Open Window

Last night I slept with my window open for the first time ever at my house in FL. Thinking back there have been several nights where it would have been lovely to sleep with it open...you know when there is that perfect balance between chill and warmth in the air, but I still never did it. In the past the whole idea of sleeping with the window open kind of freaked me out even though I have always slept on the 2nd floor of wherever I have lived. Every girl can turn any situation into a man somehow kidnapping her in her mind. But then I moved to Italy. Looking back there was barely a night that I didn't sleep with the window open if the weather permitted. It's not because there were less creepy men because they had more than their fair share. It just felt right most of the time. This all sounds very romantic and I'm sure you expect a "coming into myself while living in a foreign country" story (warning: this may happen), but in all honesty I probably did this because we didn't have air conditioning and I was desperate for air in any form that it came in.

The moral of this story is that it was really refreshing. I felt very clean and fresh when I woke up this morning. So the question is why haven't I always done this? In Italy I started doing it because I assumed that's what people did and it seemed appropriate for the situation. I believe this is the downfall of me living in Ocala...I just do what I've always done and this puts me in a rut. There are too many expectations and presumptions that just exist in the air here. This isn't anyone's fault it's just the result of living where you grew up. Living in a new place forced me to do new things constantly and to morph into a revised version of myself, which was refreshing. I would like to be like that again. To turn to old world things (i.e. open windows, taking walks, cooking from scratch) that I enjoyed so much that I have already forgotten so much of now that I live in the land of the fast and furious.

So, tonight maybe I'll sleep with my window open...and maybe I won't.

Most Recent Developments

This is my new niece Elizabeth Kelly...but we choose to call her Ellie. She was only 4 pounds when she was born, so as you've probably already guessed she was premature...to be exact 7 week premature! Check out how big my brother's hand is in comparison to her little head.








The next development is that my BANGS ARE BACK! I always feel more trendy, when I have my bangs. Even though this is a terrible picture of me you get the idea.

Politics Shmolitics!

So as I'm sure everyone else is experiencing these days, politics are everywhere as the election is coming closer and closer and I am sooo over it! I really have never been interested in politics, which I expected to change as I got older because that just seems like something that happens as you get older kind of like waking up early and watching the news, but it really hasn't for me. Two nights ago I watched Sarah Palin's acceptance speech out of curiosity and I have to admit that it impressed me. She is a no nonsense kind of woman and I admire that about her. But watching the convention it was so weird to me seeing everyone freak out over these candidates and over America. I mean I think that I live in a great country, but these people take it to a new level. Living in Italy completely changed my perspective. Here's a news flash...the US is not the center of the world and it's not the only country worth anything in this world. This is an attitude that I no longer have patience for and I'm pretty happy about that. Once again I like the US so don't cast me as a hater.

Rant #2: I don't understand this equation. Christian = American = Republican. Honestly I can't think of anything that is more ridiculous, ignorant, and frankly not biblical. Are we seriously going to separate the Church over what politicaly party they are registered with?? I am from a small town and am currently a member of a very traditional church and I dare say that you would be quickly judged if you outted yourself as a democrat or if you didn't swear allegiance to this country. I no longer feel comfortable reciting the pledge of allegiance to the american flag. That may be extreme, but I don't want to throw around my allegiance out to anyone or anything. Jesus Christ did not affiliate with a political party or a country or even his own ethnicity. He always chose to be the outsider. I am not a Rebublican. I am not a Democrat. I am not an American. I am a Follower of Christ. Period.

Seasons

If there is something that I am sure about in life, it is that there are seasons in life. As of right now, I know that I am in a season of "waiting" and foreseeable "boredom". This is severely different from my season of living in a beautiful foreign country and bring busy every moment of my life. But it's OK that my current season is so severely different. I think that's why we have seasons so we can learn can be content in all situations just like Paul said...i think in Phillipians, but I'm not sure. So here I am learning how to adjust once again. That's something that I don't think will ever change about my life.

So just like Ecclesiastes and the Mama's and the Papa's have said...there is a season for everything...there is a season...turn, turn, turn.

Encounter with a Gondola Driver

Just a couple of weeks ago my team had our de-brief in Bologna, which turns out is such a fun and beautiful city. There is such a huge trendy/indie/earthy population which I didn't expect, mostly because there is so little of that here. But anyways, the Monday after our de-brief was the Day of the Republic here in Italy...something like our 4th of July, so we celebrated the Republic in Venice. I was very excited about this because I had never been and just recently my brother Carl had scolded me that I had lived in Italy for 2 years and had never been. It was awesome, it only costs 8 euro to get there by train, which is so cheap and unnexpected!

Anyways, our day in Venice was quite lovely. We had beautiful weather and got to see so much of it in so little time. It really is like walking through a movie set. So my encounter with the gondola driver begins with the fact that that day I was wearing a red and white striped shirt, which is typical of a venetian gondola driver. So on the way Rick and Mario are telling me that I have to get a picture with a gondola driver because it's just too perfect. This made me a little nervous, but I didn't think much of it.

So, we were eating lunch in a piazza and there was a gondola driver with a red and white shirt on just sitting there smoking, not really doing anything. This gondola driver didn't look very inviting, but Rick drags me over there anyways and starts to talk to him. So he asks if we can have a picture together and the guy gladly obliges. THEN Rick says OK let's get another one, but with a kiss! So he leans in for the kiss (on the cheek) and he decides at this point that his hand would be more comfortable on my butt!!! I just froze and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. My team enjoyed a good laugh at my expense about this one. So, all this to say that being on a gondola with the driver singing to me doesn't sound as dreamy to me as it used to.

Here's the picture of my creepy new friend:















Here are some more pictures so that's not all you see of Venice

It feels like hurricane season

Being from Florida, we are used to hurricanes coming through quite often and with that comes loss of electricity, eating everything in the fridge, and playing games with your family that you haven't played since you were 10 years old. Granted I'm not doing any of those things, but there is one very large aspect of this week that feels just like being at home during a hurricane...We don't have any water! You may ask...why don't you have any water Katherine...and the answer is I don't know. The city of Salerno decided that this was the week to make me gross and live like I was camping. Which isn't entirely true, they are fixing something. But honestly, have you ever heard of such a thing. An entire city loosing water for 3 days...on purpose!

My favorite part about this situation is how I found out about it. I walked out of my door Monday morning to start my day and the lady who owns the store downstairs stopped me and started speaking to me at the speed of light with a very thick napoletano accent. So I tried very hard to understand what she was saying and basically I left the conversation understanding "today, Thursday, no water". So I thought OK...worst case scenario is we don't have water from today till thursday and I didn't really think much about it. Then I went to campus and had lunch with a friend and he said "oh, do you know about the water situation in Salerno" and I replied with not really, because I wouldn't consider understanding 4 words as a victory of understanding. And my friend then went on to tell me that there would be now water in all of Salerno till Thursday morning and that is the best case scenario!!! I spent the rest of my day trying to figure out what I could possibly fill up with water so I could flush my toilet and when the last possible moment would be when I could take a shower to keep myself clean a little bit longer.

So now we are on the complete day 1 of no water. We use all things plastic, there is a trash can full of water next to our toilet, and I'm thinking that tomorrow is going to be a pony-tail day for all of us.

I'll keep you posted, but don't count on pictures.

I'm famous!

This is what I get for talking to strangers all the time.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnyp8FHYLAQ