Playing Catch-Up

I'm very sorry to all of my readers for not keeping up with my blogposts! I promise to try my best to update this at least once a week! hehe

So much has happened since the semester started that I don't know where to begin. We're going into our fifth week of school which means I haven't blogged for five weeks and midterms and SPRING BREAK is just around the corner! God has blessed me with so much this semester and everyday I wake up with more reasons to continue thanking Him for what he's done for me. For the first time (EVER), my close group of friends are all Christians. My roommate Madeline and I go to church and Bible study together and although at times it feels weird, I'm glad to have someone who will push me to go to Church when I have those days when I don't feel like it. Having such a close group of friends who share the same faith as me has made being abroad much more easier. My heart weeps when I meet other study abroad students who long to get "blacked out" and "shit-faced" drunk every night. There's nothing wrong with drinking but why would anyone want to wake up the next morning not remembering what they did the night before? 

Looking back at my photos, I'm coming to the realization that I've done so much within the first half of my semester! I went to Venezia for Carnevale and got to visit the islands of Murano and Burano. I visited Steph in Torino the same weekend that Mike was visiting her so I got to see another Italian city and see two great friends at the same time. I also got to revisit Pisa and take my touristy photo and see Joyce and Guido again in Montecatini. I went to Rome to have my own Lizzie McGurie adventure and I got to see Papa while I was there! But what makes me so happy about this semester is being able to fellowship with everyone from Church. Just last weekend, the weather was so beautiful and EVERYONE was able to come out to Cascine Park. It was so wonderful to be able to have a mini picnic and sing praises to Him. And the most amazing thing was being able to see how our worship to the Lord was immediately changing the atmosphere in the park. People kept looking our way to see what those "strange Americans" were doing and I know God will work wonders in all those who were there at the park that day. 

Last weekend, I had a mini breakdown. On Friday, my wallet was stolen again for the second time. This week was such a struggle to get through because I was running low on food and I had absolutely no money. Everyday was a test to my faith and trust in God. I was stripped bare of everything I had and the only thing I had left was my faith in Him. My wallet still hasn't been found but I believe that he will work another miracle for me. In the meantime, I only have more words of thanks to say to Him.

Enjoying the sun on the island of Murano with my roomie and Marie! 

Got to see these lovely peeps in Torino! 

Enjoying the night out and supporting DJ Simo!

On the Spanish Steps in Rome!

Enjoying a nice sunny day in Florence!

The Start of a New Semester

The day that I was most excited for and dreading finally arrived. Today, I got to move into my new apartment in Firenze. I was excited to finally have a place that I could call my own but I was so nervous about my new flatmates and having to go through the process of having to meet and make new friends. Last semester was a big realization to me of how introverted and shy I am. I do enjoy being sociable but I really need some time by myself to self-reflect and recharge for the next social event. Many of my friends at school only see the social side of me but that's because I could easily hide out in my room and take a day or two to refuel my energy levels. Last semester, there was no place or even any space where I could be alone. Sierra and Melody rarely ever left the apartment and there would be too many people that I would have to walk past around Florence to find a decent quiet space. I was overwhelmed and exhausted from having to force a smile on my face and make myself presentable to everyone else that I was meeting. I just could not deal with it anymore. So the very thought of having to move back into the city and start the whole process all over again, although exciting, made me very anxious and worried. Would my new roommates like me? What would they think of me? Blah blah blah.

My new roomie and I!

But God is so good. My new apartment is twice the size of my last one. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a loft, a couch that pulls out into a bed, a cute dining table, a cozy kitchen, and a little patio to have our dinners once the weather warms up. We also live on the other side of the river. It makes a huge difference what side of the river you live on. Last semester, as soon as I stepped out of my apartment complex, I would hear English, Chinese, Japanese, etc. but on this side of the river, I have only heard Italian being spoken. On top of that, my new roommates are the sweetest! All three are Americans. Two of them are from New York and the one I share the room with, Madeline, is from Iowa. And the best part is that Madeline is a Christian! Praise the Lord! All this time I have been praying for a friend/roommate who could go to church with me and God provided! I am actually looking forward to this semester! c: THANK YOU JESUS!

Meet Kayla

To be honest, after the semester ended its been very hard dealing with everyone returning back to the States and the idea of having to make new friends and undergo the whole awkward introduction phase again overwhelmed me. I was beginning to feel very lonely. I picked up traveling on my own because I wanted to break out of my shell (and leave the house) but it didn't help because my loneliness was coming from my empty relationship with God. I was spiritually empty and my soul was craving for the word of God but rather than seeking the Lord, I tried to satisfy my emptiness with materialistic things--shopping, watching movies, traveling, etc. When I came back from my self-traveling, I finally decided to fully surrender to the Lord and I told him my needs. I was lonely and in need of a good friend, someone who could keep me accountable with my relationship with Him and also be my good travel buddy.

Then comes Kayla. Kayla, as my mom puts it, is an angel that God sent to me from heaven. Just to give you a little background on Kayla: she studied abroad in Florence a year ago and after her program ended, she returned back to the States, finished and graduate from university, and had found a job. Basically her life was set. But one day, God told her to return back to Italy and after much contemplation and seeking the Lord, Kayla decided to quit her job, sell her car, and buy a one-way ticket to Italy. Isn't she crazy? Crazy for the Lord! Luckily for me, Kayla was going to stay with the same missionary couple, Joyce and Guido, that I was staying with! Praise the Lord! I got an accountability buddy and a travel buddy all in one! 

Within just minutes of talking with Kayla, I knew that we were going to have a great time adventuring around Italy together! Our first day in Montecatini, we went on an impromptu hike to Montecatini Alto and got to know each other better and talk about our past relationships and just delve into God's goodness. Even though I have only known Kayla for just a little over one week, I feel as if I have known her forever! She really is my sweet sister in Christ <3 

Brothers and sisters in Christ -- presso Viareggio.

My new friend Kayla -- presso Lucca

From L to R: me, Sara, Steven, and Kayla after a hard Zumba workout :P -- presso Montecatini

HO FINITO!

I am done with FINALS WEEK, packing, cleaning, and moving out of my apartment.

Sadly, I overslept and missed my train to the airport to begin my winter break adventures. I took the next train out, hoping that I'd still be able to make it to my flight but the heavy snow on the train tracks caused a slight delay and I missed my flight. Thank God for Michelle. She's letting me stay at her place in Milan until I flight out to Paris to begin my Winter Break adventures~! <3

This past semester has been an emotional roller-coaster ride. I've had the greatest of ups, the lowest of downs. But overall, I enjoyed every moment of it, or at least came to terms with accepting what happened. I had a rough start and ending with my roommates. The cultural differences made it really hard for me to understand them and for them to understand me but I think we ended on a positive note. I've made some amazing friends and I will never forget their friendships. I'm going to miss them so so so much! I can't imagine Florence without them... But cheers to the end of the semester and for the new adventure that lies ahead! c:

Budapest bound with Kayleen and Michelle~! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

God Provides

The past month in Firenze has been a whirlwind of emotions.  I've been on a soul-searching path to figure out who I am, what my purpose in life is, etc. etc.  Honestly speaking, I still haven't got the faintest clue as to why I'm even in Italy.  But one thing I can say for sure is that God Provides.
As much as I love the city of Firenze and all of its artistically beautiful artifacts on every corner, my roommate situation hasn't been the greatest.  Melody and Sierra are wonderful people but living with them, its been very difficult to branch out from the Korean clique that they've created.  On top of that, both of them tend to be less adventurous and much prefer to build up this barrier rather than trying to integrate or become more acclimated to the Italian culture.  So for the past month, I've been doing majority of my "getting-lost" adventures in Firenze on my own or with some of the friends I made in class every once in awhile.  But there's only so much you can do on your own before you get lonely.  And I've felt very lonely in Italy most of the time, maybe to the point where I've debated contacting my ex.  But like I said, God Provides.
During my time of hardship, God sent me so many signs to just accept the situation that I've been placed in and to just be grateful for what I have.  I mean, how many people get the opportunity to come to Italy?  I am most definitely living the life that would not have been possible without God's grace.  I feel so blessed to have found a church that openly welcomed me into their arms in the most Catholic country in the world.  The people that I've met and become friends with, are another reminder that God is always there for me.  Brittany, Diego, Stephen, Chapman, Abiola, Victoria...  I'm really excited to finally have Christian friends--people that I can talk to and be able to freely converse with them about my spiritual journey.  Especially now that I'm in Italy, I've been finding it very difficult to focus on the bigger picture of why God has brought me here and instead of getting caught up in what all the other American students are doing.  Praise the Lord~!

Some things are just meant to be...

Today, I was supposed to go to Cinque Terre, the one place on my Italy to-do bucket list that I've been itching to do.  But the night before the big day, I just wasn't feeling it.  Italy has brought out this inner free-spirited character that I never knew existed.  I guess the fast-paced and hectic lifestyle of America weighed down my inner flowy view of life.  It didn't help that Cinque Terre was on Sunday, also known as the only day that God asks me to devote some time to Him.  With all the blessings and greatness he's sent my way, I just had that gut feeling that I shouldn't go to Cinque Terre, but go to Church instead.  Most people will think I'm crazy that I threw the 40 euros that I paid for my Cinque Terre tour down the drain, just because I felt that Cinque Terre wasn't happening at the right time.  But gut feelings are gut feelings and they're usually right.  And I was totally right to go with my gut feelings today.  So much amazingness happened in Firenze.  I got to enjoy the beauty of street performers playing on their viola, bass, and guitar; marvel at the 50 years of alternative energy being celebrated in Firenze; run into my ITALIAN FAMIGLIA again!; and go on a random photo adventure through Fiesole.  So much amazingness!  Yes, I blew off 40 euros but there are some things that money can't buy.  What good is visiting Cinque Terre if you can't even hike the infamous five trails?!?  I can't help but be content with my decision to stay in Firenze today.  Some things are just meant to be...

Reunited with our Italian famiglia~!

Praise the Lord!!

Ciao!  I made it to Italia~!  Praise the Lord!!

Molto grazie to everyone (my poor attempt at using Italian) for making my last two weeks in America the most amazing time ever! <3 

Having photobooth fun with Tiresa (L) and Alyssah (R). 

To all the SAs and Ambos, orientation was choke fun, even though I was just a leftover go-for. c: 

To all my APhiO girlies <3
Christinee, Amit, Vanessa, Olivia, Karissa, and Fatima (clockwise from L)

I want to take the time here to specifically thank a couple people c:

Tiresa:  Girl you da bomb!  Thanks yeah for letting me stay with you!  I would have been homeless if it wasn't for you and that futon!  Nah nah...I'm really glad I got to spend so much of my last days with you!  Don't miss me too much yeah? hehe 

Alyssah, Yena, & Taylor:  I'm going to miss you girls so much!  Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to hang out with me! <3 

Melissa:  G-biggie :3 If it wasn't for you, I would've missed my flight o____o;;  Thanks for driving me to SFO and taking care of me!  We go do the dancing when you get to Europe~! <3