Being Reminded.

While I was still in Florence I journaled a few pages of things that I don't want to ever forget.

Mostly small things.

Rereading them, even now, after less than 3 weeks of being back, made my ears tear up, and filled my heart with joy. I am so thankful for the daily life I had in Italy.

Everyone keeps asking me how it's been to be back.

They ask if it's hard.

To be honest, it has not been hard.

And I see that as a complete blessing.

Adjusting to living in Italy was not difficult for me for many reasons.

First and foremost, I had an incredible community, from the very first days when I met Kate and Cara.

Community was what I knew I was going to miss the most if anything while being abroad, and God provided it for me, so I was never lonely.

It was also easier to adjust to living in Italy because I love exploring, 

and I had the opportunity to explore incredible places 

all over Europe every day with other people who shared that same passion.

Adjusting back to living in the States has not been hard because I came off of getting to travel with my family and spend quality time with them.

I'm back in Pullman where my second family is.

I kept up with relationships while I was abroad so I don't feel an overwhelming sense of needing to play catch up with people.

I'm sure in the next few weeks there will be things that make me miss Italy, and it won't be necessarily as easy as it is now.

The ring of a bike bell, seeing flowers on window sills, being passed by a Fiat.

But I think, and I'm hoping, that those things will just remind me of what an incredible time I had, and how blessed I am.

I'm hoping those things will help me to not forget.

I will see them as God reminding me.

And I'm thankful for that.

"Today I am back on American soil. I feel so unbelievably blessed with the people God has put in my life, and the places he has taken me these last 5 months in Europe. He gave me the fantastic ISA staff to take care of me, wonderful roommates, a home church in Florence, an English bible study, adventurous and hilarious friends, connections to an Italian family that felt like my own, a summer staff friend living down the street, the Wilbanks to take me in for a week when I was homeless, a taste of 9 different countries (literally), wonderful airbnb hosts during my time in Spain, Portugal, and Ireland, time with the Laureanos in England, the experience of meeting distant relatives in England and Germany, and being able to travel the last few weeks with my best friends (mom, dad, and sis). God blew every expectation I had, and I am so very thankful."

Adjusting Being Back.

I stayed with family friends for a day before my family got back from Rome. It was funny what was throwing me off, and what I started getting excited about. 

I went to look for the flush on the toilet and couldn't figure it out right away.
Hidden on the side. What is that?

I went to plug in my phone (p.s. it's weird having a phone that people expect me to look at more than once a day) and was startled that for the first time in 5 months I didn't need an adapter.

Cathy asked me what I wanted for lunch,
I asked her if she had ice cubes. And if I could have water. 
I saw her open a drawer and saw the corner of a Fritos bag.
I asked if I could have those, and she let me finish the bag.
I asked if she had peanut butter, she said of course. 
She made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
These may seem like very standard items, but my face was filled with an excitement you would compare to a kid being told they're going to Disneyland.
Water with ice.
Fritos.
PBJ.
I've always been pretty easy to please, but now it's just ridiculous.

Back in Tri-Cities, the entertaining/confused Laurel continued.

We could start with my first trip out in public. At Best Buy I tried to pay the cashier with euros, asked her if she needed my zip code in front of my phone number (area code #notthesame), and said "Ciao" to the greeter as I left.

I can finally understand what people are saying around me. That was a strange realization.

I still find myself constantly making sure my bag is zipped up, putting a leg through the strap when it's on the floor, and never leaving it somewhere even if it's for 5 minutes. I never had a bad theft experience while I was abroad, but those habits have followed me back to the states and I feel like a paranoid freak.

I don't know how to write the date anymore. In Europe it's day/month/year, and over here it's month/day/year. Now I just write the whole thing out in frustration. July Seventeenth Two Thousand and Thirteen #justkidding #butseriously #ihaveissues

What has been nice: 

Not converting euros to dollars in my head, 

Not calculating a 9 hour time difference, 

Water is free at restaurants,

Public bathrooms are free,

Having a microwave (Boiling a pot of water and putting a skillet 

with leftovers on top never seemed to do the trick),

measuring utensils (I am the queen of estimation now, however),

coffee creamer (I do like my coffee stronger now though because of Europe),
and countless other things.
All small.