Venice

I've been begging to go to Italy for years. Really. I've been before but I was sick when my family went and I didn't appreciate the fact that I was in Italy at all. I think that's a problem with traveling with young kids. They don't realize the great opportunity they are taking part of and, somewhere later down the road, they wish to go back. Luckily for me, my mom decided to book a trip to Venice this past August. I had an amazing time. I ate gelato, bought scarves, ate pizza, went on a gondola ride, found the HardRock Cafe (as I must with every city), and took as many pictures as I could. I'm in love with this city!

 

Never Grow Up.

This past Monday, I had the opportunity to work in the infant room at the Child Development Center. I usually work in the toddler room so, when I came in Monday morning and learned that I had to run the infant room, I was kind of nervous. "Kind of" being an understatement.

The first hour and a half, I was by myself. I was scared at first, especially when the tiniest baby I had ever seen came in the room, but I got over it more quickly than I thought. I used to think babies cried all day, demanding one-on-one attention. I was happy to learn that this wasn't the case. All of the babies in my room were tearless by the time the second person came to work. All was well.

Around 8:30, a mother came in with her son. He was a cute baby, almost a year old. He was one of the sweetest babies in the room. He would smile at you and laugh when you showed him a new toy. If he was on the other side of the room and you called his name, he would stand up and start running over to you smiling. The closer he got to you, the more unsteady (but quicker) he became until he literally fell into your arms laughing. Honestly, one of the best babies.

After lunch, the kids started falling asleep one by one. The last baby standing was this little boy. Since the other caregiver in the room was rocking a different child, she asked me to hold this sweet boy and rock him to sleep. I picked him up and brought him over to a matt. I sat there holding him in my arms. He kept reaching up to my hair and playing with it. He made babbling noises and I'd talk quietly back, which made him smile. After a while, he started drifting off. Even though he had fallen asleep, and I know that I was meant to put him in his crib, I couldn't help but to keep him in my arms.

As I sat there looking at this innocent, little boy in my arms, I couldn't help but think how unfair it's going to be for him to grow up in this crazy world. There's going to come a point where he is going to fall victim to the pressures given to him by friends and family. He's going to feel the need to prove himself and keep up with those around him. He's going to go through that stage in life where he's a little punk and does things because they're "cool" even though he probably knows they aren't right. He's going to make mistakes and he isn't going to remember how sweet he really is deep down inside.

I got a little teary eyed thinking about this. Nobody who deals with him through these rough patches (teachers, friends) will know of the sweet, innocent boy that I got to know. They're not going to know how he used to smile when someone came in the room or how he would run up to people as they stood up. They aren't going to know of his cute little laugh or his big smile. They aren't going to know of how peacefully he slept as he trusted someone to rock him. 

I got up and walked over to his crib. As I lowered him into it, I told him to never grow up. I thought I said it quiet enough that no one else would hear but the caregiver in the rocking chair looked at me and said, "Honey, life can only be so simple."

Bon Voyage, Summer

come again soon!

This has been one amazing summer. It was the summer of travels. I haven't had a summer this great in forever.  I only have one week left in Europe. I've never been more attached to this place than I am now. I had the opportunity to visit so many countries and cities. I love my mom for planning these trips with me. I don't think I ever really noticed how fast time really does fly by. I know it's time to go back to Idaho but it's hard. I know that it's important to continue earning my degree and to continue figuring life out on my own. I just wish I could take a break. A little pause to spend more time with my favorite people and visit more amazing places. Not to be corny or anything but I feel like pieces of my heart are scattered all over the world and I have to go find them. Maybe there's even a piece of it back in Idaho that's just a bit harder to find. And maybe I'll be able to continue on my traveling adventures soon enough, yeah?

Highlights of Summer 2013:
- I landed a job
- I toured my mother around Prague (my favorite European city)
- I learned to make Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccinos
- I ate lunch along the Mosel with my parents
- I went on a gondola ride in Venice
- I ate all my favorite German foods
- I found the most amazing hair straightener (this was grand)
- One of my best friends had her baby
- I reconnected with old friends
- I visited the American Cemetary & Memorial in Luxembourg
- H&M trips with my mom downtown
- Pictures with my second family, ze Cherringtons
- I spoke Italian in Italy
- I drove through the Alps...literally through
- I learned to play the guitar
- The doctors found out what's wrong with me
- They're fixing me ^
- Playing catch in the backyard with Papa Bear
- Driving through the countryside with my camera and Mama Bear
- Being happy

Czech it Out

I love Prague. It reminds me of New York in so many ways. Prague never sleeps. Ever. The yellow ones don't stop...and neither do the rest of them. Walking signals are only suggestions and the sirens are constant. Street performers are great as long as you don't forget to tip them...and you won't because they remind you repeatedly. There's food on every corner and it's all to die for. It has the best bagels and the best pizza. The alleyways lead to cute little stores and the walls are most definitely not lacking graffiti. The locals aren't very friendly and the tourists are mostly Asian. It's okay to honk your horn 24/7 and it's okay to get in a person's personal bubble. The city is lit at night in the most beautiful way. There's never a quiet moment and the excitement never dies down. I love it. The only difference between Prague and New York (besides how it looks) is that the Hard Rock Cafe in Prague doesn't have a long wait. We should know. We went twice. 

It's a Lovely Day for the Park

After my mom came back from her trip last weekend, my family went to Luisenpark. I like to think of it as a celebration that my papa and I survived and as a reward for enduring through the hectic mornings and the random little catastrophes throughout the day. Luisenpark is so pretty and it has so many things to do. There's even a boat ride where the fish come right up to you looking for food. Tame fish. Now that's something we need in Florida! Maybe I'd catch something other than logs and stingrays. 

The Little Blue Butterfly

During my elementary school days, I got to go on a trip to the Bronx Zoo every year. I don't remember much about these trips other than the flamingoes by the picnic area and walking through the butterfly house. Oh, and I remember a part of the reptile house as well but that's only because stupid Martin told me a snake was loose and slithering across the floor. Being a seven year old girl, I had little fit of fear. It's hard to forget. Anyway, the butterfly house. It was my favorite. 

I remember we would wear bright colored shirts with the school name on them. We used to vote on the color based on what we thought the butterflies would land on when we walked through the butterfly house. One year we wore yellow and the other year we wore green. The shirt itself never worked. There were dishes of watermelon spread throughout the butterfly house, though, and, if you dipped your fingers in the juice and stood really still, they would land on you. 

I remember on our second trip there, a blue butterfly with a black outlining landed on my finger. I thought it was the coolest thing. I also thought that only blue butterflies would land on you. I remember telling everyone to follow the blue ones around because "they're the nice butterflies." Needless to say, blue butterflies became my favorite. 

Fast forwarding to today, my dad and I were outside looking at the butterfly bushes in our yard. There was a really cool looking yellow one that he pointed out. I agreed that it was pretty and then I told him, "I really wish a blue one would come." He just kind of made a face after I said that. We both know blue butterflies don't live over here. I just really want to see one. I think everybody has little things from the past that remind them of happy moments. A blue butterfly is one of my "things" I guess.

The pretty yellow ones will just have to do for now.

really though, i think if a butterfly can handle the bronx, it could handle anywhere else.

Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial

"All who shall hereafter live in freedom will be here reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live eternally." 

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

This week, my family and I visited the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. To say it was a nice, fun trip would be off. It was a nice trip and it was great to be with family but there was a certain mood to this trip that wasn't all happy. Seeing the graves of all these soldiers (some super young) really puts things into perspective when it comes to war and freedom. Freedom really isn't free. I think it's important to remember that. There are people fighting for the things many of us take for granted everyday. I think we should maybe ponder on that once in a while and show our respect for the men and women in uniform. They give so much.