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Well, I am back from Europe. Our flight got in about 11:30 Tuesday night. I have to say, the jetlag has been a lot less severe this time than it was when I got to Europe. Not sure why... but it's good. It was kind of strange to come back after 4 weeks. You almost expect that life would just pause for ya while you were gone... but you get back and realize you've "lost" 4 weeks of your life here in the ol' USA. Of course, I gained a wonderful 4 weeks in Europe. I loved being with my sister and nephew and meeting my new little niece and going to some amazing places. It was a great 4 weeks.....

Here are a few thing I acquired while on my trip to Europe:

1)My first speeding ticket ever
Never been pulled over in all my 8 years of driving…Never had a speeding ticket…. That is, no speeding ticket until my recent trip to Switzerland. Luckily, I still have my record of never being pulled over. They just have the speed trap things that flash a picture of your license plate as you speed by, then they mail it to you. (or, in this case, they’ll mail it to my sister seeing as I was driving her car….)

2)A new niece

3)A new haircut
For the past 6 months I haven‘t had my personal hairdresser… my sister! Ever since she moved to Switzerland, I’ve had to go to random cheap places like Great Clips. I love having Megan cut my hair because I can just give her a general idea of what I want and then I trust her to do something fun, but something she knows I will like. So, I was excited to have her cut my hair while I was there.I definitely love the haircut she gave me!! Thanks Meg!
(Pictures to come….)

4)An increased ability to navigate
I was quite pleased with how well my mom and I got to and around Rome. I had to force myself to gain some sort of sense of direction otherwise we wouldn’t have seen much! I admit, there were a couple times we stared at a map for a while trying to figure out where the heck we were, but overall, we were very successful in our navigation. I was pretty much a pro at the metro by the end (might not sound too impressive, but if you have a sense of direction like the women in my mom's family (or lack thereof) then this is an accomplishment).

5)A deeper appreciation for Walmart
Now, in Switzerland, there was no Walmart. There were little grocery stores within walking distance of the house....more like little markets. Grocery store makes it sound too big. There were some regular sized grocery stores within driving distance. However, even at the large grocery stores, you can’t find a lot of the stuff you’re used to getting here in the states. And meat was very expensive… and half the meat, I couldn’t even identify! (Though I did see a picture of a horse on one package……). It was an adventure for sure. We still ate well of course. There are plenty of bratwurts, cheese, pastas, and more flavors of yogurt than I’ve ever imagined could exist. Oh, and of course, plenty of chocolate.

6)A greater desire to eat chocolate
Now, I realize this might make me an atypical female, but I usually am not a huge fan of chocolate. I mean, it’s not like I hate it or anything, I’d just rather have caramel or other stuff. However, while in Switzerland, I wanted to eat chocolate every day!

7)A greater appreciation for Utah drivers
Sure, people say that Utah drivers are horrible…. But anyone who says that has obviously never been to Rome!!!!! We had to ride a taxi from the train station to our hotel the first night because the metro was closed. I thought we were going to die for sure. I honestly had to close my eyes part of the time because I caught myself almost screaming a few times as we skimmed past other cars, walls, motorcycles with only inches between us and them. And it wasn’t just this taxi driver…. EVERYONE drives that way !!!! It reminded me of those video games where you are racing in a car through some city…. None of the cars are actually following any line or anything. Everyone is just cutting each other off, swerving in and out, slamming on brakes, taking quick corners……..

8) Deeper Awe at Roman Skills

Wow.... those Romans sure knew how to build some impressive architectural masterpieces. Now, I've mentioned before my love for old, historical buildings..... imagine Rome!!! Now THERE were some OLD buildings (well, mostly just remnants of buildings, but still amazing). It was so incredible to be able to see, first hand, all those things you've seen so many times in history books or whatever. To be standing right there..... amidst the ruins of ancient Roman civilization!!!! Holy cow.... it was amazing. Towering pillars that used to be out front of temples.... huge arches with intricate carvings on them.... remnants of palaces.....a colossal amphitheater where gladiators would fight to the death.... It was all seriously so.... soo...... I don't even know how to describe it. You just need to go there.....