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Life is busy as ever but this term is going well.  I very much enjoy all of my classes at Sac City, and my professors are awesome!  Work is going well too, just crazy.  Without fail, Fridays tend to be the most interesting day for that is when we see more behavioral referrals, more strange things, crazy events and other random stuff occur.  It keeps us on our toes though!

Take today as an example.  I was on my way to work this morning and my car started acting really really funny about 4 blocks away from home.  It was idling rough and was sluggish to accelerate.  So naturally I took time to investigate and see what is going on.  Why you ask?  Because I have to be able to drive my car to Utah next Thursday for the Italy Mission reunion and then to see friends/family in Utah, Idaho and down in Southern California.  To make a long story short I was nearly 3 hours late to work, but my car seems to be running alright.

Other than those few things, life is fairly normal.  We’re coming up on my 1 year annaversary of returning home from my mission (April 9th was my release date, and I got home on April 16th or so).  It doesn’t feel like it has been a year already, but when I stop to think about it, I realize exactly where time has gone.

Until next update…

CS

Alright, so in light of the fact that yesterday was Valentines Day.. I figured I would post something.    I begin with an excerpt from my journal exactly one year ago.  At that time I was serving in the city of Pescara, Italy; which is located over on the eastern coast of the country that I love dearly.

Happy Valentines Day?  Those words mean next to nothing to me since I’ve still got a tag on!  Next year, however, there will be a valentine…

Happy Singles Awareness Day!

Those were my words, verbatim.  However, I do not have a valentine this year and so my words, penned by a hopeful heart, go unanswered.

As I was explaining to my Elders Quorum today, the closest thing I did to being romantic was that I spent an hour and half or more pruning roses in the garden.  The roses “kissed” me with their thorns, and left their red lipstick (read my blood), on my hand. (continue reading…)

I was so happy to hear the new of a temple to be built in Rome.  I was sitting on the couch watching conference with Christiana, Justin, and a few of their friends.  We were making waffles and listening to the first session of conference.  President Monson starts to announce the new temples and a thought crosses my mind… could Italy be so fortunate?  Finally at the end of the list, he said it.  My hands shot into the air, and then a wave of emotion came over me.  Italy will have a Temple of it’s own.  Missionaries have worked so hard to help the members prepare themselves for a temple.  That work has finally paid off.  Tears came to my eyes as I realized what it all meant.  I still get tears as I write this post.  Here is the official news article released by the church… (continue reading…)

I begin by quoting Robert Frost and his poem “The Road Not Taken” with explanation of how it applies after each set of lines.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

The two roads were: life as it were (Good Job, School, Friends, a life by me considered “perfect”) and missionary service. I knew I should go on a mission, and wanted to, but did not want to leave this world I had created around me for I was happy.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

The first path (normal life) was clear and easy to see down to where there was a bend. I knew what I had, and what I could do. The greener path (Mission) was covered with grass and not really often traveled, nor could I see far ahead as to what I would encounter

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

Two good things lay before me on that morning before the rest of my life. In the end I kept the first for another day, because that is what I felt was right. I didn’t know if I could pass the same point again, with the same opportunities for work etc. It is a risk that one does take.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Now I am sighing because time has passed. Those two roads diverged in the wood of my adolescence and I chose the road less traveled. And it HAS made all the difference. (continue reading…)

Oh goodness…. What do I say about the last week. It has finally hit me that this experience is coming to a close. My time is limited. I’ve held it out of my mind for the most part as best as I could but the calendar doesn’t lie! I’m going to miss Italy! It hit me hard as we were coming back from the Ward Activity on Monday. We were driving on the highway and as we came out of a series of tunnels the road turns to face the sea as we descend from the hills. Beautiful view!! Is cheesy as it sounds… I can see myself in tears as the plane takes off from Rome in a few weeks, knowing that it could be a while before I return. From this point forward I prepare to leave, start saying goodbye to people and planning my time carefully so I can accomplish the most possible. It seems so long at the beginning, but oh so short from where I stand now.

Easter was great. A family we know (not members) invited us over to join them and their extended family. They live just down the street from us and have known the missionaries for a while. We had an 8 course meal, tons of good food and I think I threw out my back because I ate too much. It was so Italian… that is the only word that comes to mind. I loved it! (continue reading…)