2012..

In another time one would have said I should really put pen to paper more often, but I guess in this day and age I really ought to say I should press my fingers to the keyboard more often. That said, the saying put “pen to paper” gives a better visual. Anyhow, the saying is relative at this point and I am simply rambling but you all get the point. I am realizing my typing in English does not flow as easily as it once did, I actually have to think of what words to use instead of them simply flowing. But the less I write well…the less I find myself writing. Lol, it’s funny how that works eh? They say the more often you pray, the more you will find yourself praying. The more often you read, the more you will have a desire to pick up a book. The more you think, the more often you will ponder. But it seems the more I am in Italy the less I write. I could say those go hand in hand or I could simply admit to the fact that sometimes I simply don’t have the mental capacity to come up with something to write about. To you all it might seem the longer I am here the less I have to write about, which is not at all the case. I guess, blogging is not always on the top of my priority list and sometimes can take up to weeks to actually make it to the top again. My apologies to those of you I have left waiting, hoping to read my next bouts of rambling.

It’s not until you begin at moments to find yourself that you realize how lost you might truly be.  It’s not as though you are always in sheer confusion but simply lost. In my shoes sometimes that feels to be the case. But as a man in one of my favorite movies (Walk the Line) said, “If you was hit by a truck and you were lying out in that gutter dying. And you time to sing one song, huh, one song people would remember before you’re dirt, one song that would let God know how you felt about your time here on earth. One song that would sum you up. You’re telling me that’s the song you’d sing?” That’s the quote that went through my head as I was contemplating asking you all for one word, one word to sum you up, sum up your life, who you are. Could you give me that one word off the top of your head? Let’s not kid ourselves. I know I couldn’t. So this year on my list of many New Year’s resolutions is to come up with “my word”. Kind of an Idea I took from “Eat Pray Love”, which I have now watched in Italian, by the way. ;) And I extend to all you the same challenge..this year, I challenge you to find YOUR word. Spending time away from what you have always known and relied upon really makes you realize those people and things you have leaned on for support and never even realized it. If any of you want to find yourself, I simply suggest moving abroad for an extended period of time. That shall do it. It truly gives you gratitude for things you never even realized you appreciated. Granted, I’m not saying I was some ungrateful stuck-up person when I left America. But I will admit to the fact that this trip has changed me in ways hard to elucidate in words. Not only do you come to realize how blessed you are to live the American dream, but you begin to understand that America is not the only place in the world. Now a lot of you are probably thinking, “Well thanks for that, Captain Obvious. You must have been pretty dumb when you left America, if you thought America was the only place in the world.” No. That’s not what I’m trying to say. What I’m trying to give you all an idea of, is the fact that way we live our lives in America is worlds different than the way most other countries live. Simply believing that you can go to the pharmacy on Sunday and get a bottle of cold medicine, is simply not even an option, along with getting groceries, or many of the other things we as Americans take for granted and view as essential to our daily lives. Grocery shopping must be planned, organized, and carefully thought out, or else…it will be an epic failure and you will return home empty handed; which let me assure you, happens multiple times a week. However, there are the beauties of Italy, and Europe, things that in America we simply don’t find often. Things such as a Cathedral nearly a thousand years old or a cemetery centuries old, sculptures and art that are impossible to capture the full beauty of in a photo or a city built in the middle of the sea, split down the middle by the most beautiful canal you’ll ever find.. The fact of the matter is, Europe is a life changing, must see, experience. And any of you that ever get the chance to VISIT  Europe I highly suggest you do. Those of you thinking about moving..might want to check to see if you’ve lost your marbles before you make any rash decisions. ;) That said, Europe is like none other. As is America. And those of us that have ever had the pleasure of living the American dream are most honestly blessed. I pray 2012 brings you all, happiness, love, faith, friends, family and unforgettable memories. xoxoxo