Day 2: May 1, 2015 - The City on the Water

We landed in Venice around 3:30. Thankfully, all of our luggage made it with no problems. We got all of our stuff, went through customs and all that fun stuff, then found a bus to take us to our hotel. We were staying at the Hilton Garden Inn near the port so we could get to the cruise easier. It was a really nice hotel - it pays to travel to Europe with your parents who refuse to stay in scary hotels or hostels. We had a while to shower and freshen up before heading into the city. It was really nice to shower after a full day of traveling.

We took the bus back into the city and started exploring. It was a little rainy which was actually nice because the streets were less crowded. We stopped by a little pizza stand and got a slice. It wasn't the best pizza I've had in Italy but it was really good at the time since we were hungry. We just walked around and got lost in the city. There are so many little alleyways, bridges, and shops. We had a fun time trying to find a bathroom (or as they call it, a water closet) for pregnant Jess. Bathrooms are rare over there, spaced far apart, and you have to pay to pee - it's really annoying. We obviously stopped and got some gelato. It was Mom and Dad's first real Italian gelato and it was definitely a hit!

We ended up in the main square, Piazza San Marco. We saw Saint Mark's Basilica which I vaguely remember learning about in art history class. We walked around the square and enjoyed our first day in Europe. It was really cool because Cory had never been out of the country before so when we got to the square, it was so cool to see him just look around in awe. 

We didn't realize how much walking we had done until we stopped to rest for a little while. We were tired and pregnant Jess needed a break. Dad got us a water taxi and we sat outside even though it was a little chilly to enjoy the view. It was a really cool way to see the city, especially at night when they were turning all the lights on and everything. 

We got back to the bus station and waited a while for the bus. We got back to the hotel and made sure we were all packed and ready to go for the cruise in the morning. It was a long and tiring day of travel but we really enjoyed Venice and our first day together on this amazing trip. 

Oh and this happened... She was excited to travel to Greece apparently...

Day 1: April 30, 2015 - Off we go!

Technically I had Thursday off of work but I wanted to go in to finish up a few more things and make sure everything was good before I left. I'm very grateful to have coworkers that will cover for me when I'm gone and for my boss who is very understandable and willing to work with me. I finished up and said my goodbyes. I then headed down to Sodalicious to get my last JoJo's Mojo for two whole weeks. At least I didn't have to wait five weeks to get one like Mom... I came home and finished packing everything up. After a little emotional breakdown from pregnant Jess, we packed up the car and headed up to the airport. Thanks to my aunt Tam and friend Blaine for taking us up. We said our goodbyes, checked in, and went through security. We got some food at Smashburger (flash back to my last trip when I did the same thing). I put my lovely compression socks on and we boarded.

After about nine months of constantly having to do homework and not really having anytime to myself, I was finally able to read a book for enjoyment and it was so nice! I read this three book series while on the trip about a retired American spy that travels to India, Egypt, and Greece in search of ancient jewels. It was such a good series and I really enjoyed actually reading a book for pleasure versus for school.

We survived the long flight and airplane food and landed in Paris for our layover. We had a short layover and then headed to Venice.

Traveling is never the fun part of going on trips but it is necessary. I did discover a new way to fly though, I'll have to try it out next time.

Ta ta for now! 

Trip to Europe with My Family - May 2015

So my dad has worked at Omniture/Adobe for ten years. Every five years, the employees get a paid sabbatical. This time, my dad got a five week sabbatical. My dad has very bad back and neurological problems that might cause him to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life in just a few years. That and since their children have seen more of the world than they have, my parents decided to go to Europe for the five weeks and explore. My dad's motto for as long as I can remember is "Carpe Diem!" and I was instilled with this idea since I was little. We were given a gift of a wonderful, beautiful earth and we need to take advantage of it while we are here. This trip is so well deserved for my amazing parents and I hope they had the time of their lives. We obviously couldn't let them go alone for five whole weeks without us so Alex, Jess, Cory, and I tagged along for a few weeks. It was good timing since Wes and CJ are in Honduras and Mexico on their LDS missions - we aren't sure they would've enjoyed this trip so much. Since the girls have been to quite a few places in Europe already, we decided to do a Mediterranean cruise to the Greek isles then head up to Austria and Germany for a few days. It was a struggle convincing Dad to let us do the cruise - he has seen too many news articles about boats sinking or the halls being flooded with feces. But last summer, I bet him that if I went out on the boat and learned how to surf, he had to take me on a cruise. I won that bet (thank you very much) and therefore, he was forced to do the cruise.

We chose to go at the beginning of the trip for a few reasons - Jess is pregnant and was nearing the point where she couldn't fly or go on the cruise so we timed it right under the wire. Cory and I just finished spring semester at UVU and definitely needed a break. And tourist season doesn't really start until the beginning of June so we wanted to avoid the crowds as much as possible.

We left Utah on April 30, 2015 and landed in Venice, Italy. We loaded the boat on May 2, 2015 and were on the cruise until May 9, 2015. We took a night train from Venice to Salzburg, Austria that night in order to make it to a hotel with strong wifi to talk to Wes and CJ on Mother's Day. We spent the week in Salzburg and the four kids took a night train to Zurich, Switzerland on May 14, 2015. We flew into New York on May 15, 2015 and then got home late that night. My parents had a few more weeks over there. They had a tentative plan on where they were going and when but really just played it by ear and really got the most out of their European vacation.

I had the best time on this trip. I got to visit and see places I had never been before. I got to experience a cruise for the first time which was awesome and will definitely be happening again. I got to celebrate the end of a tough semester and two weeks off work. But the best part is I got to spend it all with my amazing family. My parents, my sisters, and my brothers are my best friends and I absolutely love spending time with them. I cannot wait for the day when my brothers are home from their missions and we will all be together again. I am so grateful that we have been sealed together as a family and will spend eternity together. I had an amazing time on this trip and can't think of a better way to spend two weeks.

Stay tuned for future posts - I will give details about every day and our adventures in Europe. I'm excited for another chance to share my experiences on my blog Oh the places I'll go!

Day 6: June 14, 2013 - The Roman Baths, Jane Austen, and a Scary Hostel

I woke up around 9:00 and showered and got ready. I grabbed a bagel and then we met downstairs are 10:30 to get on the bus for Bath! I tried to do some homework but that didn't really work out so I slept and listened to music. We got to Bath around 12:30 or so. We were meeting at the Roman Baths at 1:00 so we walked around for a bit, went to some shops. I went inside the Bath Abbey and it was really cool. It is crazy to me that they let people walk through their churches, even during services! We met at the Baths and got our audio headsets. It was really cool! It amazes me that people were so smart back then! The water was disgusting. We took pictures with a cool guy dressed in a Roman costume, I'm pretty sure he absolutely hates his job. We threw coins in the cooling-off pool and checked out the sauna room. It was really cool! We tasted the water, it was hot which was weird... Plus it was super gross. It was safe to drink but it was still really hot and gross. I bought a cool little head thing. 

After, we formed a group and went to find the Jane Austen Center. It was so cool! She never actually lived in the house that we were in but she just lived right down the street at a house that is now a dentist's office. We bought our tickets and went to this room where this girl talked about Jane and her life and her works for a bit. We then walked through the exhibits. They had a documentary playing, they had little rooms dedicated to each book. They had quotes from her books hanging on the walls everywhere. We tried on dresses and bonnets, learned the art of the fan, Jena wrote our names with a calligraphy pen on a piece of paper which was really cool, then at the gift shop I bought an "I Heart Darcy" bumper sticker and bags and bookmarks that say "Keep Calm and Read Jane Austen" on them. I just love Jane Austen so much, I'm really glad we got to go.

After that, we walked around trying to find a pub to eat at. We found one and I got a burger and a coke which was really good. We hung out for a bit because the pub had free WiFi. 

We then walked around trying to find some chocolate but everything closed at like 5:30! We did grab a brownie before they closed which was yummy. We headed back to the meeting spot and took some pictures and stuff. We got on the bus after everyone met up and headed to Salisbury. I just slept some more and listened to music. We got to the hostel and it was really sketchy. They were four bunk beds in our room with no freaking outlet plugs anywhere so all of our phones and cameras died. We had to put duvet covers on our blanket for good reasons but it was very difficult... let's just say a lot of "That's what she said" jokes were happening such as "I can't get it in" or "This is too hard" hehehe at least it was better than the guys' room - they had to walk outside to get to their room and it was really sketch out there. 

Some people went to a pub, I went downstairs to play cards because we had eaten at the pub right before we left and I wasn't hungry. It was fun, we were all tired and crazy. We played elimination Scum and I came in third! Most people went up to bed after that but Brandon, Stephen, Tayler, Kas, and I went into the common room. We chilled in there for a while. Then probably like six old guys (at least 60+ years old) came in. I was like should we leave...? Should they leave...? But they just sat down and we all started talking. We did the token "where are you from?" stuff but then they asked us questions about America and Utah and our majors and stuff while we asked them if Americans annoy the crap out of everyone and stuff like that. It was so fun to just talk to them and hang out! They are part of a club and they were all retired and living on pensions. So they were biking around Europe, they had biked 50 miles just that day! Crazy! They were just really fun and interesting. We talked to them for like an hour and a half. It was hilarious because we were just sitting there with a bunch of old dudes and Nate and Quaid walked in. Nate looked right at me and just gave me this face like "uh what the heck is happening right now...?" and then apparently felt uncomfortable because he left like five minutes later while shooting me another weird glance. But ya I thought it was really fun and interesting. We got ready for bed in the scary bathroom that had two faucets, one for hot, one for cold. And they were like extreme so you had to hurry and switch back and forth... Apparently when I was already in bed, an older gentlemen walked into the bathroom with only a Speedo on - lovely sight for Jess and Sam haha well good night! 

July 19, 2013 - Coming Home!

After not going to bed until at least 2:00 and having to wake up at 6:00 to be downstairs in the lobby ready for the cab, I was a bit tired. I went downstairs at 6:15. The cabs were already there and the guy started loading my luggage in without even asking me anything first. Then he was like are you ready? Uh no sir I'm not paying for a cab to the airport all by myself. Jess and Shelby came down and he loaded their stuff in and we took off. We were even supposed to wait for Cassidy but the guy was in a hurry so we just left. He was a crazy driver and the whole time we were praying to not die. He dropped us off at terminal three. Jena, Lora, and Cassidy met us there. We went inside and started to check in when they informed us that we were at the wrong terminal - we needed to be at terminal five. So we got on a shuttle and got to terminal five. We walked in and Stephen, Tayler, and Brandon had already checked in and were about to go through security because they thought that we had already gone through. We went down and stood in line. I got up to the lady and weighed my luggage. I was at 25kg. She had me unpack and put stuff in my carry-on. Then for the first time in history, she weighed my freaking carry-on! That has never happened! Carry-ons are supposed to be 8kg, my was at 18kg. She said you're going to have to check this bag. I asked if there was any other option and she said afraid not. I of course freak out and start bawling, call Jena over. The lady said that it'll cost 70 euros/$91. I had about $15 left in my bank account so Jena covered me because she's a freaking saint. Then the f-ing lady weighed my freaking backpack!!! What the hell?!? I have never had any problems with any American airports or airlines. But of course this happens to me. She made me take stuff out of my backpack and put it with my carry-on which was already paid for. It was the most ridiculous thing. We waited for everyone to check in, I'm bawling because I'm so pissed. That and Jess was at like 27kg and the lady just made her put on her rain boots! Why the heck do I get stuck with all the retarded airline people?! We went through security, found our gate, and I just sat there in misery. I got a coke (no Dr. P of course) and a donut. We sat around for a while because our plane was late. We finally boarded. We said goodbye to Jess and Shelby - their flight was at 11:00. We got on the plane. We thought we were flying Delta, but no we were flying Airitalia or something like that. We walked on and they hadn't cleaned the plane from the last people so it smelled and there was garbage and stuff everywhere. Stephen freaking stepped on a razor blade! He had his shoes on so it didn't hurt him but still! We sat down. I was sitting next to Jena and this lady who was from Algeria that didn't speak any English and her daughter. She kept trying to talk to me and I was just like obviously I can't understand you... I tried to sleep but that didn't really work. I blogged for a bit but I had forgotten to charge my iPad and my laptop the night before so they both died. They fed us twice on the flight - nastiest airplane food I have ever had! I got the lasagna and it was like a mix between chicken pot pie and lasagna that was microwaved. Yuck! I didn't eat it. Then later on they gave us a piece of bread with like some cheese and weird spinach stuff on top and a piece of fruit cake... gross. When I fell asleep one time, I woke up and my flip flop had fallen off my left foot. I looked around and couldn't find it but I didn't think too much of it - there was still like six hours left of the flight and it can't have gone far. I just listened to music on my phone and played games. Towards the end, Jena and I played a few card games. We landed in Chicago around 4:00. We got off the plane, went through customs and passport control, and had to go get our luggage because it wasn't transferred straight to Salt Lake. It was so nice being on American soil again where almost everyone speaks English! We had to wait forever to get our luggage but finally got it. We checked it in and thankfully they didn't weigh it again and I didn't have to pay again. We went through security and got to the gate. Starbucks was conveniently right next to our gate. I got a vanilla bean with caramel, an bagel, and a cinnamon twist - don't judge me. I charged my phone and was actually able to call my momma!!! It was wonderful! 'MURICA! We got on the plane. It was much smaller and it was actually Delta so the flight attendants were so nice and they gave us drinks and were just wonderful haha I sat by Lora and Jena. We played cards to stay awake for a while but I slept for the last hour. We got into Salt Lake at 7:00. We got off the plane, went to baggage claim, and I got to see my family from the escalator for the first time in six weeks! It was so wonderful to see them! I missed them so much! They're amazing. It was my mom and dad, Al, and CJ along with an American balloon and a monkey in a diaper - uh? We got my luggage, I said goodbye for now to everyone and gave hugs, then we got in the car and headed home. I told them a bunch of stories about what we did and the people I met and everything. We got home and they had made me a sign - by "they" I mean Al, CJ, the Elders, Cory, and Chase haha it had Harry Potter, a leprechaun, Big Ben, the Colosseum, a penis artfully turned into an elephant, haha it was good to be home. I unpacked and gave everyone their presents. CJ loved his kilt and ran around screaming, "Feast your eyes!" haha he better enjoy it, it was the weight that made me pay all that freaking money. It was so nice to be home and be in my room. I unpacked, Amanda came over, along with new friends of the family - Ben and Shirey, the guy my mom picked up at UCCU - it's a long, weird story. We got in the hot tub which was wonderful, hung out for a bit, then I finally got to go to bed around 11:00. My bed is so wonderful. It's so good to be home. I'm so grateful for this trip, for the places and things I saw, for the friends I've made, for the things I've learned, for a wonderful six weeks! Loves!

July 18, 2013 – The Borghese Gallery and the Beach – My Last Day in Europe

Today was a bittersweet yet wonderful day. I have had the time of my life on this trip. I have never met so many different people, I have never lived in another country, and I’ve never even lived anywhere but home with my parents. I have never had roommates (unless you count my sisters), I have never lived in an apartment, I have never had to share a bathroom with so many people. I have been to London but I didn’t experience the city, the people, the culture the way I did this time over the course of five weeks. It was very hard at times. I missed my family, my friends, my bed, regular food, familiarity, just home. But it was also so amazing. I think my top five days (if I would have to choose) would be Disneyland Paris, the Wild Wicklow Tour in Dublin, Harry Potter/Les Mis, the day we went to St. Paul’s and the London Eye, and today at the beach. I had never met really any of the people I came here with. I had no friends, I had connected with a few but nowhere near comfortable. After spending literally all my time with these people for six weeks, I can truly say I have met some of the most amazing people. They made me laugh, cry, think, imagine, love. They supported me, they loved me, they helped me through the homesickness and my crazy emotional episodes, they helped me grow into the person I am today. I have experienced more with these people than I have with most and that friendship will never grow old. I would especially like to thank Jena, Kasee, and Sam along with a shout out to Stephen and Brandon (don’t feel bad if you are reading this and not getting a special thanks or whatever – I love you all and am so blessed to have met you all!). First of all, Jena is absolutely amazing. She is our program assistant which obviously comes with a lot of responsibility. I could come to her with anything – family, money, personal, or emotional problems and I know that she would help me get through it no matter what. She was the most mature yet knew how to have fun and enjoy the time we spent together. I am so grateful for her and for all she did for me and our group. She is truly amazing. Next, Kasee is absolutely incredible. At our first meeting, I felt like she was a really nice fun girl. I was kind of a creep and messaged her on Facebook, told her I had a good feeling about her, and asked her if she would be ok rooming together. She messaged back and said she was just going to say the same thing! Ok seriously this girl is so incredible. She made me laugh so hard, she experienced me at Disneyland so there’s that haha she let me cry on her shoulder, she helped me through problems, and we just experienced so much together. She has such a strong testimony, I know she strengthened mine whenever we discussed spiritual experiences and such. I mean she goes to BYU but she isn’t the typical BYU-er. She is so beautiful and made me feel so good about myself and always made things better with her positive attitude. I love her so much and can’t wait for a lifetime of friendship with her. Alright Sammie! This girl kills me haha I feel like we are so similar. She loves the Yanks so we were already tight. She always makes me laugh. We both went through hard times but we helped each other get through them. She is hilarious with all of her naming inanimate objects and her “Da H!” or “Calm your swan” haha everything was more fun with Sammie around. I love this girl and can’t wait to hang out with her at home. Ok Stephen and Brandon. These guys are seriously the best. First of all, they are both SO talented! Brandon has an amazing singing voice. He sounds like Josh Groban, even looks like him, but he is also his own person and deserves recognition for his voice, not sounding like Josh. He truly is amazing. I could listen to him sing all day. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He always keeps things positive and never has anything bad to say about anyone. Stephen also has an incredible voice so when they sing together it’s even better. If they sang Hallelujah to me all day, every day, that’d be great. Stephen is so talented in so many ways. He’s hilarious, an incredible writer, and the way he feels about his new fiancé blows me away – he is so freaking cute with Tayler, you can tell that he loves her so much. These guys made me feel so safe all the time. I remember in Dublin when we were eating at Eddie Rocket’s, it was getting dark and Stephen came in and asked to walk us back to the hostel because he was worried about us. How freaking cute is that?!? They are incredible guys and I can’t wait to make pina coladas with Stephen’s cool pineapple peeler and drink them in the hot tub! Everyone on this trip made me feel welcome, loved, and happy. I truly had the time of my life on this trip. I went to some incredible places, saw some amazing things, and experienced those with wonderful people. These people will always hold a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to catch back up at home.

However, I am VERY excited to be going home. I am so close with my family and not being able to see them every day or even talk to them every day was very hard for me. I am so grateful for them and all that they do for me. My mom and dad are the shiz! They have always pushed traveling and exploring the world because they know that we are here on this earth for a reason and that we need to see, learn, and do as much as we can while we are here. I’m so so so grateful for their help, for their support, and for their love. I have missed my family and friends so much and can’t wait to see them! Al and Jess, I better be getting a sign because I made you guys awesome signs… just saying… I have loved this trip but I am ready to go home and continue on with life. My thing throughout the whole trip was that I just wish my family was here to see everything and experience everything with me. That was true for most of the trip but now I miss the familiarity of my bubble in Orem, Utah and of home. This has been a wonderful, life changing experience that I wouldn’t change for the world.

Anyway, moving on to what happened today! We woke up at 9:00 and got ready. We had to wear our swim suits under our clothes because we were going to the beach!!! I packed a backpack with towels and stuff we would need then we had breakfast and headed to the Spanish Steps. We were meeting everyone up at the Bourgesi a few hours later so we had time to wander around. We walked around trying to find an ATM and stuff. We grabbed something to eat at McDonalds – I just got a coke. We hung out for a bit then started the trek up to the Bourgesi. We walked up the Spanish Steps and then ended up walking the wrong way so we turned around. The gallery was really kind of far away and walking uphill with a twisted ankle isn’t very fun. Also, it was freaking hot. I don’t think I’ve sweated or been that hot my entire life. It was awful, but hey it’s Rome! We finally got to the Gallery. Ok so I’m not the biggest art buff but this gallery actually included Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Persephone!!! I was dying! I had learned so much about them in my mythology classes and it was so cool to see them in person and stuff. Ah so amazing! I walked around for a bit and checked out the other paintings and sculptures there. Then we all got our stuff and headed back to the metro. I was in the middle of the group and I was trying to keep up with my ankle so nobody had to stop and wait for me and such. We got to the metro, got on, then off at Termini. We then went to the actual train area, looked around for a bit, then bought tickets and got on the train. We had lost Cassidy, Kasee, and Brandon and were hoping to meet up with them at the beach. The train smelled like giraffe’s and was so freaking hot and gross. I got to sit down most of the ride which was nice. We got off in Sperlonga, then took a bus to the spot where it dropped us off for the beach. We had to walk down quite a bit to get there but we finally made it! It was so beautiful! We rented umbrellas, undressed, put freaking sunscreen on (this is something I never do but I didn’t want to be miserable on the plane ride home tomorrow so I put some on…) and finally made it into the water! It was so wonderful! It was so hot outside and the water was the perfect temperature. We floated around for a bit then we were starving so we got out and ordered food at the little stand. I got lasagna (it was microwaved…) and pineapple. They had sliced the pineapple into fourths then gave me the shell and everything. Ok by far this was the best pineapple I’ve ever had! The juice was dripping down my chin, it was so good. We finished eating then headed back into the water. I took a ton of pictures of everyone and we just had a wonderful time. Shelby, Sam, and I went up to the umbrella to get some sun and these Italian guys came over and started flirting with us, well mostly Sam and Shelby – they like the blonds. Pretty soon we had like nine Italian guys surrounding us. They were all really nice and funny, however, not very attractive…  they were skinny and hairy and wearing nasty speedos. It was hilarious! They told Missy that her eyes shown bright like the sun – uh?! And then Shelby broke the news to them that she is engaged and they said your fiancé is a lucky man, you’re so beautiful! Haha it was so funny. We got back in the water and just played around for a bit. Tayler started screaming something crazy flailing her arms in the air and we finally figured out what it was – Cassidy, Brandon, and Kasee had finally made it! We thought that something had gone wrong and they had just turned back. Well something had gone wrong  - Cassidy’s wallet was stolen on the metro. She had 60 euros, her license, and her cards in there. Thankfully she didn’t have her passport in there. They went through the big ordeal trying to find the police station and stuff but they finally made it. I felt really bad, not only for Cassidy, but for Kasee and Brandon too. We played around for a bit and around 7:30, we had to head back up in order to make the last bus. So we packed up, dried and washed off, then headed back up to wear the bus picked us up. Thankfully the sand and water had really helped my ankle so that was nice. We got up there and got some gelato – white and milk chocolate, yum! We got on the bus, went back to the train station, got on the train, and for some reason, it took us forever to get back to Termini – the train was taking forever! But hey, we had a cabin just to ourselves and we talked about boys and stuff on the way home so it was fun to get to know everyone better and enjoy our last night together.  We got on the metro and went back to the hotel. Kasee and Sam were doing the after trip so they had to say goodbye to everyone. We went upstairs to our room and I showered and packed. Stephen, Tayler, Brandon, and Jena came to say goodbye and hung out for a bit. Then Shelby and Jess came down to use our wifi haha I got all packed up and went to bed. It was such a fun day! Yes we did have some trouble traveling and getting to the places we needed to be but once we got there, it was amazing! Rome has rocked and I’ve made some awesome memories. I can’t wait to go home tomorrow though! Loves! See you tomorrow!!!

July 17, 2013 – Crypts, Trevi Fountain, Ankle Twister, Pizza, Pasta, and Cool Experiences

Today was a tiring but amazing day. I woke up around 8:00, got ready, then we went down and I grabbed a chocolate croissant which was amazing. We then headed towards the Trevi Fountain! On the way, we stopped at the Capuchin Crypts. They had a modesty code but thankfully I was somewhat modest today due to my sunburn so I got to go in. It started out with a museum with creepy paintings of monks and stuff. Then you enter the Crypts and there are just tons of designs using human bodies. There were a ton of monks’ bodies exhumed for some reason and a guy felt like they could be put to better use in a more respectful way. So he took the 3700 bodies and made designs out of the bones. It was really creepy but cool. We waited for everyone to come out then headed to the Trevi Fountain! Of course it’s cool and beautiful. We took lots of pictures. When I was trying to get a picture of me throwing my coins in, this freaking Asian lady literally sat on me because I was apparently in HER way… ya ok! We finally got them and then got gelato with a guy supposedly known as the Gelato Nazi. He was actually pretty nice. I got strawberry, peach, and pineapple. As we were headed to the Pantheon, I tripped in a hole (what is with me and holes?!) and twisted my ankle. I sat on this curb and Rick ran to get me a wrap while Kasee iced it. I felt so bad because everyone was just standing there waiting for me and I was like guys I’ve been here, you can go without me and then they were like oh ya Chels we are going to leave you with a twisted ankle in the middle of Rome… We wrapped it and headed on our way. We walked through some cool streets with old ruins and stuff. I love how much history and awesomeness Rome holds even in their alleys. We got to the Pantheon and walked around, sat down inside. We met at the fountain and then headed to a few more of Bernini’s (he did the Trevi) sculptures. Then a few of us went to this cat sanctuary (ya I shouldn’t have gone, it was weird…). They have these old ruins that no one is allowed on except cats. Then you can go into a little shop where they just have cats everywhere and stuff. Blech. Moving on, we walked down and had some awesome pizza! Then I headed back to the hotel with Mis, Tex, and Camille. I took a nap and just hung out. At 7:00, we met everyone downstairs. Jena and everyone was going out for her birthday but we were still full from the pizza and we wanted to go eat at this place Sam’s friend told her about by the Trevi so a few of us split off. On our way to the Trevi, we stopped at little stores and street markets. A few of the girls bought purses. Jess was pissed because she talked the guy down from 55 euro to 40 for a fake prada purse. Then Sam and Kas get theirs for 20 and Jess was like well shit! Then Shelby got hers for 10. The guys that sell those are just hilarious. Every time a cop even drives by, they run away with all of their things because apparently their illegal. It’s so funny. We were looking at these fake Rayban’s and a cop drove by and he just took off with us holding the sunglasses and we were like uh we could totally take these but we are good Mormon girls! We walked around trying to find the restaurant and finally found it. We got cokes, bruscetta, I got a four cheese and cream pasta that was just like fettuccini alfredo but so awesome and some tiramisu of course. The waiter was hilarious – when Sam was braiding her hair to get it out of the way, he came up and finished braiding it for her. There were also some really awesome people next to us. He asked us to take a picture for him and he took one for us. Then he asked us about the church. It was one of those amazing spontaneous situations that are just so amazing! He was a very staunch Catholic but he was still asking us questions. He didn’t even know the LDS church was an actual religion – he thought we were just Amish or polygamists. Sam and Kasee were the ones that really talked to them because they were sitting close to them but they did such a good job handling the situation. It’s hard to talk about the church because everything is so intricate and you don’t know where to begin and everything. It was just so cool. He was really respectful and told us about Catholicism. He asked us about drinking and smoking (while he was doing both) and it was just such a cool experience! We had to leave because the metro was closing. On the way, we all just talked about how cool of an experience we had and we got all spiritual and stuff haha such a fun night spending time with them and bonding. I hope everyone is doing well and I’ll see you in two days! Love you!