Follow Your Arrow..: "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