updates

                         It's been like forever! I missed the blank page, the unwritten words, the anticipation that tugged at me everytime I would be close to finishing one post. I've long been longing for that inspiration of some sort to flow right through me, and maybe push me to write even just one word, but it never came, instead I got preoccupied with the wrong things, at the wrong times. So much for being time wise.

                     In other news, I have a job! Yey! I was hired to write articles about the places I'm in, and have been to. It's actually my first, I've been writing all my life but I never get paid for the things I write. Now finally, not only do I get to do what I love, I also get paid doing it. It's not really something that huge, but it's big enough for me. Who would've thought that these random travels, and experiences would actually amount to something in the future? Not me-- never even thought of it in my dreams. God is just so good, always. And aside from the articles, I also get to contribute my own photos, plus I get to have credits for them. So yeah. That side of my life has been greener.

                       I have also been learning a lot from the Italian language! Thanks to Nessa and her mom, I've been attending the language class Nessa goes to-- her mom convinced me to go and paid for my enrollment, I couldn't refuse. Besides, I didn't have anything to do but stay in the house all day, and isolate myself. Grazie Zia Ana e Nessa! I've been learning how to make sentences, and I can understand the language more-- no more mouth-wide-open-staring-blankly episodes when people speak to me in Italian. Ha! Maybe if I get to stay until May, (hopefully, with fingers crossed) then I'd be able to actually speak Italian. We shall all wish for that, but for now, I will just have to enjoy the moment, and savor every minute of it.

                         Hmmm, what else? Oh yeah! I went to Verona and Venice! Yes, Verona and Venice! I just had to repeat it for lack of a better statement to follow the first one. And all that I can and will ever say is that IT WAS MAGICAL. Verona was fun, especially with the snow and all-- my first experience with snow and I had to wear non-snow boots, somebody slap me! Venice on the other hand, was, VENICE, straight out from the movies, in all it's romantic glory. When I first stepped out the train terminal, I just had to stop myself from "awwww-ing". But all those details will go to another post, because I can go on and on about how beautiful Verona and Venice was, but not this time, not on this post. Anyways, I wouldn't have been able to experience all of that, if not for a great friend Ate Jeyb, who went through all that trouble of convincing my inconvincible mom, and actually going out of her way to accompany me, thank you!

                           December has so far been so good to me. God put me in a church that is just starting to have their youth group, I have been offered to join in the ministry, and He placed me in the midst of people He knew I would need at this moment. I have been trying to survive lately, and by survive I mean literally survive. My mom's been planning to send me home-- by force. And honestly it has been driving me insane trying to argue with her on that because I simply do not want to leave just yet. I knew the moment I stepped foot in Rome that my mom was going to make me leave sooner, I just didn't know it'd be as soon as when I receive my permit to stay. Every other conversation we had, there would be moments where she would urge me to prepare myself because I would soon be leaving and it killed me everytime she would do that. I resorted to taking my own drastic measures-- I looked for a job-- just so I could fend for myself and not have my mom choking me in the throat just because I was her daughter. Yup, the rebel inside me was being raised to life again, but fortunately God found a way around it. What had been the result of my job hunt, was the church finding me, and offering me and my mom options just so I couldn't leave right away when the time comes, they wanted me to really enjoy my stay here so they offered me shelter. My mom and I haven't talked about it that much, but at least it's better now because I know I have options. See this is why I couldn't bring myself to write about anything. Glad I let that out of my chest now. God will forever be good. He is my best Christmas present.

                               Wishing you guys a wonderful, merry, christmas wherever you are! And oh, for a sneak peek here's a shot of the gondolas in Venice, hope you love it!

taken with a point-and-shoot