Things I Love...

This is a list of things I love that I wrote this summer sometime that I just found again. Happy, happy.

People

Family

Friends you can whine to

Language

Summer

Being around people with good attitudes

Dancing

Pictures

Travel

Good quotes

Good books

Sunglasses that don't hurt

Swimming

Bilingual children

Nutella

Showers

Painting my nails

Making funny faces

Skype

Fresh bread

Blogs

Smiles

Sleeping

Coke Light

Fluffy pillows

Eyelashes

Bike rides

Sweet mustard

Sunsets

My New Blog. (I know. Again? Yes.)

This blog is great. And not quite done yet. But it represents a part of my life that I'm no longer in, and I needed a blog for just the everyday. So... here you go. Go ahead. Follow me. Again. :)

Mikell Christine :)

Read Me! :)

So... I started a draft of a post about my first day in Rome about a month ago... now I finally finished yesterday, and it won't show up in your blogger feed, so... go read it here. Mmmk. Thanks.

Also, I just have to say, that life is good. Fall is beautiful- even if my fingers and toes are cold. And... I'm really happy right now. Thats all.

Sorry so cryptic. Buuuuuuuuut, thats the way I roll. Go read that other post, and I'll work on getting the other four Italy days + Salzburg + Berlin, round 2 + Going home. Slowly but surely...

Rome if You Want To... (Who Wouldn't?)

I traveled to Rome by night train. My first one ever. Little did I know it would be the best one... but thats another story for another day. :) In the morning, I got of the train and went and dropped my stuff at the hostel. Then first on the agenda...

THE COLOSSEUM!!!!

*Side note: Italy is hot. And sunny. And my hair got frizzy, fast. So every shot was not a glamor shot. But I was ridiculously excited to be there, and thats what's important! :)

I went for a walk through the past in the Roman Forum, joining up with a couple from South Africa who were listening to the Rick Steve's Audio tour I had been reading out of my book. (Thank heaven's for that book. Saved my life. Probably quite literally.)

Then I made my way up the Capitoline Hill and went to the Capitoline Museums, and saw all this stuff I'd studied in my Humanities classes...

Then I headed back over to take a tour of the Colosseum. It was way cool! I didn't pay for a guided tour or the audio tour, but it worked out fine because I just listened in on the 5,000 other tours that were going on. (Actually, I did that a lot. I figured it was okay since I'm just one person...)

Then on to the Victor Emmanuel Monument! I really didn't know anything about it, and actually, I still don't. But it was big! And white! And I saw it!

Then a whole bunch of walking over to THE PANTHEON!!! Ancient! Amazing! Something I've always wanted to see, and I wasn't disappointed!

Look at the courtyard of the Pantheon. So Italian. So touristy. Right behind that obelisk thing is a McDonald's. Really.

Then I went and ate some dinner. I thought it would be awkward eating alone, but it wasn't really, and I even talked to a sweet 70 year old Italian man who was eating by himself too. Oh, and by the way, it was DELICIOUS!!!!
As dusk set in, I set out on a "Night Walk Across Rome". It was absolutely amazing. I just kept saying, "I can't believe I'm here!!!" Beautiful. Magical. Oh yeah, and I got lost. Don't worry, I found some other American ladies who were using the Rick Steve's book and were lost too. We figured it out eventually. :)

I think the next part may have been the most magical part of this absolutely amazing day. Just look at the crowd gathered around!

THE TREVI FOUNTAIN!!!

I loved the Trevi Fountain. It may not be the most ancient thing in Rome, but it sure felt magical. I threw in a 2 Euro cent coin and wished to come back again with someone I love. :)

I walked past the Spanish Steps on my way home- they were crowded with thousands (it felt like) of German kids. They had been all around the city all day. I just couldn't get away from those crazy Germans, even in Italy!

Could it have been a more magical day? I don't think so. It was beautiful. I can't wait to go back!!!

No Man is an Island

People need hugs. They need the people they love. They need people who love them.

I have needed these people for some time now. I knew I missed my family and my loved ones back home. But I don’t think I realized how much I was missing.

Chantel said to me today, “Its nice have you here. I don’t realize how much I miss friends until you are here.”

I love Everett’s cheeks, and Cora’s crooked cheesy grins, and Ethan’s smart questions. I love that they all call me Kell. That means so much to me, it almost makes me want to cry. I love that Greg finds me funny and that Chantel always agrees with me and I always know "exactly what she means." (She’s so eloquent in describing the things that I can’t. She neeeeds to blog. I hope I can talk her into actually doing it.)

I have to say I’ve also missed the affection. I didn’t realize how much I missed tight hugs and holding hands with kids as we walk down the road.

It all goes back to that philosophy of mine… people are the most important part of our lives.

Prague is Magical

I've been having a lot of "I can't believe I'm here" moments in the past month. The weekend after Vienna I went to Prague. Prague is pretty well hyped up in the European travel world. I feel like I've heard a million times "Prague is amazing!!!" but I never knew why.

And then I went.

There really is something magical about Prague.

Maybe its the quirky astronomical clock.

Or the church that looks like an evil witch's castle.

Maybe its the huge Gothic Cathedral on the hill.

Or the "largest castle in the world".

Maybe its the 13th Century "Charles Bridge" with its cool old statues and people selling their art.

Combine all, add a pink sunset and a fireworks show over the river, and that makes beautiful, magical Prague.

Its Summer, People.

Today I opened the window, and I missed home. Something about the smell of the summer morning hit me, and that was it.

I miss summer. I miss sparklers, salads, shopping, dirt, swimming, movies, going to bed late and sleeping late, popsicles, air conditioning, family reunions, camping, slurpees.

More than that, I miss my mom. I miss shopping with her, talking with her, folding clothes with her, watching dumb movies with her, and driving around with her with my feet on the dashboard and head in the clouds.

I miss the rest of my family too. Talking, laughing, eating, singing silly songs, jumping around with the kids.

I miss my friends. My favorite people are home and bored and would SO go hike Y mountain with me or go to an outdoor concert or a drive-in movie...

The number one thing I'm learned since I've come to Europe is that you can DO lots of cool things, and SEE lots of cool things, but for the long term the most important thing is PEOPLE. Relationships are what makes life meaningful. I've also learned that my family is exceptionally awesome- love you guys. So, go appreciate the people around you who you love. :)

(Btw, I'm totally not complaining. I am having awesome experiences. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I'll be telling all those people I love about for the rest of my life.)