oh america, how i love you...

it's funny how when we live what seems to be a mundane, normal life, we long for something exciting. for adventure. and then we get an opportunity to explore the world, and cross oceans, immerse ourselves in a different culture. so we take that opportunity. and then when we should be so excited about our amazing adventure... we miss home. the comforts of it. the simple things that we never realized we'd miss. music. our own room. a car. hot water.

don't get me wrong. italy is amazing and i am having an incredible experience here. but today we went to siena and a place near siena called san gimignano. i was on a bus for a long time. then walking for a long time. then on a bus, more walking, and more bus. people here drive like crazy fools, even worse than atlanta. and on a mountains curvy and bumpy roads, that isnt too nice for motion sickness. or sleeping. it was a long day, and almost seemed a waste. we saw some cool things and got some good pictures, but the experience with the bus and the walking was not entirely worth it. i hope that's not how i feel at the end of the trip. i'm trying to be positive, and i believe it has worked thus far. i have dreamed of coming to italy for years, and i am finally here-- i don't want to be sad or frustrated about it. this place takes patience-- i have said that again and again. and thank goodness the Lord was teaching me patience before i even began this trip. it has really helped to already have a foothold in that. i want to treat everything as an experience, what may later be a good story, as frustrating as it may have been.

but in all that, knowing what i know and feeling how i feel, i go back to one thing and one thing only. God. My Savior. It is because of Him that I am here right now. With these people, at my apartment with my cold water and broken fridge. In my art class with the professors and the students and the staff of the school. The pictures I've taken, the drawings I've done, the work I've produced. Everything. All of it. 100%. That comforts me. So much. I know He will use it for His glory, which is all I desire.

Please pray for me. I am a bit homesick, but I don't want to be distracted by that. I also don't want to ignore it. I want to work with it and use it. Pray for my roommates and for my friends here. Pray for my friends and family that I miss at home.

That really is all I have for now. I'm going to bed soon, cause me and Andrea are awesome and go to bed early when other people are out partying. It has been such a blessing having her as my roommate... we are a lot more alike that I thought, and it comforts me and makes me happy. :) I miss all of you back home! See you in 3 weeks!