protein in his diet or had an infection because his belly was way to big for his little size. Imagine a 2 year old with the basketball size belly. I felt saddened by the sight. If somehow they could harvest spinach they could get more protein in their meal.
The amazing thing is that these kids are so grateful and love Jesus so much. Their houses are the size of my bedroom, maybe less, and it houses at least 4 people and they all love each other unconditionally. It's incredible how each sibling looks after one another.
August 2nd
What a great day today has been. We spent the day with the widows of Mtzilisa and Mgwai (spelling may be wrong). Both villages are filled with amazing woman who are striving to be better for their families and for their villages. They always welcome us with their dancing and singing which makes you feel like a million bucks. They are so generous and grateful for us Azungus (the word they use for white people) to come to their villages and their homes. I have never met people who are willing to serve as much as these women do. They inspire me and I'm sure they inspire the whole group.
The program the widows have to help other widows is incredible. They pour their hearts out for each other and love each other the way Jesus loves them. It was wonderful today when Erin asked one of the widows about the program they have and the type of women they take in to the program and her response was beautiful. She said that they take any woman no matter her religion into the program and as they get to know the women then they share their story and talk about Jesus. How awesome is it that these women would do such a beautiful thing? It's Incredible.
August 4th
Up, up, Jesus! Up, up, Jesus! Down, down devil!!! Lol this is the chant the translators use to get the kids excited and pumped. God is great and it's amazing how we are created in his image. We are Mulungu's (God) masterpiece no matter how different we are or how we look. God creates us in a certain way for a specific reason and that is the most important message for the kids this week. We want the kids to know that they matter and that God created them for a specific reason and that they are beautiful. I have grown so much from this trip just by seeing these kids become more confident and outgoing in their own skin. It's amazing to witness their dramatic growth in just 2 days and we still have tomorrow. The first day we met these kids they were quiet and shy, not really wanting to say much or thinking they didn't want to be heard because they are different. Now they are willing to singing out loud, make funny jokes, think of themselves as awesome people, and most importantly...they know that they matter to God and that they are loved by many people.
When you see pictures of this trip, of the places we have stayed, you all are going to think" what type of mission trip is this?" The places we have been staying are beautiful; paradise like. I am overwhelmed with the beautiful creation of Gods work and it's great that we are able to bring the kids here and have them enjoy a piece of paradise. I must warn you, these pictures can be deceiving. It may seem as though we have been in this beautiful place just relaxing and having a good time, but it's been far from relaxing. Of course we have had a good time, but the whole team is emotionally and physically exhausted. We have been experiencing so much in the past few days that I can already see the changes amongst ourselves. We have been pouring 150% of ourselves to this team and these children. The emotional exhaustion is from seeing the kids struggle with daily lives issues that we often take for granted. Do you know what it's like to teach a child to use a toilet because they have only ever used a ditch. I literally had to explain to them that you sit on a toilet and not try to straddle the bowl standing up. They are just confused and do not understand why there isn't a hole on the ground that they can just squat over. Do you know what it's like to have to brief a child to sleep on the bed because they are so used to sleeping on the floor that they may not know what to do with a bed or the covers? It's sad.
I have had a few conversations with some of the kids and the stories they have shared are incredibly heart breaking. One of the boys here who is albino, Fiskani, shared his story with me and it was so hard to stay composed and not breakdown next to him. Basically, he was taken in by a family that was willing to feed him and he could live with them, but he had his separate plate, cup, everything. If the other kids touched his things or drank out of his cup they were "contaminated" with his disease. He said he was treated different and was humiliated everyday of his life until he was taken in by COTN. He was told he would never be able to marry because what woman would notice him? Who would want to be with someone so "ugly" and "different?" breaks my heart thinking about it. Our whole team reminded him constantly of how amazing he was and that God created him for a reason. Whatever the reason maybe...he is a blessing to all of us and the people that surround him. He made me laugh more than any other child on this trip...he has been a blessing to me.
This trip is a once in a lifetime experience for these children. They have been eating food that they have never ate in their life's. It's interesting seeing them eat. They eat so much; I think they do that because they are afraid they won't have another meal in a long time. I am thankful for people like John Parker who came up with this idea and Sid, Tim and David for leading it so beautifully. Not everything has happened as planned, but it has happened in a way where you know it was Gods plan. Even looking at the buddies partnered up you can tell that God knew who would be perfect for one another because we match just right.
There is this boy named Majanko (sp) and he is a handful. I'll be honest and say that I cant work with kids that severe, just not my forte. I'm not strong enough to work with children that severe...I know that may sound selfish, but it's the truth. But Nicole was paired with him and I can't think of anyone better. I know she must be feeling overwhelmed, I can see it on her face, but I know God is somehow using this experience to teach her and all of us something. I don't think she knows how changed she will be after this experience. I don't think anyone knows how much their life's will be changed after this trip. These kids think we change their lives, but honestly they have changed us just as much. I am blesses to have been on this trip.
August 5th
Today has been an awesome day so far. We spent all day hanging outside by the lake and doing water stuff. The plan was to have devotion this morning and then play games and then go into the water. Well, that didn't happen lol. Like everything we have planned, it changed. We had breakfast then headed to the water and everyone just jumped in...well almost everyone. The kids were having a blast and so were the guardians. After that we all sat in to hear devotions and we got to hear Michael's amazing testimony. Michael is amazing! He inspires me and I hope we can develop a deeper friendship because he is truly an incredible individual. It was also great to hear Gracious testimony...the testimonies filled my heart with joy because both Michael and Gracious are a blessing to all of us. They have both persevered and are examples of how successful one can be if you have determination and passion for life and Christ.
After devotions and lunch we all played water games and got in the water. I really enjoyed watching all the kids play and their eyes were gleaming with joy. Pemphero, Alena and Solister all got into the water butt naked which was so funny. Majanko also went in the water and Sid did such a great job helping with him while Nicole was working with the caregivers. It was funny to see Majanko naked and Sid next to him. If that had taken place in the states...Sid would have been judge about playing with a naked boy haha. Poor Sid! But he did such a great job.
It's been incredible seeing every one of my team members work so hard. Erin is so great with Maliko (a young man with Dow syndrome), she thinks he doesn't like her because she is always saying no to him, but I genuinely think that's what he needs. Brianne is so great for Pemphero, Solister and Alena. You can just tell that those girls love her. The relationship Danny and Kyle have built with their boys is incredible to watch and you can just tell that they have poured their hearts into this young man. Danny and Brad spent all day in the water with the boys today playing water games and throwing the football. It was incredible to witness. Carly loves Tamala, and she has an incredible connection with her. Frank absolutely loves Darling. They have a close relationship and she cares for him as if she was her mother. The same for Sam with Msada. I love Msada, sweetest girl ever and the connection she has shared with Sam is incredible. Faith and Funes are made for each other and it's sweet to see how much she cares after Funes and I have seen how Funes has become so confident so quickly. Keely has poured her loved into the hearts of Junior and Gift. Katie loves Andrew and of course I love my girls!
Oh my gosh, kind of random, but we were throwing water balloons and we were aiming for John Parker and instead we hit Funess. I felt so awful because she did not understand what had happened. She kept looking up at the sky wondering where it had fallen from haha. I know so mean for me to laugh, but it was very amusing (not that she got hit, but her reaction of confusion). John Parker was trying to explain to her where the balloon had come from, but I don't think it helped. Poor baby!
August 6th
Last night during club, I was sitting listening to music when Ephilda, one of my buddies, rested her head on my shoulder and held my hand. It was the sweetest thing ever. I realized immediately how much their kids love us and how deeply I care for them. Last night was really emotional for us because we heard all the kids give their testimony about what they had thought about the past 3 days. I recorded it so you all can hear them. We also heard Michael talk to all the kids and say thanks for allowing us to be a part of all these things and for opening their hearts! I broke down when I heard Darlings testimony on her life as Michael's sister. She used such eloquent and inspirational words that got us all crying. I admire the Murray family; they are strong and amazing. I can't imagine trying to raise a child with CP especially, twenty something years ago when having a disability was a taboo and they didn't have as many rights as they do now. It's incredible how strong Mr. and Mrs. Murray are and what an inspiration they are to the caregivers.
I was thinking today....I'm not really good at choosing my words. Not in a bad way, but I always have to correct my word choice and say, "you know what I mean." but I don't know if people really know what I mean. I just don't want people to take wrong. Many times during the trip I felt like I was being made fun of because of my word choice. I'm not sure what it is, I think it's because I speak based on pure emotion moreover the fact that English isn't my first language. A lot to think about.
This morning I was sitting with Katie O. and Andrew having breakfast when I look over and Andrew is using a knife and a fork to cut his meat. It was the highlight of my trip. These kids never use silver ware and to see him using silverware, properly, it gave me chills. Katie and I just looked at each other and smiled. My Jesus moment of the day.
In the past few days I have developed a very close relationship with so many girls on this trip. They have been such an encouragement when I was feeling down and I can honestly see myself developing genuine friendships once we get back home. We are all different, we all joke different, but we all somehow compliment one another as friends. I have developed special relationships with Katie O, Sam and Erin. Katie and I were meant to be on this trip together, she is like my little sister. We are so alike and we literally do things the same and she is just so beautiful inside and out. I am looking forward to all the fun times we will have in the future. Sam has been my crying shoulder to lean on this trip. She has been there for me at my weakest and during my breakdowns. She has made me feel like I have a friend in her and that I can come to her when I'm in need. Erin and I are experiencing so many similar emotions on this trip. We are both married and don't have our husbands with us. We have been an encouragement to each other when we missed our husbands and it has been so great to get to know her. I look forward to fun date nights.
As for my roomies/card playing friends during this trip we really have built relationships! Our relationships were rocky during a good game of "May I," but we made it through intact. Haha I'm just kidding there was never rockiness. I do feel like it was godly for me to end up rooming with them because we all have a lot in common, like we were all catholic growing up. Haha I loved our late night conversations.
Before I came on this trip, I was a little bit nervous about being with new people and meeting them all. I was nervous about the trip and the people not meeting the same expectations that my first trip had met. My March Malawi team was so incredible, that I couldn't think of any other team being as good. It was dumb thinking; definitely! This July team has been incredible. They are just as special to me as the March team and I can see myself enjoying dinners and game nights with these people the same way I enjoy it with the March team. The March team will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first mission trip, but this team and trip is just as special because of what we experienced and the changes we made in ourselves and through COTN. I don't think God called me on this trip to compare trips or to see who was better, he called me to serve and build relationships and I definitely feel I achieved that.
I am so happy I opened my heart and allowed God to take control. I am so happy I didn't let money stop me from coming on this trip and I am so happy that I have met each and every one of the people on this team.
August 8th
On Saturday night I was surprised by Lovemore, I haven't been able to see him this whole time since he was away for college, but seeing him made me so happy. I wasn't expecting to see him, but it felt so amazing to hug him again. We spent the evening catching up and then yesterday he came to see me in the morning and he surprised me again this morning. Today was our last day in Malawi and saying goodbye to Lovemore and Steven was really hard. I love them both dearly and I seriously feel like they are my brothers. It was a little bitter sweet, but nonetheless it's exciting to head home. Yesterday we went to church at Flood church and it was a really good service. After church we had our lunch with our sponsor kids and I got to see both Lovemore and Saidi which made me the happiest girl in the world. Saidi is so precious. We had such a good time playing with a beach ball and eating yummy food. It was really great because Rebecca, a COTN intern, was able to get Julius to come hang out as well. Many of the people on my trip sponsored many of the kids with special needs which is great because they need it so much. Kelly decided to sponsor Zione which was so great and I am so glad she took on that commitment. It was really good to see Masada and Dina again.
This journal has been really different from my Europe journal, I was more in depth with my Europe trip because I had a lot more time. So now that I have the time (7 hour lay over and a 15 hour flight) and I am thinking of it, I am going to write about some of the kids on the trip who stole my heart. Masada is one of them. I'm not sure if that's how you spell her name, but that's how you pronounce it. Masada is a 9 year old little girl who lost her hearing two years ago due to malaria. It's a really sad story, but one that is very common in Malawi. Well, Masada is very interesting lol, seriously. She is probably one of my favorites, but at the same time she was one if the ones that drove you nuts haha. She has a love-hate relationship with many of us and she has that “I am the boss of me" attitude. For example, if we asked her to take a picture she would walk away or not smile or cover her face, but if she wanted a picture then she would just point at your camera and make you, yes make you, haha take the picture. She would also snatch things from us all the time. One time I have a cup of water in my hand, next thing I know she had snatched from my hand and was drinking out of it. As much of a pain as she was, she was definitely a sweetheart and would hug you and kiss you, but it was under her condition or when she wanted too. One time she was caressing Sam's face and Sam was all happy that Masada is being so sweet and then Masada just suddenly slapped her cheek. She did it to me too haha...she was crazy, in a good way. I fell in love with her.
Funess and Fiskani were two other kids I fell in live with. They are both albino and they both have had a very rough life. COTN has changed their life and allowed them to have a family and friends. This week we poured so much love into those kids and made sure that they felt special. Only God knows if we truly did, but from what I noticed, I believe we did. Both these kids are so special and have so much love for everyone in their life it's amazing. They both inspired me in so many ways.
Michael Murray, is one of the most inspirational people on this trip. He is so awesome! How many times have I said that on this journal? Well, that's cause it's true. Michael works at summit and he has Cerebral Palsy and he has written a book and he is so funny and any girl would be lucky to have him in his life. He loves Jesus and you can tell he has been living his life to serve Jesus.
I have been noticing much change in my heart lately. It has some relation to this trip, but also to my bible study group and Summit. Summit has changed my life in so many ways. I have never been involved in a church the way I am with Summit. If someone would have told me 2 years ago that I would go on two mission trips, develop deep Christian friendship, have changed lives, inspired people, inspired myself, fall in love with Africa and feel as if I have a second family there....I would have never believed it was my life you were talking about. But that's my life and it's not perfect, there is suffering and heartache, but one thing is constant is the love I have for this new life and Jesus.
This trip has been everything I prayed it would be and much more. I am really sad that Anthony wasn't able to come because he would have been amazing with the kids. Things happen for a reason and I am sure he will have many other opportunities to go.
Today was an awesome day. We left Johannesburg at 730 am this morning, our plane left at 1015 p.m.. On the plane, I met this guy who was from Malawi and we spent the whole entire trip talking. We talked about many things, but the craziest thing was that he was a journalist and he had been beaten for talking about political issues that were not agreeable. To top it off he continued to tell me that he got his graduate degree from Harvard. So you know me, not thinking blurted out with, "No way, seriously?" Of course he took it literally, like I didn't believe him (I need to remember that people from other countries don't understand our sayings) so he took out his Harvard ID and his Mass. drivers license and proved to me that he really did graduate from Harvard. It was nuts and kindda cool. It's just unbelievable when you hear someone from the US that went to Harvard so to hear someone from Malawi that went to Harvard was amazing. We then continued to discuss where we have traveled to around the world and he has been to so many places. We went down the fifty states in ABC order and he has been to 26 states while I have only been to 17. Then he took out a map and showed me all the places he has been and what he was writing about. I was reading the book A Long Way Gone and turns out he has a friend in Massachusetts that was persecuted by the rebels when we ran away from them. It was just a great experience getting to know him and hearing his story. He truly inspired me to stand for what I believe and daring. What a great way to start the trip.
Once we arrived to Malawi, we got our luggage and were greeted by the COTN staff who all remembered me from the last time I was here which was incredible and it filled my heart with joy. When we arrived at the COTN compound we unloaded and headed to Mtsiliza for the welcome party that the widows and kids had prepared. It was great to relive everything, but being here for the second time allowed me to feel more comfortable. The coolest part of my day happened when I noticed Saidi sitting on the front row of the group. I just yelled out his name and waved at him. He looked a little confused, but then ran to me, gave me a hug and sat on my lap. It was phenomenal that be recognized me and it felt great to hug him. What was even better was to see him wearing the shoes and clothes I had sent for him. It made me feel amazing and so glad that I am able to provide for him. It made me realize how awesome it is to sponsor a child. I also got to meet Saidi's mom and sister. Saidi's mom gave me a huge hug and thanked me for providing for Saidi and being a blessing in their life. I was so happy, I cried.
The saddest part of my day was when I had to tell Henry, Steven and Ester about Fabians death after they asked about him. They were in such a shock and Ester started crying which made me cry and it was just absolutely awful and hard to talk about. Saidi's mom was concerned about Julius not being sponsored since Fabian was his sponsor, but I explained the love many of us share for Fabian and therefore we would not allow that and eventually someone would take over the sponsorship. That made her feel better and I'm sure relieved. Other than that today was an amazing day! I had so much fun and overjoyed with the fact that Saidi remembered me. :)
August 1st
Today was incredible. Kyle and I were partnered up to work with a 16 year old girl named Zione. She is absolutely beautiful and intelligent. Zione has a disability, I am not exactly sure what it is, but she cannot walk or use her legs. She has very strong arms because she uses them to get herself around, but she has very short humerus bones so her arms are very short and it's hard for her to move her wheelchair to get around. I think they are short because of how much pressure she puts on them when she is trying to lift herself up or move around. We took her for a walk on her wheelchair and she was so happy and grateful. Zione is phenomenal at crocheting she has crocheted an entire sweater out of yarn. Both her parents passed away and she was taken in by her aunt since she was left homeless. Zione also loves to sing and share the gospel which is amazing. Her auntie is also a Christian who loves Jesus (and you can tell, considering she took Zione in willingly). The kids in the village are very sweet to her and do not treat her any different which I thought was so cool. Nothing worse than bullies. We learned so much about Zione and her care taker during the first half of the day that I feel like I have known her for years now. She is the sweetest girl who wants to make a change in the world. I know she will love it when we take her on the safari. When I asked her what animals she wanted to see she said an elephant, so I really hope that we see some elephants.
During our time with the family we muddied the floor. It was an interesting experience, but I am so glad I was able to help the best way I could. In the afternoon we cooked for the families and ate enzima with pumpkin leaves. We were able to cook the food (with some help) and have dinner with the entire family; which was absolutely incredible to share because you learn so much about people when you eat their food. The experience was one of a kind and I am just so excited to be around Zione for the next few days.
The food the kids eat isn't the greatest food they should be eating. It concerns me how little protein these kids eat. Enzima is made with flour and water; nothing else. It's really bland, filled with carbs and just doesn't serve a nutritious purpose except to fill their bellies.
We saw a baby with a bloated belly and you could just tell it wasn't healthy. He either lacked the protein in his diet or had an infection because his belly was way to big for his little size. Imagine a 2 year old with the basketball size belly. I felt saddened by the sight. If somehow they could harvest spinach they could get more protein in their meal.
The amazing thing is that these kids are so grateful and love Jesus so much. Their houses are the size of my bedroom, maybe less, and it houses at least 4 people and they all love each other unconditionally. It's incredible how each sibling looks after one another.
August 2nd
What a great day today has been. We spent the day with the widows of Mtzilisa and Mgwai (spelling may be wrong). Both villages are filled with amazing woman who are striving to be better for their families and for their villages. They always welcome us with their dancing and singing which makes you feel like a million bucks. They are so generous and grateful for us Azungus (the word they use for white people) to come to their villages and their homes. I have never met people who are willing to serve as much as these women do. They inspire me and I'm sure they inspire the whole group.
The program the widows have to help other widows is incredible. They pour their hearts out for each other and love each other the way Jesus loves them. It was wonderful today when Erin asked one of the widows about the program they have and the type of women they take in to the program and her response was beautiful. She said that they take any woman no matter her religion into the program and as they get to know the women then they share their story and talk about Jesus. How awesome is it that these women would do such a beautiful thing? It's Incredible.
August 4th
Up, up, Jesus! Up, up, Jesus! Down, down devil!!! Lol this is the chant the translators use to get the kids excited and pumped. God is great and it's amazing how we are created in his image. We are Mulungu's (God) masterpiece no matter how different we are or how we look. God creates us in a certain way for a specific reason and that is the most important message for the kids this week. We want the kids to know that they matter and that God created them for a specific reason and that they are beautiful. I have grown so much from this trip just by seeing these kids become more confident and outgoing in their own skin. It's amazing to witness their dramatic growth in just 2 days and we still have tomorrow. The first day we met these kids they were quiet and shy, not really wanting to say much or thinking they didn't want to be heard because they are different. Now they are willing to singing out loud, make funny jokes, think of themselves as awesome people, and most importantly...they know that they matter to God and that they are loved by many people.
When you see pictures of this trip, of the places we have stayed, you all are going to think" what type of mission trip is this?" The places we have been staying are beautiful; paradise like. I am overwhelmed with the beautiful creation of Gods work and it's great that we are able to bring the kids here and have them enjoy a piece of paradise. I must warn you, these pictures can be deceiving. It may seem as though we have been in this beautiful place just relaxing and having a good time, but it's been far from relaxing. Of course we have had a good time, but the whole team is emotionally and physically exhausted. We have been experiencing so much in the past few days that I can already see the changes amongst ourselves. We have been pouring 150% of ourselves to this team and these children. The emotional exhaustion is from seeing the kids struggle with daily lives issues that we often take for granted. Do you know what it's like to teach a child to use a toilet because they have only ever used a ditch. I literally had to explain to them that you sit on a toilet and not try to straddle the bowl standing up. They are just confused and do not understand why there isn't a hole on the ground that they can just squat over. Do you know what it's like to have to brief a child to sleep on the bed because they are so used to sleeping on the floor that they may not know what to do with a bed or the covers? It's sad.
I have had a few conversations with some of the kids and the stories they have shared are incredibly heart breaking. One of the boys here who is albino, Fiskani, shared his story with me and it was so hard to stay composed and not breakdown next to him. Basically, he was taken in by a family that was willing to feed him and he could live with them, but he had his separate plate, cup, everything. If the other kids touched his things or drank out of his cup they were "contaminated" with his disease. He said he was treated different and was humiliated everyday of his life until he was taken in by COTN. He was told he would never be able to marry because what woman would notice him? Who would want to be with someone so "ugly" and "different?" breaks my heart thinking about it. Our whole team reminded him constantly of how amazing he was and that God created him for a reason. Whatever the reason maybe...he is a blessing to all of us and the people that surround him. He made me laugh more than any other child on this trip...he has been a blessing to me.
This trip is a once in a lifetime experience for these children. They have been eating food that they have never ate in their life's. It's interesting seeing them eat. They eat so much; I think they do that because they are afraid they won't have another meal in a long time. I am thankful for people like John Parker who came up with this idea and Sid, Tim and David for leading it so beautifully. Not everything has happened as planned, but it has happened in a way where you know it was Gods plan. Even looking at the buddies partnered up you can tell that God knew who would be perfect for one another because we match just right.
There is this boy named Majanko (sp) and he is a handful. I'll be honest and say that I cant work with kids that severe, just not my forte. I'm not strong enough to work with children that severe...I know that may sound selfish, but it's the truth. But Nicole was paired with him and I can't think of anyone better. I know she must be feeling overwhelmed, I can see it on her face, but I know God is somehow using this experience to teach her and all of us something. I don't think she knows how changed she will be after this experience. I don't think anyone knows how much their life's will be changed after this trip. These kids think we change their lives, but honestly they have changed us just as much. I am blesses to have been on this trip.
August 5th
Today has been an awesome day so far. We spent all day hanging outside by the lake and doing water stuff. The plan was to have devotion this morning and then play games and then go into the water. Well, that didn't happen lol. Like everything we have planned, it changed. We had breakfast then headed to the water and everyone just jumped in...well almost everyone. The kids were having a blast and so were the guardians. After that we all sat in to hear devotions and we got to hear Michael's amazing testimony. Michael is amazing! He inspires me and I hope we can develop a deeper friendship because he is truly an incredible individual. It was also great to hear Gracious testimony...the testimonies filled my heart with joy because both Michael and Gracious are a blessing to all of us. They have both persevered and are examples of how successful one can be if you have determination and passion for life and Christ.
After devotions and lunch we all played water games and got in the water. I really enjoyed watching all the kids play and their eyes were gleaming with joy. Pemphero, Alena and Solister all got into the water butt naked which was so funny. Majanko also went in the water and Sid did such a great job helping with him while Nicole was working with the caregivers. It was funny to see Majanko naked and Sid next to him. If that had taken place in the states...Sid would have been judge about playing with a naked boy haha. Poor Sid! But he did such a great job.
It's been incredible seeing every one of my team members work so hard. Erin is so great with Maliko (a young man with Dow syndrome), she thinks he doesn't like her because she is always saying no to him, but I genuinely think that's what he needs. Brianne is so great for Pemphero, Solister and Alena. You can just tell that those girls love her. The relationship Danny and Kyle have built with their boys is incredible to watch and you can just tell that they have poured their hearts into this young man. Danny and Brad spent all day in the water with the boys today playing water games and throwing the football. It was incredible to witness. Carly loves Tamala, and she has an incredible connection with her. Frank absolutely loves Darling. They have a close relationship and she cares for him as if she was her mother. The same for Sam with Msada. I love Msada, sweetest girl ever and the connection she has shared with Sam is incredible. Faith and Funes are made for each other and it's sweet to see how much she cares after Funes and I have seen how Funes has become so confident so quickly. Keely has poured her loved into the hearts of Junior and Gift. Katie loves Andrew and of course I love my girls!
Oh my gosh, kind of random, but we were throwing water balloons and we were aiming for John Parker and instead we hit Funess. I felt so awful because she did not understand what had happened. She kept looking up at the sky wondering where it had fallen from haha. I know so mean for me to laugh, but it was very amusing (not that she got hit, but her reaction of confusion). John Parker was trying to explain to her where the balloon had come from, but I don't think it helped. Poor baby!
August 6th
Last night during club, I was sitting listening to music when Ephilda, one of my buddies, rested her head on my shoulder and held my hand. It was the sweetest thing ever. I realized immediately how much their kids love us and how deeply I care for them. Last night was really emotional for us because we heard all the kids give their testimony about what they had thought about the past 3 days. I recorded it so you all can hear them. We also heard Michael talk to all the kids and say thanks for allowing us to be a part of all these things and for opening their hearts! I broke down when I heard Darlings testimony on her life as Michael's sister. She used such eloquent and inspirational words that got us all crying. I admire the Murray family; they are strong and amazing. I can't imagine trying to raise a child with CP especially, twenty something years ago when having a disability was a taboo and they didn't have as many rights as they do now. It's incredible how strong Mr. and Mrs. Murray are and what an inspiration they are to the caregivers.
I was thinking today....I'm not really good at choosing my words. Not in a bad way, but I always have to correct my word choice and say, "you know what I mean." but I don't know if people really know what I mean. I just don't want people to take wrong. Many times during the trip I felt like I was being made fun of because of my word choice. I'm not sure what it is, I think it's because I speak based on pure emotion moreover the fact that English isn't my first language. A lot to think about.
This morning I was sitting with Katie O. and Andrew having breakfast when I look over and Andrew is using a knife and a fork to cut his meat. It was the highlight of my trip. These kids never use silver ware and to see him using silverware, properly, it gave me chills. Katie and I just looked at each other and smiled. My Jesus moment of the day.
In the past few days I have developed a very close relationship with so many girls on this trip. They have been such an encouragement when I was feeling down and I can honestly see myself developing genuine friendships once we get back home. We are all different, we all joke different, but we all somehow compliment one another as friends. I have developed special relationships with Katie O, Sam and Erin. Katie and I were meant to be on this trip together, she is like my little sister. We are so alike and we literally do things the same and she is just so beautiful inside and out. I am looking forward to all the fun times we will have in the future. Sam has been my crying shoulder to lean on this trip. She has been there for me at my weakest and during my breakdowns. She has made me feel like I have a friend in her and that I can come to her when I'm in need. Erin and I are experiencing so many similar emotions on this trip. We are both married and don't have our husbands with us. We have been an encouragement to each other when we missed our husbands and it has been so great to get to know her. I look forward to fun date nights.
As for my roomies/card playing friends during this trip we really have built relationships! Our relationships were rocky during a good game of "May I," but we made it through intact. Haha I'm just kidding there was never rockiness. I do feel like it was godly for me to end up rooming with them because we all have a lot in common, like we were all catholic growing up. Haha I loved our late night conversations.
Before I came on this trip, I was a little bit nervous about being with new people and meeting them all. I was nervous about the trip and the people not meeting the same expectations that my first trip had met. My March Malawi team was so incredible, that I couldn't think of any other team being as good. It was dumb thinking; definitely! This July team has been incredible. They are just as special to me as the March team and I can see myself enjoying dinners and game nights with these people the same way I enjoy it with the March team. The March team will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first mission trip, but this team and trip is just as special because of what we experienced and the changes we made in ourselves and through COTN. I don't think God called me on this trip to compare trips or to see who was better, he called me to serve and build relationships and I definitely feel I achieved that.
I am so happy I opened my heart and allowed God to take control. I am so happy I didn't let money stop me from coming on this trip and I am so happy that I have met each and every one of the people on this team.
August 8th
On Saturday night I was surprised by Lovemore, I haven't been able to see him this whole time since he was away for college, but seeing him made me so happy. I wasn't expecting to see him, but it felt so amazing to hug him again. We spent the evening catching up and then yesterday he came to see me in the morning and he surprised me again this morning. Today was our last day in Malawi and saying goodbye to Lovemore and Steven was really hard. I love them both dearly and I seriously feel like they are my brothers. It was a little bitter sweet, but nonetheless it's exciting to head home. Yesterday we went to church at Flood church and it was a really good service. After church we had our lunch with our sponsor kids and I got to see both Lovemore and Saidi which made me the happiest girl in the world. Saidi is so precious. We had such a good time playing with a beach ball and eating yummy food. It was really great because Rebecca, a COTN intern, was able to get Julius to come hang out as well. Many of the people on my trip sponsored many of the kids with special needs which is great because they need it so much. Kelly decided to sponsor Zione which was so great and I am so glad she took on that commitment. It was really good to see Masada and Dina again.
This journal has been really different from my Europe journal, I was more in depth with my Europe trip because I had a lot more time. So now that I have the time (7 hour lay over and a 15 hour flight) and I am thinking of it, I am going to write about some of the kids on the trip who stole my heart. Masada is one of them. I'm not sure if that's how you spell her name, but that's how you pronounce it. Masada is a 9 year old little girl who lost her hearing two years ago due to malaria. It's a really sad story, but one that is very common in Malawi. Well, Masada is very interesting lol, seriously. She is probably one of my favorites, but at the same time she was one if the ones that drove you nuts haha. She has a love-hate relationship with many of us and she has that “I am the boss of me" attitude. For example, if we asked her to take a picture she would walk away or not smile or cover her face, but if she wanted a picture then she would just point at your camera and make you, yes make you, haha take the picture. She would also snatch things from us all the time. One time I have a cup of water in my hand, next thing I know she had snatched from my hand and was drinking out of it. As much of a pain as she was, she was definitely a sweetheart and would hug you and kiss you, but it was under her condition or when she wanted too. One time she was caressing Sam's face and Sam was all happy that Masada is being so sweet and then Masada just suddenly slapped her cheek. She did it to me too haha...she was crazy, in a good way. I fell in love with her.
Funess and Fiskani were two other kids I fell in live with. They are both albino and they both have had a very rough life. COTN has changed their life and allowed them to have a family and friends. This week we poured so much love into those kids and made sure that they felt special. Only God knows if we truly did, but from what I noticed, I believe we did. Both these kids are so special and have so much love for everyone in their life it's amazing. They both inspired me in so many ways.
Michael Murray, is one of the most inspirational people on this trip. He is so awesome! How many times have I said that on this journal? Well, that's cause it's true. Michael works at summit and he has Cerebral Palsy and he has written a book and he is so funny and any girl would be lucky to have him in his life. He loves Jesus and you can tell he has been living his life to serve Jesus.
I have been noticing much change in my heart lately. It has some relation to this trip, but also to my bible study group and Summit. Summit has changed my life in so many ways. I have never been involved in a church the way I am with Summit. If someone would have told me 2 years ago that I would go on two mission trips, develop deep Christian friendship, have changed lives, inspired people, inspired myself, fall in love with Africa and feel as if I have a second family there....I would have never believed it was my life you were talking about. But that's my life and it's not perfect, there is suffering and heartache, but one thing is constant is the love I have for this new life and Jesus.
This trip has been everything I prayed it would be and much more. I am really sad that Anthony wasn't able to come because he would have been amazing with the kids. Things happen for a reason and I am sure he will have many other opportunities to go.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Away from home
It has been a longtime since I blogged, actually it's been about 2 months. I haven't had the time t sit down and write a meaningful post and the fact that we didn't have internet for one of the two months. As many of you may know I am in South Africa right now. Our team landed here at 5:30pm on Saturday (11:30 pm Florida time), we are 6 hours ahead. It was a very long flight to say the least, 16 hours long. We flew out of Orlando headed to D.C and from D.C we set out on the long flight. The airline decent movies and pretty good food which was nice, but I got a total 3 hours of sleep, at most, on the whole flight. My back was hurting and so was my neck. Every time I would fall asleep I would be woken up by the own neck bobbing from side to side. I guess my head is too heavy. It makes me think of those bobbing toys that people put in their cars. I was also very jealous of all the people around me that could fall asleep. I had Shelly in front of me, Joanna to my side and John Parker behind me, all slept a lot better than I did. Shelly is one of those people that can fall asleep at the snap of your finger. She slept 13 of the 16 hours and she would find the most interesting positions to sleep. Joanna had 2 seats to herself, super jealous of her, John Parker on the other hand looked like a sardine crammed in his little seat area, I felt awful even asking to push my seat back because he already looked like he could not move.
We stopped to fuel up the plane 7 hours into the flight; Joanna, Shelly, John and I were talking and we discovered that it was Joanna's birthday. One of the passengers, literally 4 rows in front of us, gets up and says, "It's your birthday today? Can I sing happy birthday to you?" Joanna of course says yes, because she is so sweet and possibly curious too. Shelly and I are pumped and we say, "oh, we will sing with you" thinking he is going to do the happy birthday we are used to, but instead this guy decided to sing happy birthday as if he were auditioning for American Idol or something. It has been the highlight of my trip so far.
During the flight, I have been reading this book called A Long Way Home, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, which Anthony recommend I read and it has been phenomenal. More people need to read that book, because it is so real and so sad and very typical to many children in Africa. I have also had a lot of time to reflect on life and the this trip and what I may possibly get from it. I was just thinking about how wonderful our life is in America and how much we take for granted sometimes. You know they say that if you think about what you are going to wear in the morning or if you think about the food you are going to eat you are considered RICH and almost half the world (about 3 million people live on $2.50 a day). Honestly, when I think of "the rich," I never think of myself. I never think of my family and friends, but the truth of the matter is that we are rich. We have choices that people in more than half of the world don't have. We take so much for granted, myself included!!
During the flight, I also thought of how awesome God is and how amazing it is to know the word. I realize that I need to live more by the word so that I can lead by example. I need to be a better friend who is not going to get annoyed or frustrated, I need to be a wife who reflects Jesus and will put Anthony before my self, and I just need to treat people, even strangers, better. We were actually reading Phillipians 2 1:4 in our bible study this week and it just made me realize that I treat the people I know with love and respect, but it is so much easier to not treat people I don;t know that way simply because I don't know them. That verse made me accountable and it made me realize that I am not following the word and that I am so flawed. Which 1. it makes me want to be better and 2 it makes me go grateful the grace of God. So thankful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that I have come to know and love Jesus. It's an incredible thing.
I really miss Anthony. I am really sad he could not come because he would have been great here. He would be so awesome at encouring these kids and the people here in Malawi because he is a beautiful person inside and out. It's hard to do things without each other. I don't like experiencing things with out him and I don't like being away from him. I feel this gap in my heart when he is to around, but with that said I am grateful for the people that I am getting to know on this trip and the relationships I am building. I need more Christians in life, people who will keep me accountable and help me stay on the right track. It's also very sweet that everyone on the trip is sad that he could not come, so many of the guys even talked about how bummed they were that they were not going to have the chance to get to know him on this trip, but I am sure they will once we get back home.
Any way, just so you guys know...it's 4:16 am here. I could not sleep, along with many others, so I decided to write and ramble. Sorry for that. I promise to keep a journal the whole trip and I will load it when I get back to the states. Miss you all!
Kay
We stopped to fuel up the plane 7 hours into the flight; Joanna, Shelly, John and I were talking and we discovered that it was Joanna's birthday. One of the passengers, literally 4 rows in front of us, gets up and says, "It's your birthday today? Can I sing happy birthday to you?" Joanna of course says yes, because she is so sweet and possibly curious too. Shelly and I are pumped and we say, "oh, we will sing with you" thinking he is going to do the happy birthday we are used to, but instead this guy decided to sing happy birthday as if he were auditioning for American Idol or something. It has been the highlight of my trip so far.
During the flight, I have been reading this book called A Long Way Home, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, which Anthony recommend I read and it has been phenomenal. More people need to read that book, because it is so real and so sad and very typical to many children in Africa. I have also had a lot of time to reflect on life and the this trip and what I may possibly get from it. I was just thinking about how wonderful our life is in America and how much we take for granted sometimes. You know they say that if you think about what you are going to wear in the morning or if you think about the food you are going to eat you are considered RICH and almost half the world (about 3 million people live on $2.50 a day). Honestly, when I think of "the rich," I never think of myself. I never think of my family and friends, but the truth of the matter is that we are rich. We have choices that people in more than half of the world don't have. We take so much for granted, myself included!!
During the flight, I also thought of how awesome God is and how amazing it is to know the word. I realize that I need to live more by the word so that I can lead by example. I need to be a better friend who is not going to get annoyed or frustrated, I need to be a wife who reflects Jesus and will put Anthony before my self, and I just need to treat people, even strangers, better. We were actually reading Phillipians 2 1:4 in our bible study this week and it just made me realize that I treat the people I know with love and respect, but it is so much easier to not treat people I don;t know that way simply because I don't know them. That verse made me accountable and it made me realize that I am not following the word and that I am so flawed. Which 1. it makes me want to be better and 2 it makes me go grateful the grace of God. So thankful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that I have come to know and love Jesus. It's an incredible thing.
I really miss Anthony. I am really sad he could not come because he would have been great here. He would be so awesome at encouring these kids and the people here in Malawi because he is a beautiful person inside and out. It's hard to do things without each other. I don't like experiencing things with out him and I don't like being away from him. I feel this gap in my heart when he is to around, but with that said I am grateful for the people that I am getting to know on this trip and the relationships I am building. I need more Christians in life, people who will keep me accountable and help me stay on the right track. It's also very sweet that everyone on the trip is sad that he could not come, so many of the guys even talked about how bummed they were that they were not going to have the chance to get to know him on this trip, but I am sure they will once we get back home.
Any way, just so you guys know...it's 4:16 am here. I could not sleep, along with many others, so I decided to write and ramble. Sorry for that. I promise to keep a journal the whole trip and I will load it when I get back to the states. Miss you all!
Kay
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Last entry on Europe
May 17th
You know Italy is absolutely gorgeous and there is such a charm about it that I absolutely love. Everyone is so laid back and no one let's little things bother them. I feel in the US people need instant gratification and instant service of what ever they want. In Italy it's so different. For example, in the US if a person goes out to eat and they order chicken and the server says "I'm sorry we are out of chicken," the person is more than like going to either be upset or think "how could they possibly not have chicken?" In Italy when they are out of chicken they are just out of chicken. In one of the restaurants we ate the server simply said "sorry we are out of the chicken the butcher didn't kill enough this morning" & it's that simple. The person just ordered something else from the menu with out even thinking twice about it. In a lot of mom and pop restaurants here (the good restaurants) have one set menu for the day with 5 or so different choices. If you don't like what they have you can just leave. A restaurant like that wouldn't work in a big city in the US because people have the mentality of "me, me, me and the world revolves around me." It's such a different society and environment. Of course I'm not talking about everyone in the US, but a great majority of people are like that and thats probably why we are not liked too much by people in other countries.
May 18
We have been in Grottamare, which is on the beach and is a providence of Ascoli Piceno for the past two days. It's been wonderful. On our bus ride from Rome to here we probably saw some of the most beautiful landscapes in all our trip. We saw mountains with snow tops, waterfalls, hills, valleys, rivers and we finally arrived to the gorgeous sea. Anthony's family lives on a mountain right off the beach and it's absolutely stunning. It's crazy because 1. I didn't know his family lived on the beach, 2. I didn't know I would even get too see the beach on this trip, 3. I have never had the beach to one side of me and the mountains to the other (mountains with snow tops too) and 4. I have never seen such gorgeous landscapes in my life. It's stunning and breathe taking and I may just have found the place I will be retiring lol. Ant's family is amazing too. They are so sweet and are taking care of us as if we were there children, but they speak very little English and it's hard for Ant to communicate. I communicate well because I speak a little bit of Italian and for the words I don't know I use Spanish and Rosanna understands me just fine. I have been Anthony's translator, but it's a little frustrating because I'm putting all the effort while he just tells me what to say. So I gave him an Italian to English dictionary so he can figure it out on his own unless he really needs the help because he was being lazy. I mean I feel awful because we are in their country and they are trying to accommodate us by speaking English when we should be the ones always trying to speak Italian. Rosanna told Anthony that he needs to learn either Spanish or Italian so they can communicate. It would also be good because she was an Italian history teacher for 30+ years and as you all may know Ant knows so much about history. They would have great conversations together.
Rossana is awesome and her husband Evandro is so funny, but very stuck in his ways. He speaks English and is able to communicate with Anthony and I well, but when he doesn't understand what we are saying he says we are speaking American slang. Both Rosanna and Evandro are retired. Evandro has an awesome back yard and he has a big garden of different trees. He has pears, cherries, lemons, bananas, figs, plum, orange, bitter orange, two 40 year old olive trees and some other exotic fruit. I'm kind of jealous of his garden, not gonna lie. It's awesome
E to lick the fruit of the tree and eat right there and then and know that there are no pesticides on them. He has these mini oranges that you eat the whole fruit even the skin...his lemons are the same way. You can eat the lemon with the skin and it's actually good and it doesn't burn your lips.
Anyway the first night we were here Rosanna made a magnificent dinner for us and well it hasn't stopped. I will definitely be gaining all the weight I lost in the last two weeks. Here in Italy they eat a lot! They have antipasti, which is the appetizer (cheese, salami, bread etc.) then primi plati, the first plate (pastas or starch), then secondi plati, second plate (the meats or whatever) & of course dessert. They don't stop feeding you and it all taste so darn good. She made this delicious chicken that I plan on making at home. Basically it's chicken sliced really thin, like deli meat, and she makes this sauce that goes over it. The sauce consist of olive oil (made at home), with lemon juice and basil. That simple, but so good. Then she cuts up fresh tomatoes and puts it all around the dish and that's it. It's serve chilled and it's so good I can't even explain to you how good it is. I'm excited for the dinner to come.
On the first night we also met Rosanna's and Evandro's son Giulio who speaks Italian, English and Spanish & he speaks them very well. Giulio is a psycho-therapist, very intelligent, and I think he has a degree equivalent to a US doctorate. He is great and he speaks to Anthony a lot since he knows English. Giulio has taken us around town and on the first night took us out to a very fancy, rich people bar. To go to this bar you had to have reservations and Giulio's friend invited him and well we went. They were playing Italian music, like a typical club, and some English and Spanish music too. The beach line is very similar to Miami except it's really low key, more beautiful, but filled with rich people who wear suits and top of the line dresses. I felt really uncomfortable because everyone was wearing very fancy things, all skin tight and skimpy dresses and I walked in wearing a flower full summer dress. I got some strange looks and I felt so awkward, but it was worth the experience. It was candle lit with wine and amazing top notch food, best part was we didn't pay a penny because Giulio's friend picked up the tab :).
Yesterday we took a tour of the center of the city, thanks to wonderful Giulio and for a small city it's very nice. The center is basically like an outdoor mall with many restaurants and gelato places. There is a long beach walk way and people have done art work on the rocks along the coast line. Some of the rocks were designed as chairs and you can sit there and watch the ocean. The whole place is gorgeous. I am constantly reminding myself that I'm not in Miami or in the Caribbean, but in Italy. I just never thought Italy would look like this...it's amazing. All of you would love it here and would probably want to come here every summer as I do. I cant believe i have never been here....i have been missing out. Italy is just a beautiful country over all, there is something to do for everyone. It's definitely my top favorite place I have ever visited beside Costa Rica.
May 19th
Today we went to Ascoli Piceno to learn about Anthony's family. We saw his great-great-grandfather/mother's grave and as well as all the Carboni tombs. Anthony was able to see the grave of his great uncle (he was named after him); it was a really great experience. It's crazy to see the years they were born and how long they lived. His great-great grandmother and father were born around 1860's. Personally, I was happy for Anthony and grateful for this experience. He is so fortunate to have the ability to know his ancestry and find relative so far back because I'm not able to do the same with my family. Our children will appreciate knowing so much about how their last name derived and who were the carriers of the Carboni last name. While in Ascoli we also drove by the house that his great-great's used to live in. It's still owned by family, but it's a distant cousin and she has turned the house into a bed & breakfast. The house looks very old and so does everything surrounding it. Rosanna took us to the piazza popolo where all the Carboni's kids would run around after school and the local coffee shop that the great great's would sit and watch the children. Ascoli Piceno is a very small town, but it's very popular and touristic because it's one of the oldest city that belonged to the Roman Empire. It's the city where the Romans used to take the most beautiful woman from so they could take them back to Rome. By taking these beautiful women the Romans felt they would create beautiful children. It's crazy! There is so much history in Italy- it's incredible.
May 21
Yesterday was a great day, I have a lot to say about it. In the morning Rosanna took me to the San Benedetto mercato, basically a huge outdoor flea market. When I say huge I'm talking about 1.5 miles worth of mercato runs along the main strip of the city. It's crazy! The mercato isn't like the typical flea market back home where they all sell junk. This mercatto was filled with good bargains; like name brand clothes, Italian wine, Italian paintings, Italian leather jackets, purses, shoes....basically all the good stuff. There were some people selling junk, but it was obvious it was junk. Rosanna is super sweet and I needed a bathing suit (we plan on going to the beach today) so I found a place selling cheap name brand bathing suits so she bought me one. I didn't want her too, but she insisted. Then we found real leather purses and she bought me one as well. It was very nice of her because I feel like letting us stay in her house is a big enough gift. Rosanna speaks no English, but we are able to easily communicate because I speak Spanish and a little Italian. We have conversations and I think she enjoys having a girl to hang out with. Going to the mercato with her was very fun. Today she is taking us to an italian jewelry place that her friends own so I can buy myself an Italian silver bracelet.
After the mercato we came home to meet Alessandro, Rosanna's sisters son. For the past day we knew he was coming to hang out with us, but we didn't realize he was going to take us out. He took us to this place called San Marino. San Marino is a country in Italy similar to the Vatican city. It's a country within a country with it's own laws, money, police, basically everything. San Marino is really interesting and the place looks like it belongs in a medieval era. There are two palace facing each other, but in order to get to this area you have to take a lift to the top. The view from the top is amazing and there are tons of little shops as well. We were able to go inside the castle and go in to the highest tower which gave us even better views than we already had. It was incredible!
Alessandro was a great host. He took us around everything and he would not let us pay for anything, the whole trip was free and a complete surprise. He was very funny and absolutely pleasant to be around. All of Anthony's family has been amazing. They have taken care of us more than I ever thought possible.
One thing I've been meaning to tell you guys is here in Italy people are shocked to hear Anthony and I are married at the age of 25. They feel we are very young to be married. For example, Giulio is 31 and not married, his brother is 36 and not married and Alessandro who is 47 has been dating his wife for 10 years and only been married 5 years. We were explaining to them that in the US it's very typical for people to get married around 21-32 and if they aren't married by then it's unusual. They think we are crazy, but I think it's crazy that Anthony's dad is 47 with a 25 year old son and Alessandro is 47 with no kids and he doesn't even know if he wants kids. Its very common for people to date for years on out, but not to get married. Alessandro's wife dated a man for 17 years before they decided to get married, but decided not to go through with it at the end. There are a lot of older single people here in Italy, apparently it's a trend. A trend that people Rosanna's age aren't very excited about it because that means no grandchildren for them. I mean I think it's great if it works for them, but I can't imagine a life without my best friend. Regardless of bad times, I love him and wouldn't trade it for the world.
Today we also met Rosanna's sister Lilianna and she was a complete sweetheart. They were both trying to figure out how they were related to Anthony and I had to draw out the family tree. Basically they are cousins of Anthony's grandfather so they are Anthony's 3rd cousins. Ahhh lol. It's been so great meeting all the family, but kind of funny because they all think I'm the relative, not Anthony. It's also great that I'm able to communicate with them and I think because I try so hard to talk to them and understand them they have grown a particular liking to me. They all think Anthony is so handsome and how he looks like a Carboni. Anthony and I are so pleased with this last part of our trip. They are incredible and we have learned so much about the Carboni's and built relationships that will last a life time. Hopefully we can come back next year.
May 22
It's 1004 in the morning and it's basically our last day here. We leave tomorrow to London and then on Tuesday head back home. I have mixed feelings about going home. Of course, I want to go home....I can't wait to see Chicago because I miss cuddling with my baby, I can't wait to get back in the routine of things like the gym, eating healthy, seeing my friends, seeing my bible study group, going to church every Sunday, using my phone as I please....you know all the normal things I do on a regular basis. But I'm also sad to leave this behind and not see Rosanna and Evandro and nono every morning and the beautiful things we have seen in Europe. I'm very happy at the fact that we have so much to head back too as well. Next weekend Nick and Lyndsay say their "I do's!" I love weddings, but this one is special because we are both in the wedding and we get to witness two of our best friends share their vows to each other. I'm thrilled for them because marriage is a great thing when you find your best friend as well as your life partner.
Anyway, yesterday Anthony and I went to the beach! We had do much fun and we got some good color on our skins. It was crazy to think we were laying on the sand at the beach in Italy. In case you haven't noticed we have a hard time realizing a lot of the things we have been doing on this trip. We have to continuously pinch ourselves. :) Evandro let us use his bicycles to get into town like that we didn't have to bother anyone to come pick us up. So they live on a mountain and to get to the bottom there are lots of curvy steep roads. As many of you may know I'm not the greatest on a bicycle and I was freaking out at the thought of going down these roads really fast with cars going down too. But once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun. We were going down so fast without having to pedal it was amazing feeling. We rode for a few kilometers and then laid out on the beach. The water was so cold, but so nice. The water is really shallow too. You can walk like 50-60 yards before the water even touches your knees and there aren't many waves. There are tons and tons of sail boats and people fishing out in the sea, the view with all the boats is spectacular! On the way back the ride up the mountain wasn't as pleasant. It was so steep we couldn't even ride our bikes up. We were pushing and all of a sudden I fell. It was pretty embarrassing because there were a bunch of cars coming down the street so all I did was lay down and laugh. It was the most stupid way to fall too...my foot got stuck between the curb and the bike and I lost my balance. It was priceless and Anthony was like "seriously babe? You're so clumsy" haha.
So remember how I told you they had gelato in Florence that was delicious? Well here in Grottammare it's incredible. I had Ferrero Rocher gelato and holy cow it was so dang good.I also found out that Ferrero Rocher makes nutella and it just makes sense that I would love both of them so much. I have honestly gained so much weight in the last few days. They feed us so much food it's ridiculous. Even when you are full they don't stop. The first couple of times we would eat a lot on the first plate of food they would put out and start getting full...and then they bring out another plate of food. And it all taste delicious so it's hard to not eat it. Oh and don't forget about dessert after every single meal! Good grief lol. There are two important words or saying when eating in Italian; molto buono=very good & pieno=full. As long as you know those then you can compliment the food, but also say I'm done!
I need to do a cleansing diet when I get back to the states or something because if I don't fit into my brides maid dress we may have a problem :). Can't wait to hit the gym with Sam so I can get back in shape and turn this fat to muscle....hopefully lol.
May 22
I have been thinking about my little Chicago a lot today! I miss him so so much. I love that dog as if it were my real child. I just love him more than you could ever imagine. It's so funny because Anthony is the one that takes him out (a lot more than I ever do) and he feeds chi too, but chi always comes to me at night to cuddle. Ant gets so aggravated because he will grab chi and cuddle with him, but after 5 minutes chi comes cuddles with me without even asking him. He just lives his momma. I baby him a lot and when ever I come home I always carry him or play with him and he loves it. I could never think of loving a dog as much as I love him. I still think of Marlee a lot. I miss her, but I know she is in a home a lot better and bigger for her. I'm definitely ready to see my sweet love. Tomorrow is his 2nd birthday and I'm just sad that we are missing it. I am so thankful for Lynds & Nick who are going to be taking him for a 5 piece chicken nuggets :) he is so spoiled, but he is just such a good puppy. Thinking of how much I miss him makes me sad, but I'm very excited to see his sweet little face soon.
May 23
Woke up this morning and started packing all of our stuff. I'm glad we packed light because with the little stuff we bought our bags are pretty full. Im ready to be home and wear other clothes than the 6 shirts, 2 shorts and jeans I brought with me. I feel like I have been wearing the same pants and shorts over and over again. For lunch today Rosanna made our favorite meal, she is so sweet. This morning she took us to the store to buy last minute stuff we wanted to buy. She also bought Anthony an Italian made key chain which is really nice and she bought me a pair of earring with little pearls. Both were more than we would care for her to spend, but she insisted. We surprised her and Evandro with lemon-cello which Rosanna absolutely loves. They have been so amazing and Rosanna has treated us as if we were her children. They haven't let us pay for one single thing the whole time we have been here. Both Rosanna and Evandro and Bob and Anna were amazing people and I'm so glad we got to meet them. They took care of us as if we had known them for years and never once expected anything in return. Anthony and I have felt so welcomed and they have made us feel at home at all times. I'm really sad that we are leaving, but I know we will return. The best part is next time we will know what to expect and next time we can bring Evandro some peanut butter that he loves :).
I can't believe that this is the last day of our trip...it's a little crazy that we have been gone for 3 weeks. I feel like it was a week ago we left but when I think of us being in London or in Amsterdam it makes I feel like it happened a year ago not 2weeks ago.
It's 254 pm here in Italy. Our bags are packed and we leave for the bus station in about 15 minutes. I'm sad to leave, but God know how ready I am to sleep on my own bed and eat healthy again!!! Don't take me wrong I love the food and most of it is really organic, but it's so much carbs that our body isn't used to all the carbs. Oh well, it's been good :)
I hope you all have enjoyed me journaling. I really don't know who all really reads it...maybe it's just 1 or 2 people but it's been fun sharing my thoughts and talking about what we did on a daily basis. I was doing a lot of it in the beginning but the more time went by the less I wrote so I apologize for that. I'm sorry I couldn't update all the time either. It was hard because I didn't have wifi on my phone. There were times when I had journaled but couldn't put it on line because I couldn't get Internet on my phone.
We are at the train station headed to Pescara where we will take our plane to London. Hopefully we can leave London since there has been a volcano eruption in Ireland and a lot of planes are stuck there....hopefully that's not the case for our flight cause we have a lot to do ASAP!
May 24
We are headed to Heathrow airport and getting ready for our 10 hour flight to Chicago. I'm so ready to be home and lay in our bed with Chi. The worst part about traveling is the waiting game at the airports. It's so exhausting! Can't believe our trip is over and can't believe I journaled so much. Thanks for following us through this journey!!!!
Favorite places in order of preference:
Paris, France
Bath, England (includes stone henge)
Florence, Italy
San Marino, San Marino
Rome, Italy
San Benedetto del Toronto & Grottammare, Italy
Amsterdam, Holland
London, England
Ascoli Piceno, Italy
Brussels, Belgium
Faversham, England
Pisa, Italy
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Paris, Pisa and Rome :) Bella la vita
On Wednesday we got in around 1 in the afternoon from Brussels. We dropped our bags off at the hotel and started touring. Paris has been our FAVORITE place so far. It was marvelous! It's definitely not overrated and it's just everything you ever dreamed for it to be. It's filled with beautiful buildings, beautiful greenery and the ambiance is superb. Definitely a place we want to come back to again.
Considering how close we were staying to the Eiffel tower you would think it was the first place we would visit, but believe it or not, we decided to leave it for later in the evening. We decided to head to the museums instead. We are a little bit of art and history dorks I suppose. :)
As many of you may know, I read everything Rick Steves had to say about each country we visited. Well I'm really glad I did and I would recommend anyone back packing Europe or even visiting one city in Europe to read his books. They are so informational and have some good discount tips or ways to help keep you with in budget. With that said, we did what Rick recommended and bought the museum pass which was €32 which is about $50 per person and we went everywhere! It was such a great deal ; had we not done that then we would have paid like €8-10 for each museum. We got our money's worth visiting 3 of the museums and for those of you that have been to Paris...well 3 museums is nothing. We took advantage of this pass and went to 8 different places all included in that pass. The other great thing about the pass was that it allowed you to skip lines; pretty much VIP access into all the museums. I don't know why people wouldn't buy that pass. On Wednesday we went to Napoleon's tomb, the Rodin museum and Arc de Triomphe and on Thursday we went to the Orsay museum, the Louvre, Sainte Chapelle, and Notre Dame Chapelle and bell tower. We also went to the Eiffel tower, but that was the only thing not included on our pass. I'll tell you about each place in the order that we went and in the end I'll tell you our favorite places, but I'm sure you'll figure it out before I'm done with this blog.
Napoleon's Tomb is crazy! This guy went all out for himself and when you see the pictures you'll see what I mean. The building on the outside speaks for itself. It's 2 times the size of the white house (basically two white houses stacked on top of each other, no joke.) There is a moat in front which I'm sure was used back in the day, the grass is green and the building looks like a palace. it's gorgeous, but very gaudy (so I just learned right this second that you spell gaudy g-a-u-d-y, only because my it kept coming up wrong when I spelled it gody and godi, so I ask Ant how you spell "gody" and he tells me g-a-u-d-y and asked how I was spelling it before and I tell him and he started laughing at me because all this time I thought the word "gody" had something to do with God and being holier than thou. yeah, basically I'm a fool :)) Anyway back to what I was saying about gaudy or lavish things; Napoleon was so full of himself. Thus building is Napoleons version of the Sistine chapel dedicated for himself to himself (did you know he crowned himself emperor?!) If I could compare him to anyone it would be "the situation" so full of himself for no reason. I also think he had the little man syndrome because he was very short and everything he built for himself was 100 times the typical size. Inside the building is a memorial for him with the tomb as his center piece. His tomb/coffin is ginormous, I would say it's the size of a small u-haul truck. You guys will see what I mean when I post pictures. It's outrageous and out of control, but very pretty with beautiful architecture. That's one thing about Paris, it's filled with beautiful architecture and the whole city is in unison. No one part looks modern or redone, it all lots just as you imagine it would. It's a gorgeous city, truly.
Next up, Rodin museum. Augustine Rodin, for those of you that may not know, was a sculptor in the late 18th century. He is known for sculpting The Thinker (in bronze) and The kiss (in marble). The whole museum displayed his work, some was outside in the most beautiful garden, that I wish I had gotten married in, and the rest was inside an old mansion. I really enjoyed the outside area because it had flowers and trees, a fountain with ducks and a spectacular view of the mansion. The sculptures are incredible, I can't wrap my mind on how a man could have made such beautiful work. Every line, every face, every hand, every wrinkle made with perfection. My favorite sculpture is The Kiss. It's just a gorgeous piece of a man wrapping his arms around his woman and kissing her passionately. It's romantic and beautiful. After the Rodin museum we walked all over Paris, just so you guys know, Anthony and I have been walking 6-15 miles a day, crazy!
Anyway, after all the walking we made our way to The Arc de Triomphe, for those that may not know, was built in the most important street in Paris , Champ de Élysées, for Napoleon, from Napoleon (are you getting how much of a narcissist this guy was) after one of his victories; basically a trophy to himself. The ADT is in the middle of the craziest traffic circles I have ever seen. To get to the middle you have to go through an underground tunnel, I believe they made it that way because there is no way you could make it alive if you crossed that traffic area. Anthony filmed it and there were almost 3 accidents in his short 2 minute clip. Once we got to the middle we were basically staring at a huge piece of art. Sculpted at the top of the arc are these flower blocks and the inside walls, as well as the outside are engraved with writing and beautiful designs. The huge trophy makes anyone feel like an ant, actually everything in Paris makes you feel tiny, I think this is what Napoleon was aiming for. The best part of the arc is being able to go to the top. It's incredible. The view you get of Paris is perfect and you get to see the beautiful street of champ de élysées and the louvre. Honestly, it was amazing & unreal. I remember standing there thinking, am I really here, in Paris on the Arc de Triomphe marveling at all this beauty with Anthony?! Holy Cow!! I didn't want to get down, wish I could be on the top of it again.
For dinner Wednesday night we ate at this hip place in Paris. Paris is really overpriced, therefore, we only ate out once. Anthony had a "super burger," he is such a typical American, and I had spaghetti bolognese. My dinner tasted delicious and Anthony's burger was a "super burger," alright. His burger had a beef patty, bacon and a chicken breast; it was Ant's and every males dream come true. Protein, Protein, Protein!! I tasted it and it was good and as for what Ant thought about it, well he didn't stop talking about it all night. He went on about having to make it at home and how much Purkey and the boys would enjoy this new creation lol. Oh boys!
After all the walking we had done all day and our heavy dinner we decided to walk some more :) and check out the Eiffel Tower. Earlier we had seen it from a distance and Ant had mentioned how small it looked and how he was expecting it to be huge, but once we got to it and were standing by it we realized how enormous it was; it's a bit scary even. As scary as it may be up close, it's actually beautiful. It's even more beautiful at night when it lights up and it's more beautiful at 10 pm when it twinkles for exactly 5 minutes. It's definitely breath taking and it allows you to appreciate it much more. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning looking at the the twinkling tower, even Anthony was shocked by it's beauty. It was a great way to end our night.
On Thursday morning, we woke up determined to take on the rest of the city. We headed straight to see the Orsay museum which houses some of the most beautiful paintings of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse, Pissarro to name a few. Anthony's favorite is Monet, it's amazing to see him get excited over art and I love that we have that in common. The way we both examine the detail of the art work like the lines, the stroke, the depth, the meaning, the colors, everything.... it's incredible. God, thank you for giving me such a wonderful husband! :) Though we share a passion for art, Anthony appreciates art that features landscape and pastels. I, in the other hand, enjoy the rich colors that pointillism and impressionism offers (definitely not a fan of the romanticism or neoclassic.) Anyway, the orsay was amazing...I'm ready to move on.
The Louvre!! Let me start out by saying that the Louvre is more than just a glass triangle (because I thought it was the glass triangle and a little museum under ground). The Louvre is a huge U shaped building and the glass triangle is just a little piece on the center of this massive building. It's very overwhelming too. Anthony and I only covered a few sections of it because we were just so overwhelmed with the massiveness and the amount of things to see. We saw things from sculptures to ancient Greek and Egyptian artifacts and of course we saw the Mona Lisa :). The Mona is on a lonely wall all by herself and it has a glass covering so that the light from the flash does not affect the painting. To take a picture in front of the Mona Lisa was so difficult because everyone is elbowing to get a picture, it's ridiculous. The Louvre was great and seeing it all made me want to go see the Da Vinci Code. We also saw the section of the Lovre that has all of Napoleon's old furniture and his living quarters. It was very "godi." :)
Sainte Chapelle is this old cathedral in Paris which sounded interesting and was part of our museum pass, so why no check it out. At first Anthony didnt want to go in because it sounded "lame," but he was so glad we did in the end. When you first walk in to the church you can tell it's a piece of history, it was gorgeous with the detail and the arches and just the simple beauty. There was a lot of stained glass, which I love, around the church. Once you are done with the first floor you have to climb to the second floor on this tiny spiral stair case (Anthony was freaking out since he is scared of heights) and when you finally get to the second floor, what you see is majestic! All of the walls are stained glass and with the sun shinning through the glass, well it was amazing. Seriously, it left me speechless.
Notre Dame church, the same church that Victor Hugo, writer of The Humpback of Notre Dame used as his setting (I know so obvious) was really interesting. The church was huge and it had gargoyles which Anthony really enjoyed, but then we had to climb the bell tower. It was so high up and the stairs got smaller and smaller the higher you went, Anthony wasn't having it. Then we had to climb to see the bell of the cathedral and the stairs were wooden and Anthony kept thinking he was going to fall. It was crazy, but a little funny to me. Of course I was supportive and tried to help him the best I could, but I can't relate since I'm not afraid of heights. My poor babe :(.
By the time we got done doing all the museums on Thursday, it was 6 and we were hungry so we stopped to eat. I got a crêpe with nutella and banana and Anthony got a foot long hot dog wrapped in French bread. Both were really tasty.
Well the last thing we did on Thursday night was go to the Eiffel tower. It was really cold and windy, but we still wanted to experience the whole thing. The ET has 3 floors, the third one is the highest. We decided we wanted to go to the very top, remember Anthony is scared of heights? Well he still wanted to go all the way up, so we did. We got to the tower at around 830 and it took a while to finally get in the elevator. By the time we got to the second floor the sun was almost down, yes at around 930 pm. Anthony was terrified on the second floor and started to regret his decision of wanting to go to the third floor, but like a champ he did it. The elevator to the third floor takes forever and Anthony was freaking out the whole time, I'm talking sweating and almost passing out haha. I know, I'm being mean right now, but seriously? We finally made it to the third floor where there are two sections, a glass area or an upstairs area with a fence around it. Ant put his foot down and said no to the fenced area. I went up on my own and it was the most amazing view I have ever seen. It was absolutely gorgeous to see Paris lite up like that. Just the whole feeling of being that high in the air and seeing the city was grand. I only wish Ant would have gone up, but he was really scared at that point so I didn't push him. We both gazed at the beauty the city had to offer from the glass area on third floor, it was perfect....I wouldn't change it for the world. Being in places like that, experiencing the feelings we experienced right at that moment are the reasons why I feel that its so important to travel as a family, ours being only 2. Honestly, I feel like experiences like that make me love Anthony with so much more depth and my one priority is to not fail this marriage. I have failed at so many things and I just don't want to fail the vow we made to one another and to God. Besides feeling all mushy inside while visiting these beautiful cities, I also get sad. Sad because I think of Saidi and all those kids in Africa that will never know what anything outside their village looks like. They will probably never know what flying in a plane feels like or having sand in between their toes or how beautiful a city looks like when darkness falls and all the lights turn on, or eating different variation of foods that people so often waste. It saddens me and it also makes me feel selfish for experiencing these things knowing they can't. I am so grateful for the things we have, the life we live and the beautiful things we get to experience. So thankful!
Reading back I forgot to tell you out favorite place in Paris......it was the Arc de Triomphe! It had the perfect city view and the prettiest view. It was an amazing experience!!
I write to you from our shuttle to the Beauvais airport, we are leaving Paris and headed to Pisa and from Pisa we are taking a bus into Florence. We were going to stay in Pisa, but since there isn't much to do there we decided to stay in Florence and travel back and forth.
Hi :) it's Sunday morning and we are on a train to Pisa! We will be here for a few hours only because we have a train to take to Rome tonight. Rome is our last stop before we go visit Ant's family for the remaining time of our trip. We have thought of taking a train to Venice, but I'm no sure we will. We got into Florence Friday night, our plane got in right before the sun was setting. The view once we got off the plane was of the Italian mountains. It felt great to finally be in Italy. Anthony was over joyed and happy to be in his mother land. We had only ate an early lunch and we were starving by the time we go into the city. Ant didn't want to look for a place to eat so we decided to eat McDonald's. I know, McDonalds on our first night in Italy? Yeap, out of all places we did it in Italy. So about our experience in McDonald's....let's put it like this American food taste better outside of America. I don't know if it was the fact that we were starving or what, but it was delicious. The burgers actually looked the way they do in commercials; the cheese melted perfectly, the buns fluffy not squished, the meat made out of actual meat and not made up ingredients, basically it tasted the way a burger is meant to taste.
Enough about McDonald's and on to other things. Florence, compared to everywhere we have been has been the cheapest, especially for a place to sleep. We didn't stay at a hotel, we stayed with this sweet old lady named Marcella. Rick Steve's recommended her on his book and so we booked to stay with her. She has a huge house in Florence, in a quiet street and rents out four of the rooms in her house. When we arrived to her house she buzzed us in and greeted us at the door. She was the cutest, most sweetest little lady ever. Rick Steve's said that staying at Marcella's was like staying with a Florentine mama and he wasn't kidding. She grabbed my hand and walk us to our room and laughed and giggled and flirted with "Antonio." She loved Anthony, I mean who doesn't :). She would just gaze into his eyes and say, "Antonio no parla Italiano, e Americazzinado" which means, "Anthony doesn't speak Italian, he is Americanized." Staying at her place was also super cheap, she charged us the least and she gave us a little discount. She was adorable and Anthony really liked her too. Her house was really nice and her bathrooms had marble all around it. We got a great deal that came with great personality.
In the morning we went for a walk around the center of Florence. We had two things we wanted to do: see the duomo and go to the viewing spot of the city. We thought we wouldn't have too much to do, but as we started walking we discovered how wrong we were. All through out the city were vendors selling leather belts, purses, jackets, you name it. In the center, there is a mercato where they sell cheese, fresh cuts of meat to order, mussels, oysters, pasta, beans, dried goods...everything. Instead of going to the grocery you go to this place and you get your food there. How amazing is that? I wish there were more places like that in Florida.
Let me tell you about our lunch in Florence, we ate at this place called trattoria Mario by mercatto centrale. When we walked into the restaurant it was very small and had about 7 or 8 tables; some tables sat 4 and some sat 8. The smell of the place was incredible, it smelled like garlic and tomatoes and you could hear and smell the steaks searing on the grill. The mood of the place was also great, like none I have ever experienced. The most interesting thing was when got sat with 4 other people. I had never experienced this, but Anthony said he had when he was younger in Pennsylvania and it's normal for them to do this is small restaurants. It was nice, we met a mom and daughter from Chicago and they were very sweet. The whole experience and the food was like none other, I loved it. After our lunch we walked to the view spot of the city and it was incredible, wait til you see the pictures. I'm talking the most beautiful view I have ever seen, as pretty as the one in Paris, maybe a little better! We also had gelato and holy cannoli it was good. The place had organic gelato and my strawberry gelato had pieces of strawberry in it. Yummo! Later in the day we stopped for more. This time I had cheesecake gelato and nutella gelato together and it was delish. :)
Since Anthony and I brought limited supply of clothes, you will see in the pictures a lot of our clothes looks the same, we had to do laundry. At the laundry place we met this couple from Florida who had both graduated from UF and now live in Ft. Lauderdale. They were really nice and the more we talked at the laundry place the more we realized we had a lot in common. So we went to dinner together, I know it's a bit random, but honestly it was so much fun. It gave both Anthony and I some one to talk to besides ourselves haha. They were a really sweet couple and he just got a job at proctor & gamble and they are really excited to move in together. It was just like I always imagined being in Italy, meeting new people, having a glass of wine, eating good food and just enjoying the simple things in life. Ahhh....I love Italy, I just wanna stay!
Pisa was really fun, but we were only there for a fee hours. Basically we took pictures of the leaning tower, walked around, had lunch and left. The tower was really big and it's definitely leaning. You can go inside and walk around in the tower, but we didn't do it. I'm glad we stayed in Florence because there wasn't much to do in Pisa.
Buonacere! It's late night here in Rome or like the Italians say, Roma. We have been in Rome since last night and it's been great. We saw the Roman ruins, Palentine hill and the colosseum this morning. The experience was great and it's just crazy to think that people actually lived here 2k years ago. I'm impressed with how long many of these buildings have been standing. I have to admit that Rome is not all that we expected it to be. Rome is more about walking in history and not so much about museums therefore you have to walk the city and know about the roman empire to truly appreciate it. It's still a beautiful city just not as beautiful as Paris.
The one thing I have enjoyed in Rome are all the piazzas. There are many piazzas, as in all of Italy. Piazzas are basically little squares with lots of restaurants, beautiful buildings and Italian people. My favorite piazza was piazza novana, it was filled with a lot of people selling art and local food and art vendors, it was great. The piazza by the Spanish steps was also very nice, but also very crowded. The view you get is really great and it makes you appreciate the beauty of Italy. We sat on the Spanish steps for a little while and it was great to see the streets with all the Italian flags and the pretty buildings.
We went to the Vatican city and saw the Sistine Chapelle and it was breath taking. The Vatican city is it's own country, for those of you that didn't know. It's separated by a huge wall and they think highly of themselves. For a long time their relationship with Rome and Italy itself was not very good. They have their own police, post office, stamps, money etc. If I were to mail out a letter from the Vatican city, I would not be able to use an Italian stamp, it has to be a stamp from the Vatican or else they won't mail it. They are pretty serious about it. To get in the museum you have to be patient because the lines are outrageous. Lucky for us the like to get in only took about ten minutes, but I felt like I was a cow being herded. It was the same way at the Louvre, people go crazy over getting in and it becomes a competition and if you aren't careful you could easily get trampled. The whole time we were in line Anthony was making a cow sounded and everyone around us kept looking at us. It was pretty funny. The painting inside the museum were amazing, but the ones in the Sistine chapel were incredible! We weren't allowed to pictures, but Anthony and I, along with other people, snuck a fee good pictures haha. I gelt bad doing it, but it was worth it!!
We went to the Vatican city and saw the Sistine Chapelle and it was breath taking. The Vatican city is it's own country, for those of you that didn't know. It's separated by a huge wall and they think highly of themselves. For a long time their relationship with Rome and Italy itself was not very good. They have their own police, post office, stamps, money etc. If I were to mail out a letter from the Vatican city, I would not be able to use an Italian stamp, it has to be a stamp from the Vatican or else they won't mail it. They are pretty serious about it. To get in the museum you have to be patient because the lines are outrageous. Lucky for us the like to get in only took about ten minutes, but I felt like I was a cow being herded. It was the same way at the Louvre, people go crazy over getting in and it becomes a competition and if you aren't careful you could easily get trampled. The whole time we were in line Anthony was making a cow sounded and everyone around us kept looking at us. It was pretty funny. The painting inside the museum were amazing, but the ones in the Sistine chapel were incredible! We weren't allowed to pictures, but Anthony and I, along with other people, snuck a fee good pictures haha. I gelt bad doing it, but it was worth it!!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Brussels
May 11
I write to you on our was to Paris...it's 816am here in Brussels. So you want me to tell about Brussels, right? Brussels, imagine a city where the center area, Grand Place, is a square surrounded with the most beautiful buildings with incredible architecture which leaves you wondering, "how in the world did people build these buildings with out any of our modern day equipment? how where they so talented?" I don't know that architects are that talented any more (well some are :)). People just build buildings as fast as they can to supply the demand of people. The architecture of the 16th-18th century is so intricate, I believe there will never be such architecture, ever. This is why people come to Europe, to awe on the beauty and history. The culture in Brussels is a lot richer,not in the sense of money, but in diversity, than the one in Amsterdam and there are a lot of Spaniards all over the city; which I enjoy cause I get to speak Spanish. I've been teaching Anthony to speak Spanish and he is doing so well. He is very smart and knows a lot, but I need to practice speaking with him.
Anyway, we got into Brussels around noon walked about 2 miles to get to our hotel with our packs on and only a banana and a cliff bar in our bellies. We were starving by the time we got in our hotel. Our hotel was nothing special, but it was decent for the price we paid and it wasn't too far from the main square. We walked around getting to know the are and found a little restaurant with a very vivacious Brazilian lady working. I ordered a light coke and Anthony an iced tea (it came in a bottle and tasted like soda tea, it was good), as appetizer we got garlic bread, but this wasn't the typical American garlic bread...I'm talking delicious bread with olive oil and fresh diced garlic. Our meals were delicious! It had my taste buds singing Hallelujah, haha! I ordered chicken with rice and Anthony ordered cannelloni. My chicken was so tender that it was falling off the bone and when took a bite of it, it literally melted in my mouth. It was marvelous! Anthony's cannelloni was a cheese wonderland, therefore it was the perfect meal for him. It came in a tin pot right out of the oven and the cheese was melted just right, he loved it.
Once we were done with lunch we walked around looking at the buildings and then on a mission to find the peeing boy of Brussels. Anthony wanted to take a picture of the boy peeing on his head...typical male. On our little mission we ended up finding the famous Leonidas, a chocolate store similar to Godiva except cheaper. In Leonidas was the waffle store. They have a display of all the different waffles you can have and well it was like nutella and waffle heaven! They have waffles with whatever topping you want basically. We got one too share and honestly it was a lot, but I could have had my own (I'm trying to help Anthony stay disciplined with his sweet tooth, therefore, I had to suffer by not getting my own lol). Ours had vanilla ice-cream, strawberries, nutella and the waffle, of course. The first bite of that deliciousness made me feel as if I were in a fairy tale and that waffle was my prince charming :) It was that good!! The waffle itself was amazing, so the combination was a sweet melody. After buying our waffle we realized that the peeing boy statue was right outside the chocolate store and next door was the Godiva store too. We got free samples of chocolate and it was too die for. I know, you are all completely judging me based on what I have told you I have ate, but I'm completely okay with that because sit was worth it. I would be a blimp if I lived here because I would be eating worthy-of-getting-fat food all the time haha. I would have to say the waffle eating experience was worth our trip to Brussels!
After gorging on all that food, we walked a little more and then went to our room to hang out. At around 8 we decided to go back out and sit in the main square and watch the sun go down (the sun doesn't go down until 915ish here and it comes up around 4am), it's wild. Watching the sun go down and the lights in those building turn on was incredible. It was great to just sit back next to my best friend and soak up all that beauty. No one in the world I would rather be here with :)
A blonde moment; Anthony and I were sitting on the bus talking about something being expensive and I said...."yeah, that would cost you an eye and a leg" and Ant said, "an eye and a leg" and I confidently said, "yes you have never heard that expression, babe?" Ant said, "well I've heard of an arm and a leg, but never an eye and a leg" and I just laughed and laughed (the way he hates that I laugh when I sway back and forth, cover my mouth and don't make a sound, type of laugh) and I said, "babe, you're right I'm an idiot, it's an arm and a leg not an eye and leg." I swear I thought I was right. Haha gotta love me :)
Hey guys it's Friday morning and today is our last day in Paris. I am really sad because we love it here, but we are looking forward to being in Pisa tonight. I probably won't be able to write everything I want to tell you about Paris by today, but I'll eventually get to it. I still haven't been able to tell post my last bit of journaling since there is no wi fi in this hotel. Anyway, we got in to Paris on Wednesday morning and got to exploring the city right away. Our hotel is literally a mile or less from the Eiffel tower, but it's not an expensive or fancy hotel. It's really simple and quiet. The door to get to our room actually opens up to a little front balcony and then there is another door to get to our room. It's really cutesy & we have enjoyed our stay. I'm glad we aren't the type of people that need to stay in 3 or 4 star hotels and I mean we couldn't with the budget we have anyway lol. We seedling so good staying with in budget and we hadn't really had to sacrifice too much. We have been eating at local little places or eating from the stands around the city that serve the real food. The most expensive meal we have had was here in Paris and it was worth it, but I'll tell you guys about that when I get there.
On Wednesday we got in around 1 in the afternoon from Brussels. We dropped our bags off at the hotel and started touring. Our first place was not the effiel, believe it or not we decided to leave that for later in the evening.
I'll write later!! So much to say about Paris :) it's been our favorite place so far!
I write to you on our was to Paris...it's 816am here in Brussels. So you want me to tell about Brussels, right? Brussels, imagine a city where the center area, Grand Place, is a square surrounded with the most beautiful buildings with incredible architecture which leaves you wondering, "how in the world did people build these buildings with out any of our modern day equipment? how where they so talented?" I don't know that architects are that talented any more (well some are :)). People just build buildings as fast as they can to supply the demand of people. The architecture of the 16th-18th century is so intricate, I believe there will never be such architecture, ever. This is why people come to Europe, to awe on the beauty and history. The culture in Brussels is a lot richer,not in the sense of money, but in diversity, than the one in Amsterdam and there are a lot of Spaniards all over the city; which I enjoy cause I get to speak Spanish. I've been teaching Anthony to speak Spanish and he is doing so well. He is very smart and knows a lot, but I need to practice speaking with him.
Anyway, we got into Brussels around noon walked about 2 miles to get to our hotel with our packs on and only a banana and a cliff bar in our bellies. We were starving by the time we got in our hotel. Our hotel was nothing special, but it was decent for the price we paid and it wasn't too far from the main square. We walked around getting to know the are and found a little restaurant with a very vivacious Brazilian lady working. I ordered a light coke and Anthony an iced tea (it came in a bottle and tasted like soda tea, it was good), as appetizer we got garlic bread, but this wasn't the typical American garlic bread...I'm talking delicious bread with olive oil and fresh diced garlic. Our meals were delicious! It had my taste buds singing Hallelujah, haha! I ordered chicken with rice and Anthony ordered cannelloni. My chicken was so tender that it was falling off the bone and when took a bite of it, it literally melted in my mouth. It was marvelous! Anthony's cannelloni was a cheese wonderland, therefore it was the perfect meal for him. It came in a tin pot right out of the oven and the cheese was melted just right, he loved it.
Once we were done with lunch we walked around looking at the buildings and then on a mission to find the peeing boy of Brussels. Anthony wanted to take a picture of the boy peeing on his head...typical male. On our little mission we ended up finding the famous Leonidas, a chocolate store similar to Godiva except cheaper. In Leonidas was the waffle store. They have a display of all the different waffles you can have and well it was like nutella and waffle heaven! They have waffles with whatever topping you want basically. We got one too share and honestly it was a lot, but I could have had my own (I'm trying to help Anthony stay disciplined with his sweet tooth, therefore, I had to suffer by not getting my own lol). Ours had vanilla ice-cream, strawberries, nutella and the waffle, of course. The first bite of that deliciousness made me feel as if I were in a fairy tale and that waffle was my prince charming :) It was that good!! The waffle itself was amazing, so the combination was a sweet melody. After buying our waffle we realized that the peeing boy statue was right outside the chocolate store and next door was the Godiva store too. We got free samples of chocolate and it was too die for. I know, you are all completely judging me based on what I have told you I have ate, but I'm completely okay with that because sit was worth it. I would be a blimp if I lived here because I would be eating worthy-of-getting-fat food all the time haha. I would have to say the waffle eating experience was worth our trip to Brussels!
After gorging on all that food, we walked a little more and then went to our room to hang out. At around 8 we decided to go back out and sit in the main square and watch the sun go down (the sun doesn't go down until 915ish here and it comes up around 4am), it's wild. Watching the sun go down and the lights in those building turn on was incredible. It was great to just sit back next to my best friend and soak up all that beauty. No one in the world I would rather be here with :)
A blonde moment; Anthony and I were sitting on the bus talking about something being expensive and I said...."yeah, that would cost you an eye and a leg" and Ant said, "an eye and a leg" and I confidently said, "yes you have never heard that expression, babe?" Ant said, "well I've heard of an arm and a leg, but never an eye and a leg" and I just laughed and laughed (the way he hates that I laugh when I sway back and forth, cover my mouth and don't make a sound, type of laugh) and I said, "babe, you're right I'm an idiot, it's an arm and a leg not an eye and leg." I swear I thought I was right. Haha gotta love me :)
Hey guys it's Friday morning and today is our last day in Paris. I am really sad because we love it here, but we are looking forward to being in Pisa tonight. I probably won't be able to write everything I want to tell you about Paris by today, but I'll eventually get to it. I still haven't been able to tell post my last bit of journaling since there is no wi fi in this hotel. Anyway, we got in to Paris on Wednesday morning and got to exploring the city right away. Our hotel is literally a mile or less from the Eiffel tower, but it's not an expensive or fancy hotel. It's really simple and quiet. The door to get to our room actually opens up to a little front balcony and then there is another door to get to our room. It's really cutesy & we have enjoyed our stay. I'm glad we aren't the type of people that need to stay in 3 or 4 star hotels and I mean we couldn't with the budget we have anyway lol. We seedling so good staying with in budget and we hadn't really had to sacrifice too much. We have been eating at local little places or eating from the stands around the city that serve the real food. The most expensive meal we have had was here in Paris and it was worth it, but I'll tell you guys about that when I get there.
On Wednesday we got in around 1 in the afternoon from Brussels. We dropped our bags off at the hotel and started touring. Our first place was not the effiel, believe it or not we decided to leave that for later in the evening.
I'll write later!! So much to say about Paris :) it's been our favorite place so far!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Amsterdam & Lately :)
May 8th
Hello :) it's Sunday 8:50 pm and we are in Amsterdam. We got in to Holland this morning and it's been great. We left England last night and arrive early this morning at the Hook of Holland. Saying goodbye to Anna and Bob was really difficult. I cried :( I know, I'm such a baby, but I really fell in love with them. They were amazing and it'll be hard to not be around them and not having delicious fresh home cooked dinners. Anna also got teary eyed...it was difficult for her to say goodbye. I mean it must have been nice for them to have guest at home considering their daughter just moved to New Zealand and they have no other close family around them. It's just the two of them and considering they have been married for 47 years I'm sure they do just fine on their own, but I'm sure they enjoy the company :). It makes me sad knowing that they have no one close around them, but that's life I suppose.
Any way, I know last time I wrote I told you about us taking an overnight ferry to get here? Well you see when we were thinking "ferry" we were thinking good old typical ferry like the ones in movies; they get you from NYC to Ellis Island type of ferry. Well this was a cruise ship type of ferry, it was amazing!! When we got on the boat we were shocked to see how huge this boat was. Let's put it like this, this ship was so big that there were huge semi trucks and cars on board. The ship had free wifi, a movie theater, casino & bar....it's was crazy. The funny thing was when we got to our room instead of getting the bed that we asked for, we got two twin bunks. Anthony and I just sat there laughing, but we couldn't really complain considering we got it for a good deal, it was better than what we expected and we would save on a hotel for the night. So I slept on the top bunk and he slept on the bottom bunk since he gets up 50x's throughout the night. He is such an old man!
We got in to the hook of holland at 745 am, but it was 645 am in England which threw us off. We have been walking around all day and decided to call it a night early so we can just enjoy our day tomorrow. I'm not tired now that I'm laying bed, but Anthony on the other hand is knocked out. He is actually snoring right now haha (he's going to kill me when he reads this).
Anyway, Amsterdam is very interesting.Our first impression of Amsterdam was not good to be quiet frank. It was dirty and very unkept. We got dropped of at Amsterdam central station and the first place we saw was the red light district area and Anthony was not liking it. I was actually concerned! Don't know how else to put it but this city is as liberal as it gets. There are sex stores and pot signs all around the Red light district area. Well there is pot everywhere actually, basically you can walk inside a coffee shop and order pot just as easily as you can order the coffee. Honestly, I'm not a smoker and I've never smoked pot, but I would have to say that smoking pot is better than smoking cigarettes. The way I see it is pot comes from the earth while cigarettes contain a bunch of chemicals.
After the craziness of the red light district we went on to check in at our hotel. It's not a very cheap hotel, but it was the best price we could find in a good area and that didn't have us rooming with other people. We both really like the room, but there isn't any ac which is the only downfall. After checking in we decided to go have lunch; Rick Steve's recommend this "amazing, but budget" way to eat so we did it. We went to the grocery store and bought bread, ham, cheese, chips and drinks and it was just so worth it. I had this freshly baked croissant stuffed with cheese, far from healthy, but very tasty. Just thinking of the crunch when I bit into it and the savory taste of butter yummmmmy....I want another one already (I actually had one for dinner too). It was really nice to have lunch sitting on a bench looking at people go by on their boats in the canal. It was just perfect! Moments like that make me appreciate my marriage more than ever! I can't tell you how in love with Anthony I am and I just feel more in love with him now than I have ever before. We just click!
Something funny....everyone here in Amsterdam and everywhere in Europe speak a different language besides English. So Anthony has decided that we will speak Spanish together so that we are different too. The thing is Anthony does not speak Spanish. He makes me talk to him in Spanish and then he responds by saying "como?, por que?, Si!, No, ayi, okay." haha so basically I can be asking him anything and he will respond with those same answers. He was making me laugh so much. Another thing he does is speak a made up language; it's a mix of what German and Dutch sound like to him. So earlier this lady was talking by him and he decided to say something that sounded like this, "shlaagen laagen baugen?" and he expects me to respond to him in his made up language too. The ladies face was priceless too. We also heard someone talking Dutch and they were talking about their the length of their sheds, but instead it sounded more like "long shets" which Anthony thought was the funniest thing in the world because it sounded like they were saying something inappropriate and they kept saying it over and over. It was pretty funny.
Going from a funny side note to something that was really sad...sorry. We went to the Anne Frank house today. It was the saddest thing I have seen in a long time. I had chills the entire time. It's one of those things that words nor pictures can explain. It's overwhelmingly sad everything she went through and just how much suffering went on during that time. I remember reading her diary when I was younger and feeling sad for her, but being in the house overwhelmed me. It's just so sad to see how she lived and it's crazy to make the connection from her diary to the real stuff. Anthony was really saddened by her house...we left the museum overwhelmed with different emotions.
Another museum that we went to that was probably my favorite was the Van Gogh art museum. It was A-freaking- mazing!!! Van Gogh is my favorite painter ever and seeing his work was just surreal. Anthony loves art, it was so great to be there in the Van Gogh museum, in Amsterdam, enjoying our favorite artist art work. At one point we both went to the bathroom and when he came out he grab my hand and said, "babe, I was just thinking, I'm peeing in a bathroom in Amsterdam at the Van Gogh museum!!" lol I don't know how to explain the feeling that overcame me just thinking about that. The things we have been doing lately are things we have dreamt about doing and the fact that we get to do it is amazing. I am just so thankful for everything we have and everything that God has provided us with. We are so blessed to have this opportunity and that definitely doesn't go unthought of :)
May 10th
Good morning! It's Tuesday morning, we are headed to Brussels from Amsterdam. We really wanted to go to Brugge, but there was no cheap bus that could take us to Paris from there so we decided to go to Brussels instead. We found this bus line which takes you from Amsterdam to Brussels or Paris for dirt cheap; compared to the trains. The most expensive thing we have paid for has been transportation; the trains in England especially. The hotel in Amsterdam was more than I cared to pay, but Anthony put his foot down when it came to staying in a hostel and having to sleep with other people, especially other males, in the same room. Other than that we haven't really spent much at all. We have been buying food at the local grocery store and have only ate in a sit-down restaurant twice. Speaking of eating out, my girlfriend Yanet recommended this pancake house in Amsterdam and we decided to try it. I mean I think it's the same one considering the way she advice we find it. Whether it was the same place or not it was definitely a good place to eat. Anthony ordered a banana nutella pancake and I ordered a chicken and cheese. I know it's sounds weird think of a pancake filled with chicken and cheese, but I must say it was delicious. The pancake was probably a foot in diameter, but not as thick as the pancakes we eat; it was thin, but not thin like a crêpe. The edges had a crisp to it and the cheese was burnt just the way I like it. Anthony's pancake was more of a dessert than a meal. It had chunks of bananas and it cane with a side of nutella which melted perfectly when placed on top of the warm pancake. Both pancakes were the best pancakes I have ever had & trust me I have had my share of good pancakes. Americans should learn to make pancakes like this, seriously. It's funny to think I'm going gaga over freaking pancakes; that should tell you how good they were. Yesterday we ate so bad, but we have been walking so much lately. We haven't used any type of transportation with in the cities we have visited. I would say we are walking about 6-10 miles a day. Since we have been walking so much and eating pretty healthy, we figured we have a splurge day. So we enjoyed our pancakes and at night, we were still full from our late dinner, we decided to have an Amsterdam typical snack; French fries with a white sauce (like mayo) and of course we had to add ketchup too :). It was really good. We were a little skeptical about the white sauce at first, but we just went along with it. Yesterday, I definitely gained the few pounds I had lost in the first few days of this trip. We brought cliff bars with us from the states and we eat that for breakfast with a banana or apple for breakfast- keeps us energized.
When we woke up yesterday it was raining and it was just so nice to sleep in and enjoy the sound of the rain. It's raining right now too, but we haven't let this rain stop us from walking around and enjoying our trip. We are so glad we invested in these Columbia lightweight jackets/raincoats. They have been so handy.
Anyway, I can't believe a week ago we left the states and headed out on this adventure. It doesn't feel that long, but it's crazy to think we still have two more weeks until we head back. It's incredible!! Who knows when we will be able to go on a vacation like this again, if ever. And who knows when we will be able to go on a vacation again period. I graduate in December and then it's back to having a career and taking life a little more serious. Not that I won't have summers of every year! Oh, the joys of being a teacher, I love it!!
Anyway, I can't believe a week ago we left the states and headed out on this adventure. It doesn't feel that long, but it's crazy to think we still have two more weeks until we head back. It's incredible!! Who knows when we will be able to go on a vacation like this again, if ever. And who knows when we will be able to go on a vacation again period. I graduate in December and then it's back to having a career and taking life a little more serious. Not that I won't have summers of every year! Oh, the joys of being a teacher, I love it!!
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