Flashback! the eighteenth.

11/8/34

**I recently became a future bridesmaid! Congratulations, Zoe and Manny!!!

Rome/Florence update:

*Mostly I don’t know what to include here because this trip was so amazing and full of adventures. I won’t drag on for too long, I promise.

1) Slept in airports for four nights. Scratch that. Slept in airports for two nights, and slept OUTSIDE at the airport for two nights. It’s okay though. We laughed, we played games (dream date was a hit, Ani), we spooned, we attempted to sleep, and all with some kind of gun-toting Italian milita in camo making sure we didn’t try to get into the Rom airport.  Good times. (No doubt ;)  ).

2) Stayed at a crappy hostel run by a guy named Pino who must have missed his calling as a used car salesman because he always seemed to be giving some kind of schpiel. We stayed in a room with 4 Spaniards (who I voluntarily talked to! I must be improving!), a random guy named Seth from Texas, and a shady old woman (weird). This place had 2 toilets and 2 showers for more than 30 people, unidentifiable stains on the blankets (don’t fret, kids . . . I brought my own), and the “free internet” they advertised was the computer at the front desk(“Just tell me when to move!” –Pino).

3) Ate gelato every night. Italian food (well, there they just call it food) tastes like delicious. It probably helped that we could only afford one meal per day, so we were always starving by the time we were eating. Food always tastes best when you feel you might keel without it.

4) Saw ALL the major sights in Rome and Florence. I won’t list them, but just know that our first two days seemed like some kind of tourist boot camp.  The David in Florence impressed me the most out of all the sights we saw. Not only was Michaelangelo the coolest Ninja Turtle, but he was a darned talented sculptor too!

5) Seth and Andy pierced their eyebrows in Florence! Okay, none of you know them, but I love them, so you should get excited too :).

6) I LOVED the group I traveled with! Now I’m even closer to Lilit, Seth,Andy, Ryan, and Jessica. We started each morning with prayer, and I am sure that is why we never had any conflicts. It was nice to have boys on this trip (as opposed to London, which was an all-girls vacation)). They’d figure out the map stuff, carry our suitcases, warm up our hands when we were super cold, give us hugs when we were exhausted, and one time Seth even carried me down a big staircase! Basically, they spoiled us.

Also, now I understand why people never want to leave this program. I am already getting sad thinking about leaving this place and these people.

That’s all . . . thanks for your prayers and emails and letters!  Love and squishiness!  Emily

11/8/04

Awww - pyg! It sounds like things are so much better!! What fun! And thanks for the congrats! I feel so famous!! Just don't stay over there forever and miss my wedding ok? :)

I love you!!

Zoe faith