..."stress and change and sacrifice."

Here are a few pictures from this weekend and apart from turning into a pro soccer player (do you like my cool uniform?), we have had the most beautiful sunsets lately. And, aside from both of those things, I am in my last week at school. To be honest, I am extrememly happy and sad at the same time. I feel like I have hit a wall with my italian so thinking of finishing in 4 more days brings me joy but I also don't want to give up.

As much as this experience has brought laughter and "memories to last a lifetime", I still miss America and I so desperately want to "go home" soon. Talking to Doug Valenzuela, the missionary who is Antonello's pastor from Twin Lakes Church, yesterday at church, he said, "At least when I moved to Italy I had my wife, Diana, who spoke english and we shared the same culture. Where you are living and what you are doing takes a special person to do that. I would have given up already if I was you."

As encouraging as those words were to me, I feel like I am not that special person. I don't know if the deep love that Antonello and I have for each other is going to withstand this stress and change and sacrifice. Maybe I am not the right woman for this story.

I would give anything to see the ocean right now...

a short video taken from grammy's balcony