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Dear Blogger,

OK SERIOUSLY you guys, I've paid my dues... I also paide the $5 you require for me to purchase more space. Now WHY aren't you letting me blog? it's been 3 days since you said I should wait 24 hours.

I'm in ROME and I want to save my memories. Pleeeease...

Sincerely Sara

COME ON

Alright so who has expeirenced the whole "you have used enough space, click here to purchase more"?

I'm not going to purchase new space...if anyone has a way around this let me know, I can't have a blog with NO photos! I'll have to make a brand new one...

Eternal City and Me

After 2 cancelled flights and 3 nights sleeping in the airport, I'm finally in my new home.

I haven't seen anything except the ride on the way from the airport to my house, which is like 20 minutes away. BUT from there to here I've already had some Italian joy:

1. a group of nuns

2. smart cars speed racing through the parking lot

3. fancy spagetti for dinner

4. nutella in the cupboard

5. there is a urinal in my bathroom

I'm so excited to go exploring tomorrow...not so excited to unpack...

We Are The World

My sister posted this on her facebook. I watched it and think it's something that needs to be shared. Take just a little bit out of your day to watch this video, and join the chorus by sharing. 

It was made specifically for Haiti but I think we can all agree that it's a reminder for us to join together every day.

help spasiba

Bad news. This is what happens everytime I try to upload a picture to facebook now. It seems to happen on the second one though. Anyone experiencing the same problem? I would really appreciate a free fix without having to start a whole new blog...

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Let it snow Poland style

Everyone else went to visit Poland earlier, I'm glad I went when I did because it was so beautiful in the snow! The Christmas spirit was EVERYWHERE and I needed it. Kiev doesn't celebrate Christmas until January 7 so they don't start decorating the city til around December 25. WHEN WE ARE GONE! It's a sad thing...

So we got lucky to experience the Christmas spirit in the little town of Krakow, Poland this last weekend. I loved it there!!! Yes, Dusty, you were right.

PS This is my 400th post...400 post in a year...wow
PPS I'm so sad I missed my blogaversary...it was on Dec 9th

for ever let this place be a cry of dispair

This is a hard post for me...but it's something I feel is important to share. There are people out there that honestly believe that the holocaust and death camps are fiction. With the horrible proof that we have and the ache and pain you can feel on the grounds of Auschwitz, there is no denying it.

Here is the entrance to the Auschwitz I Death Camp. The sign over the entrance says Arbeit Macht Frei means "work will set make you free".  Our tour guide told us that it was being repaired, after a little bit of reaserch I discovered that the sign was stollen almost a year ago to date. The theft accured in the night between last December 17th and 18th and the 3 men were caught on video tape. "Acting on tips, police tracked down the cut-up sign in a snow-covered forest near the thieves' home on the other side of Poland, less than three days after it was stolen." Authorities said that these Polish men were working on commission for someone else. It just makes me sick.

More to come...

a little in-flight humor

We took a quick Wizz Air flight to Poland this weekend

I've got mixed feelings about flying, sometimes I wish we could just have a bed instead of seats like those, but after I found a little in-flight humor I think I can enjoy it a little bit more:

1.From a Southwest Airlines employee... "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seat belt insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt and if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with two small children, decide now which one you love more. Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but they'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."

2."There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane..."

3. "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation, and in the event of an emergency water landing, please take them with our compliments."


4."We do feature a smoking section on this flight; if you must smoke, contact a member of the flight crew and we will escort you to the wing of the airplane."


5."Smoking in the lavatories is prohibited. Any person caught smoking in the lavatories will be asked to leave the plane immediately."


6.Pilot -"Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land... it's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the performance and speed of the airplane."


7."This aircraft is equipped with a video surveillance system that monitors the cabin during taxiing. Any passengers not remaining in their seats until the aircraft comes to a full and complete stop at the gate will be strip-searched as they leave the aircraft."


8. "We've reached our cruising altitude now, and I'm turning off the seat belt sign. I'm switching to autopilot, too, so I can come back there and visit with all of you for the rest of the flight."


9. "Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children or adults acting like children." 


10. "As you exit the plane, please make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses." "Last one off the plane must clean it."


11. From the pilot during his welcome message: "We are pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry .........unfortunately none of them are on this flight!"


12. "We're sorry for the delay. The machine that normally rips the handles off your luggage is broken, so we're having to do it by hand. We should be finished and on our way shortly."

(photos by me)

MIRACLE

Today someone stole my passport. 

Today someone was watching over me.

I am home safe with my passport.

This morning Em and I took a little trip to pick up our Christmas packages that had arrived from home. We headed back by metro, I took out my metro card, swipped it, then put it back in my pocket, inside my passport holder.

We climbed in the packed metro, no wiggle space whatsoever. Of course Emilie was laughing, I'm distracted and don't notice that someone decided to take whatever might be in my pocket. Unfortunately we needed our passports to pick up our packages, and I didn't notice it was missing til we crossed over to a new line and got to the bottom of the escalator.

(kiev)

I felt in my pockets and there was no passport. Emilie ran up to search for it, retraced our steps and a couple minutes later came back empty handed. Realizing we wouldn't be able to go to Poland tonight is where the real panic started. Let alone Italy in a week and 3 days! That's when we prayed.

Next I went up while Emilie watched our packages, I tried asking a cleaning lady if she had see a passport, she didn't understand. I watched everyones hands as they passed by, maybe it had fallen out of my pocket and someone picked it up. After no luck I headed back to Emilie.

We decided to go home and start from there. I felt I needed to go back up one more time to search so Emilie waited for me again. This time I asked a police man, who was very rude by the way, but didn't find anything. I searched the tracks where we had gotten off, but there was nothing.

I gave up on finding it there and we went to wait for our train home. The lights came down through the tunnel and we picked up our bags to board. But the train passed us by. I know it happens, but it's never happened to us. As the train went by I looked down on the tracks and there it is. My passport holder is laying open, down on the tracks. I can see my things in there, including the actual passport. Of course I am histerical and a nice old man found a police man to help us out.

My metro pass was the only thing missing, it seems that the person who took it found everything else of no use and threw it down on the tracks. We were guided to the right place at the right time and will be leaving for Poland tonight, as scheduled!

LeTTer TiMe

Dear Brittany,
it breaks my heart to have to tell you that no, santa is not real. no, dolphins are not gay sharks. No, Dr. Pepper is not a dentist, and I'm willing to bet money that your cat isn't reading your diary...you are my favorite!

Dear Woman of Kiev,

I wonder if it's a genetic thing that you are able to walk in such thin but ridiculously tall heels. It seems like every female I see is trying to break some kind of record. I partly wish I was exaggerating, but I'm really really not.

Dear Jenya,
your a freaking rock STAR, it's hilarious. who knew when we moved here we would be meeting so many famous people just cuz of your "music"...I wish I could upload my video of you and your electric guitar. Alas, it will not work.

Dear Brown Water,
i'd like to thank you for at least being clear when you are scolding hot...just a slight problem though, it's hard to brush my teeth that way. I warned Emilie not to do 3 WHOLE entire loads of laundry in one day. HELLO, we are in UKRAINE.

Dear Christmas Season,
I'll always love you. Forever and ever and ever and ever.

Dear Roshen Chocolate Bars and Ice Cream Sandwiches,
This is really hard for me to do, but I've got to be honest.  It's time to say goodbye. You've been the biggest comfort in this time of culture shock but if I don't give you up now I'm going to end up with diabetes. You understand?

Dear CDM,

you're rocking my world right now trying to read in my voice.

Dear Rome,
1 weeks and 4 days!!!

her heart grew 3 sizes

ok who watches Glee??? and who seriously loves Brittany more than ever right now? I loved this last episode, who thought of the genious idea to make Sue the grinch? fabulous!

ps how the heck are Schuester and Pillsbury going to end up together now? we all know it's going to happen...

goodbye karavan

Tonight we went to say goodbye to our favorite mall.  Connected to the mall is a huge grocery store where you find the cheapest of everything. So we got the things we want to send to our families for christmas...I would tell you what I got but then they will see sooo...but I will say I through in some Lions because those candy bars are the best things I've ever stuffed my face with!

Anyway we ate some delicious things ... I got Italian and Em got some Ukrainian food...I know I should have done this too but seriously, I'm not the biggest fan.

(pasta and pizza)

(cabbage wraps and ... meat/rice something...)

Worth While

It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is one who will smile,
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always comes with the years,
And the smile that is worth the praises of earth
Is the smile that shines through tears. 

It is easy enough to be prudent,
When nothing tempts you to stray,
When without or within no voice of sin
Is luring your soul away;
But it's only a negative virtue
Until it is tried by fire,
And the life that is worth the honor of earth
Is the one that resists desire. 

By the cynic, the sad, the fallen,
Who had no strength for the strife,
The world's highway is cumbered to-day;
They make up the sum of life.
But the virtue that conquers passion,
And the sorrow that hides in a smile,
It is these that are worth the homage on earth
For we find them but once in a while.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 

Thanks Michelle

black out

Well it's safe to say we have reached freezing point, that's for sure. There is black ice covering this city and I can not-so-safely say I have or will find it all before these last 2 and a half weeks are over.

Yesterday we were walking to school and I found such a spot of deceit. All I remember is Emilie laughing and then some confusion of where the heck I was. Yes, Emilie took a picture before realizing the ice had knocked me out:

Good thing I can't stop laughing or I might be embarrased! 

Aside from the stupid hidden ice, the snow is gorgeous and so much fun to see the parents dragging their kiddies on a sled instead of pushing them in strollers. So cute to pass the school everyday and see the kids out having snow ball fights. These are the things you miss when you have a car! 

It's so fun to bundle up like crazy every day, sometimes unbelieveable how much we actually wear, but we keep warm!! Here is a group of us who went to see The Nutcracker last night, outside the opera house. I couldn't even find me for a second!

(Becky, Bre, Em, Kenzie, Tara, Me, Michelle)

sUgAr pLuM fAiRiEs

It's the holiday's in Kiev, of COURSE we have to go see The Nutcracker ballet! Almost all of our teachers were able to go and sit right next to each other. We were on the very top this time, but right in the middle. It was so good...even though they left out some great characters, I really enjoyed it more than I have the other times I've seen this one. Also I love the name Clara!

I'm just so excited for this Christmas season!

RESOLUTE

It's getting to be that time again...and I don't know why I love making new years resolutions. I used to hate it when they made us do it in school or church...I just threw the paper away once I got home. 


But the last few years I've actually tried to accomplish my goals...and you know what? It's the best feeling ever! What's the trick? -set smaller goals to accomplish the bigger ones, check up on yourself-month to month. If you really care, then it really works. 


#1 on my list last year?? Get myself to Europe!!! What do you know... :) Such a fabulous feeling accomplishing goals.

Salzburg, Austria

So it's time to start mapping out my goals for this next coming year. It will be different this time, I'll be living in Italy for all of 2011. That's no reason I can't find ways to better myself and become stronger! 

2011 Goal #1: Learn the Italian language!!! With free lessons and constant practice there is NO excuse. It will be done :)

What is one of your New Year's Resolutions?