"It's the final countdown..."

Italy could probably be summed up into 3 words: food, family, and fun.

My last 4 day weekend was spent in the beautiful, charming country of Italy. I could probably go on for days about how incredible it was, but I hate writing (oops), so... here are some highlights of Italy:

• We originally planned to stay in the heart of Venice. Later, we found out we booked our reservation outside Venice, in a small town called Trevignano. (Best mistake of our life).
• Our stay was spent with a host family, who we immediately fell in love with.
• We ate more food that weekend, than 10 thanksgiving dinners combined. (We became true italians).
• Best quote from the trip: The mother of the family told us on our last night, after eating more pasta, pizza, and tiramsu than you can imagine..."and tomorrow, you diet". Hahaha 
• Tiramuso was made for breakfast. Yes, they eat cake for breakfast.
• The town we stayed in was so small, everybody knew everybody. People stared at us like we were aliens. (They were very nice though).
• Actual Venice was incredible. They really do drive boats instead of cars. (Even the ambulance and taxis were boats!)
• The gelato was to die for.
• I will GO BACK.

Pictures can pretty much sum up the rest of Italy just fine. :)

Now for more ROMANIA talk:

For the past couple of weeks, we have been going to the orphanage twice a day, instead of teaching at the school. I couldn't have been happier about this change! As cute as those kindergarteners were, I love my babies TOO much. One of my favorite things I get to do, is watch the progress the children make. (This past week, one of the children took her first couple steps, and I literally had tears piling up in my eyes. I now understand the term "mama-bear".) 

Something I am extremely surprised about is the friendship I have made with the orphanage workers. I never expected to love and admire them as much as I do. Whether it's bonding over screaming children and spit up stains, or culture differences and love lives, we seem to easily fill our hours working there with conversation. I am so grateful for them. They are definitely something I will miss about Romania.

My experience at the orphanage is going to be the hardest thing to explain about Romania. I don't think anyone will ever fully understand what is has been like. (except the people I am here with). This week is my last week, and I will try to sum it up at the end of it. My last week? Where has time gone?...

Other Romanian moments:

• Our bathroom is flooding again. This time nothing we do will fix it. So it's back to 10 seconds of water on, 10 seconds of water off, and absolutely no control over the temperature of the water. I just have to keep telling myself I will get to take a normal shower in 10 DAYS. 
• We killed a cockroach in our bathtub. A living, breathing, cockroach. AMERICA I'm coming for you. Haha but really, cockroaches coming up through our drain is not something I am going to miss.
• We randomly get gypsy moms at our door with their children, begging for money. It is strange to me how common this sight has become.
• Our walk to the hospital has become hotter and hotter and hotter. It makes going and finding kids to help even more rewarding.
• I am looking forward to Utah's dry heat AND winter. I have never looked forward to the cold in my life?! Strange things happen when you live in a foreign country. 

As my time here is coming close to an end, I am realizing how blessed I am to be able to come here. This summer is something I will never stop learning and growing from. Everyone said "Oh this experience will change you forever!!". I don't feel as if I'm some drastically different person, but I KNOW I am such a better version of myself already. And for that I am grateful for that.

I WILL SEE YOU IN 10 DAYS. 

Love, 

Morgs

Small town called "Treviso" in Italy.

Our means of transportation in Italy.

My FAVORITE European dessert. Meringues <3

We didn't look like tourists at all.

VENICE.

VNIC 

VENICE.

VENICE. 

I paid 1.50 EURO to use the bathroom. SO DUMB. 

VENICE.

Gelato. yummmm.

VENICE.

Church in Treviso Italy.

Part of our "thanksgiving" breakfast.

"Strange luxuries...."

I have some news..... These past months I have been slowly but surely giving myself lung cancer.

Why you ask?

Well here's the thing. Everyone smokes, everywhere. There are no "no smoking" signs. There are no "smoking allowed" signs. Smoking is so common here, it's almost odd if you don't smoke. I never realized how grateful I am for clean air. (Well that is if you can consider Utah's inversion clean air...haha)

As time is moving ever so quickly, and I am coming near to the end of my trip, I have been realizing some things I really just can't wait to get back to America for...

MY STRANGE LUXURIES I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MISS:  (Warning: most of these are first world problems) haha.

• Public restrooms are free. (and so is the toilet paper)
• Restaurants having complimentary water.
• ICE. (It is nonexistent here)
• Drinkable tap-water. (....pretty sure I'm bringing worms home, in my belly. EEEK.)
• Cars. (Instead of relying on public transportation).
• Food variety. (Is it that hard to get a girl some vegetables???)
• Dryer.
• Air conditioning. (Currently 100 degrees and climbing here in Romania.) 
• Screened windows. (Sounds weird?...Well after you find 15+ mosquito bites all over your legs each morning, you'll understand)
• Customer service. (No one likes someone who speaks english..)
• Google maps. 
• Gyms.
• Split checks at restaurants. (Non-existent here)
• 24 hours stores. (You don't realize how often you need to go to a store later than 6 pm.)
• Free ways and highways. (Driving across Romania is an experience in and of itself)
• Wards! ( Branches are fun, but I'm starting to miss normal sized wards!)
• and of course...MY FAMILY.

I can't believe is how soon I am going to be home!

It is the MOST bitter sweet feeling I have ever experienced. 

In other news:

I taught my last lesson at the kindergarten/preschool this week!! The school is closing for the rest of summer. WOW, has it been a learning experience! After my first lesson, I never imagined I would actually walk away from a lesson feeling productive. I am so grateful for the experience I gained from teaching! I am going to miss the little adorable trouble making kids. <3

LOVE 

MORGS

P.S: Some days I look around as I'm walking the streets on my way to the orphanage thinking "What in the world am I doing living in Romania?? Like seriously, who voluntarily (even pays) to go spend four months far far far away" Oh ya. I do. Hahah I'm so grateful for my random crazy decision to leave!!

Some fun pictures from my last day!

"Can I be considered a world traveler yet?..."

From Iais --> Bucharest --> Athens --> Santorini --> Vienna --> Iasi.

If I'm not the luckiest girl in the world, I don't know who is. I can't believe we were able to travel around Eastern Europe (and manage to stay alive) for 10 days!
Of course when you are traveling with a group of 5 girls, all ages 19-20, there are many moments that will never be forgotten. I'm going to do my best to summarize this amazing trip, but words and even pictures won't do it justice.

We took a night train from Iasi to Bucharest. This was my first (and hopefully one of my last), public night train experiences. Haha It's safe to say, I may or may not be coming home with more than one diseases.
Highlight of the night train:

The bathroom exploded. (No exaggeration). The toilet literally blew up like a fountain. Let me go back a little bit...
Hannah and I were headed to the bathroom around 3 a.m. I would consider us pretty brave to even go near one of the bathrooms on the train. The first bathroom we came across was in use. So we headed over to the next train cart. Someone had left us a small surprise in the toilet, but we decided we were tough, all we had to do was flush it and everything would be ready for use. Hannah entered the small, box shaped bathroom. She was very careful as she flushed the toilet. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and I gave her "the nod", meaning "go ahead it's all yours". Right at that moment, BOOM, water (and who knows what else) began to fly everywhere. The toilet was literally exploding right in front of our eyes. We stood there shocked for a moment, and then looked at each other and slammed the door shut as fast as we could. You bet we were out of there and never looked back within 5 seconds. I'm sorry to say I never knew what happened to the poor bathroom, or the train cart it was on....

Now that the potty talking is over, let's talk GREECE.

I'm in love.
I'm in love.
I'm in love.

Okay, so we started in Athens. The city is a lot different than I expected. It was like a smaller, dirtier version of Chicago or New york. Except randomly there would be the Temple of Zues, Acropolis, Parthenon, Etc. These sites were incredible! I couldn't believe how old they were.

As most people know Greece is going through some economic chaos. We were literally walking around Athens the day that the "Big vote" was supposed to be made. Little did we know this would come to our advantage. FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. It rocked.

A couple days later, we took a ferry to Santorini. I don't even have enough words for this place. The water was deep deep blue and very clear. The climate was perfect. The people were so friendly, and a lot of them spoke english! It was the first time in 3 months we could correctly communicate with strangers.

Our days in Santorini consisted of beaches, four wheelers  (mine had a little extra personality and sometimes decided to shut off int the middle of the road), sunsets, and sun. It couldn't have been a more perfect and relaxing addition to our long trip.

As we packed up to take a night ferry to leave Santorini, we all couldn't help but feel sad for not staying there longer. As the ferry took us to Athens, we arrived around 5 a.m. Our flight didn't leave until late that night, so technically we were homeless in Athens for the day. No need to worry, we kept ourselves busy by playing cards on the street and shopping.

VIENNA. Wow so remember when I said we were sad we didn't spend more time in Santorini, well Vienna made up for that. It was so incredibly elegant and beautiful! I loved it! Vienna probably had the most diverse amount of people I have seen in a long time.

While we were there we explored palaces, gardens, attended a mozart concert, and ate good food.

Yes. I did just describe a trip of a life time!!

Now brace yourself for pictures.... :)

Yes. A true Miracle. 9 days in one backpack. 

Beginning of our journey. Night train here we come.

Streets of Athens.

Welcome to the Acropolis.

Meet Hannah. We are kind of inseparable.

More ancient things ;)

Parthenon.

Greek is not an easy language.

Campaign posters EVERYWHERE.

Temple of Zues.

Our hotel in Santorini.

GREEK WATERS. 

Our first dip into the ocean!

Water... not complimentary like it is in the US.

JOY.

We took a boat from city to city.

Love them and this city.

Shopping in Santorini.

Midnight ocean swim. 

Four wheel Champions.

Unbelievable right??!

We mastered the subway stations.

Streets of Venice.

Cathedrals.

Inside of one of the cathedrals.

Beethoven's grave. 

Famous "Spaghetti Ice" in Vienna. WOW. 

Of course I got the chocolate one though:)

Palace.

Gardens

Late night ice cream out of the tub on the ocean. What's better?

Our homeless day in Athens.

Venice we love you.

Cutest theme park in Venice. 

Yes if you look closely, that's Hannah and I. 

Iasi Bound.

So now you have seen a small glimpse into my adventure of traveling across Eastern Europe. Anyone want to go back with me??

LOVE,

Morgs <3