It still feels like I just arrived here in Alba, and we're already moving. No that I can really complain...we're moving to a beach house on the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Can't be that bad! And we'll only be there for 2 1/2 months. But still, there are already a few things I am going to miss about Alba, this place that I have called home for 3 weeks now. 


The views here are incredible in every direction. From my backyard in the mornings, on a clear day, you can see the peaks of the majestic Alps all around. It snowed on them a few days ago and they were all white capped and beautiful! The scene takes my breath away. And the aromas here...when I walk outside I can smell the sweet scent of Nutella being freshly made in the Ferrero factory down the street. You have no idea how happy this makes me. There are roses and gardens everywhere. I have finally begun to find my way around and of course I already have a few favorite shops. I have been able to make some friends so far, and it is a little sad to leave them so quickly. But hey, they can always come visit me at the beach! :) 


So onward and upward. Off to a new place and a new adventure. Summer has officially begun! 

I'm sensing a bicycle accident in my near future. Call it a hunch, but this is just fair warning.

It has come to my attention that I'm not very confident on a bicycle these days...especially around crazy Italian drivers and with me not really knowing the rules of the roads here. Turns out it's not always just 'like riding a bike'.

Don't get me wrong. I love being able to ride around town and explore, but my behind is hurting and there have already been a few close calls with other motor vehicles (or my jeans getting caught in the chains). So I'm just sending out a short prayer request for my safety!  :)  Thanks.

I'm slowly getting to experience more and more of the life and culture of Italy. My friends and family here have graciously been trying to ease me into it. I was able to meet my first American friend for pizza on Friday night, and the pizzeria was definitely in a castle on the top of a hillside. Apparently, according to Luca, this region just has too many castles that they don't know what to do with them all. So why not turn them into pizzerias?!

Saturday night I went out on the town (here in Alba) to watch the USA v England match with some new friends. I love how the World Cup brings so many people together. The party was hosted by a few English people at their apartment. There were also several other Americans there, one Russian guy, and a girl from Bulgaria. I must admit, it was quite nice to get to spend some time with people that can understand me. I think I've taken that for granted all these years...

Sunday night, I took my first trip out of Alba with some Italian friends to Turin. We only went for the evening, but I would like to spend more time there later on. It seems to be a very interesting city with a lot of history and 'legends' if you will. Also, it is a world renowned center for occult, black magic, and satanism. My friends called it the Detroit of Italy because it has a lot of car manufacturers, however, I do not think that is a fair comparison. I found the city to be beautiful and full of character.

At dinner, we took aperitifs (a trend that has apparently swept across Italy), then had antipasta, our main course, dessert, and caffe (digestifs). The Piemonte region is famous for their meat and wine, so of course I've partaken plenty. I've tasted just about every kind of raw meat that you can eat...veal, beef, ham, fish/anchovies, buffalo tongue, salami, etc. We also had pigs ankle and octopus at this particular dinner. Yes, some of it has been strange to me, but overall the food is exceptionally delicious and fresh. Living in this new place has truly opened my eyes to how processed everything we eat in America is. But that's a whole other topic for another day.  For now, buona notte...

Sometimes Italians make me laugh. We went to the salon today to get fresh summer haircuts for Sara and all the children. When we arrived, I noticed a group of at least 5 or 6 guys probably in their early twenties already there. One was getting his hair cut. I thought at first maybe they were all getting their hair cut. But no. Apparently the one just needing advice and moral support from all of his friends. This also perplexed me because they all had the EXACT same haircut and style... including the hairdresser. I bet you know the one I'm talking about. How could it possibly require that many people? The boys were there for over an hour (in fact it took about the same time for him to get his hair cut as it did for Sara and all her kids).

I don't know if I'll ever care quite that much about what I look like. But who knows, maybe the Italian way will rub off on me and do me some good.

I achieved a small victory last night as I survived my first time at home alone with all three children for the entire night. I am appreciating my mom more and more every day! I was left alone by around 5pm with Isabella, Ginevra, and Claudio. We played outside for a long time, mostly with the gardener and the cleaning lady. Then they helped set the table while I cooked them dinner. We ate a lovely meal out on the patio (with only a few pieces of food flying across the table and only one glass of water being spilt). Then we played some more and had a little English lesson. They watched some cartoons and then when I turned off the TV, two out of the three of them willingly went upstairs to start getting ready for bed. Pretty good numbers! We skipped bathtime (shh...don't tell), but they did all brush their teeth. And all was quiet by 9:30pm!  I think I did a pretty good job considering the vast language barrier. I can only imagine how funny this would have been from the outside looking in.

A lady on my flight over to Italy told me that what I'm doing would not only be a great experience for me, but also an excellent method of birth control. Not that I really need that right now - but I get what she meant...

That's me.

I have had a great time here in Italy so far and Sara's family has done everything possible to make me feel at home, but it is still obvious that I am an outsider...a foreigner to this place. I try my best to blend in; however, that is hard to do once people start trying to talk to me and I just give them a blank stare. I mumble something to the effect of 'non parlo italiano' and they get the gist. Not too many people try to continue the conversation after they find this out.

That being said, this is a great reminder to me of our life here on Earth. We are not made to feel comfortable and we are not made to fit in. We pass through for a short time and even though we may learn the ways and grow accustomed to the traditions here, this is not our calling. There is something so much better even than this waiting for us! What a great ending to our story. Oftentimes we are called to do something that takes us out of our comfort zones and forces us to trust in God and rely on His provision. That calling is very different for each of us, but it is almost always difficult. However, the amount that we grow from these circumstances is exponential. Grab hold of what God wants to do in your life!

Aside from my lack of communication skills (which hopefully will get better), everything in Italy is quite nice. The scenery is indescribable! The food is amazing and never-ending. The people are very warm and encouraging. And these kids are really fun. Tiring, but fun. I have managed in just my first couple of days to attend a business meeting with Luca, explore a town called Monza outside Milan, go to a birthday party, a ballet rehearsal, a 'Welcome to Italia' dinner, a Roman Catholic mass (even though I almost fainted), a family-style Italian potluck feast, and much more. There are castles and fortresses all around me. And I have eaten more strawberries, nutella, and gelato than I should in a year.

Thus begins my new life in Italy.

(oh, and please pray for me because I have been sick with either a bad cold or strep throat ever since I arrived, and it's only gotten worse.)

Well, this is it. I managed to get through my goodbyes in Knoxville without completely losing it. But man, my dad makes it tough. Now in Atltanta, I realized as I was in my tiny little plane flying from Knoxville to here that I am not nearly as excited by flying these days. As a little kid I loved the thrill of flying and the whole experience that went with it. Nothing scared me, and I even got excited by turbulence and sudden losses of altitude. What was I thinking? These days, little things like that get me paranoid and I just try to make it through without anyone else noticing. This must mean I'm growing up...or something like that.

Anyway, I'm not really sure what to write because I'm not really sure how to feel right now. I'm caught somewhere between excitement at the unknown and fear of... well, the unknown. But no regret! I know that God is with me always and I know that He has definitely been involved in the process that got me to this point. So here goes nothing. I'm trusting Him.

On a lighter note, Sarah, you will be pleased to hear that I made it successfully through the airport (so far) without being called a troublemaker by anyone. I did have to increase my baggage from what I was originally planning on bringing. I ended up with two bags, both right at the 50 lb limit. The man at check-in started to give me a hard time because one weighed in at 51.5 lbs. That was due to Clay's jar of peanut butter I threw in after weighing everything at home. But no worries, he let me through. Italy, here I come...with JIF peanut butter!