Visitors welcome anytime!

Ciao! I realize it's been like 2 weeks or something since my last blog...however...life has just been nuts!! I experienced mid-terms in Italy...and let's just say I won't be studying for finals if they are anything like the mid-terms. Haha...just kidding mostly. Well, Leah was here two weeks ago and it was AWESOME! Nothing like spending time with your best friend in Firenze. I made sure to take her to all of my favorite places for dinner and gelato, and then we did some fun things like climbing the cathedral Duomo, in the center of Firenze, which was 463 steps to the top! Pretty amazing stuff. We also climbed to a church called St. Miniato, which really has a beautiful city view of Florence. We made sure to hit up the markets, and we made a lot of delicious home-made meals in my apartment. It was sad to see her go back to London, buuuuut, I'll see her soon and we talk a lot, so I'll make it through :)

The morning Leah left, LINDSEY CAME! It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOD!! She actually just left about two hours ago, and let me tell you, tears were present. She got here last Saturday, and we didn't stop until the minute she left! She got to see all of Florence. And like Leah, I made sure to take her to all my favorite spots, like: climbing the Duomo and the hike to St. Miniato, dinner at El Gato and Open Bar, gelato every day, the San Lorenzo market, Ponte Veccio, etc. Her fave was the Piazza de Republica. It's the most modern piazza in Florence, has all the nicest stores and is just really fun to be at. All the time we spent together was AMAZING, the one thing I would've changed was the weather. Out of the 7 days she was here...one was with sun :( Honestly, I was a little embarrassed. Haha, I just haven't seen any clouds or rain since I've been here, so the fact that the day she comes it all changed was a little upsetting. Along with seeing all of Florence, we made a trip to Rome for two days, which was AWESOME! I'm so glad I had been there before, because I kinda knew the way around and knew the general direction of the big things to see. Thankfully we brought our umbrellas because it rained hard-core the first day we were there! We got to stay in a hostel one night and then we saw the Vatican city the second day. We got to walk through St. Peter's and see the Sistine Chapel. Linds being the sneaky and determined little thing she is, snuck a pic, even though they aren't allowed. She got caught the first time, and then when the guard came up to her, she pretended she didn't speak English, or Italian....haha. Then she got a great pic and a couple minutes later we made our exit. We took a train back and I had the privilege of making her my routine dinner: noodles, red sauce and bread. Now she was able to experience what I do EVERY NIGHT. Haha...but for real, I'm bringing back the tradition of olive oil and salt, forget butter it sucks, O.O. all the way! The next day we went to Cinque Terre, because we were hoping that the weather would change for the better, but it didn't :( It was windy and cloudy and we couldn't ride the fairy boats and see all the pretty villages from the sea. However, we made the best of it, made it to three of the five villages and got some great pictures, thanks to Linds. She found some great spots that I didn't find last time. Like I said earlier, she's determined to make the best of wherever she is, and I love it. We had fun on the trains and def. made the most of our trip there, despite the weather.

Last but not least, because Linds has got the hook-ups wherever she goes, we got to stay in the Four Seasons in Firenze last night!!! It was absolutely amazing, there are no words to describe. It was an old palace owned by one of the richest families in Florence and it has been restored into the hotel. Lindsey's old co-worker, Christiano, gave us a tour of the entire hotel, which included seeing a suite that costs 16,000 Euro for ONE NIGHT. Think of that in American money and you may want to die. It was so great, we ordered in room service for dinner and ate a traditional Tuscan breakfast, which was AMAZING. Our beds were considered twins, but to me it felt like a king, soooo great. Both Linds and I loved staying there and were SO thankful that we were able to see the hotel and experience a new aspect of Florence.

Well, that about sums up the time I've had in the last two weeks! It's so crazy to think I've only been here for two months and that I still have TWO MONTHS TO GO!!!! Seeing Linds made me a little homesick for people, so I'm really excited to see YOU (reader) when I get back. Still have lots to do while I'm here. I'm hoping to make some day trips to places close to Florence, like Pisa (as in Leaning Tower) and Siena, and then a small town called Lucca. The more time I'm here, the more I realize how much I love Italy, and how much I love where I am. I am really getting to know places here, and I love all the cute shops and food places, and my favorite, the views from the Duomo and St. Miniato. All of these things make me love this experience and I always think to myself, "I still can't believe I'm here!" God is teaching me so much, and SHOWING me so much, by experiencing a new culture and seeing a new part of His creation. It truly is amazing to be in another part of the world and learning more about Him in so many different ways. I've been stretched in my faith more than I ever thought possible, and I love it, especially since it's all in Italy...what could be better?! This last week, Linds and I talked a lot about mom, and how much we wish she was able to come on this trip with her to see me. We talked about our favorite things about her, and different memories we had of her, and it was just really great having conversation center around her :) Having Linds here was the best, it was so nice to spend a whole week with her...miss her already!!

That's about it for now, and instead of what the Italians would say, I'll say in the words of mom, "Peace, love, and Bobby Sherman!!"