Milan - Venice : Honeymoon Part 2!

  After leaving lake Como we made a quick stop in Milan before taking a train to Venice. Milan is such a beautiful and creative city! We made a quick stop at the famous cathedral Duomo, one of the largest and most elaborate cathedrals in all of Europe. While standing in line, a nice woman came up and gave us two free tickets for entry-WHOA! Honeymoon blessings!? Chris and I decided to pay it forward when we encounter young couples in the future because many tourists went out of their way to be kind to us. I love being reminded of how surprisingly giving and selfless strangers can be; it makes me proud of humanity and inspires me to be better!

  Husband was very excited to soak in the gargantuan cathedral because it was very different from anything he had seen before. I love his sense of wonder.

  Being on this trip has helped us learn so much about each other. We worked through sleepy, late train rides, funny fumbles of traveling and grew in love and understanding.

Let me share some sweet things I learned about husband during this part of our trip:

1. He takes my bag and carries it down multiple flights of stairs even when I persistently say that I can do it. He thinks I shouldn’t have to carry it because I have little T-rex arms ;) bless him.

2. He wakes me up with kisses every morning and tells me I’m beautiful…and every time I feel warm bubbles spread from my heart all the way to my toes.

3. He loves CHEESE. The really soft and SMELLY kind?! ..And he will always try to kiss me after eating it. ..ehh.. it’s worth it right?

4. He is more on top of my Diet Coke needs than I am… and as embarrassing as that is it’s sort of darling.

5. He loves to nap! And sometimes when I want to talk together and watch movies together and press noses to the train window together… I need to let him sleep. Because that makes him feel loved.

I can’t wait to learn more about him - he is my favorite person and is always interesting to me! It’s sweet to overcome little bumps and misunderstandings together and realize that we are creating something new and beautiful between us.

Venice was incredible. It feels like an antique city that has been preserved through the years; no signs of McDonalds or Starbucks to be found! It is very old.. and it still has a magical Middle-Ages feel. When husband and I stepped off the train and walked out to the Grand Canal, our jaws dropped. We knew that there were waterways in Venice… we didn’t know almost ALL the streets of Venice were waterways! There were no cars and no bicycles. The streets were narrow and shadowed. The black gondolas glided effortlessly through the wet intersections and winding canals. It was beautiful and mysterious. We stayed near the train station and walked all over the city. It is a small city but easy to get lost in. Venice is a labyrinth of back alleys and bridges. Luckily, husband had his iPhone 3G working so we consulted googlemaps about every 30 seconds as we navigated in the city.

  Our favorite sites in Venice were Doge’s palace (where the former governments and Dukes of Venice resided) because of the GORGEOUS gold work and the unbelievable scale of the rooms; and St. Mark’s Church. Chris especially loved St. Mark’s because of the intricate stone work in the floors. There were many patterns and many different shades of marble fitted perfectly together. Each floor square was a masterpiece!

We did not take a gondola ride (It is 80 EURO = almost 100 US DOLLARS) for one ride, so we opted for a gondola ferry across the river for about $3.00 each. We highly recommend it -so worth it!

So far, our adventures have been amazing. We are in food heaven, soaking in sites and wonders and sneaking in many more kisses than our fellow tourists are probably comfortable with!

 

We can’t wait for our next stop… it’s going to be epic!

* On Sunday we made an an hour and a half long trek to attend church in Padova. We made the decision to spend $50 and use almost our entire Sunday to get there. It was such a sweet wonderful experience, we made many new friends and had a great talk with the young missionaries there. Also, the members let us join their huge potluck lunch which was so delicious! It felt comfortable and safe among the members. I love them. I love the church members wherever I go - I feel as if I always have family and friends to greet me when I make it to church. Church is important and brings blessings.

Foto d'Italia!

  

Lake Como - Honeymoon Part 1

After a few, fantastic, fun-filled days with husband in Rome, we headed off on a train to northern Italy. We had heard magical things about a small place called Lake Como and were excited for a relaxed stay in such a naturally beautiful environment.

We took a speed train through the lush Italian countryside, alternating from excitedly pressing our noses to the window to napping on each other's shoulders. As we finally approached the lake, sunset broke over the green mountains, the sky awash in hues of gold, pink, orange and soft blue.

Small clusters of Tuscan colored homes were nestled in the countryside. The hills turned into majestic mountains with open, sheer white cliffs and jagged peaks that jutted upward to the colorful sky. For a long stretch of minutes, Chris and I stood huddled together and just watched the view pass by with complete wonder on our faces. It was one of the most beautiful things we had ever seen.

  When we pulled into our lake town, Lecco, our host and his wife were waiting for us with a car. They packed our bags in and began driving toward the water front. Chris and I began to breathe gasps of amazement. The lake was nestled between  huge mountains and cliffs on every side, brightly lit piazzas and pink villas sprawled along its shimmering banks. Tree lined walkways and lampposts illuminated the picturesque shore like a fairytale scene. This... Was a paradise.

  Over the next few days we awoke early and used our host couple's bikes to bike to a breakfast of thick hot chocolate and croissants, we kayaked together in the heart of the lake, and took walks - while eating gelato- on the beautiful shoreline. It was one of the most magical times of my life.

 I'll never forget kayaking in the crystal clear water as sailboats floated by in the distance. Chris and I sat back and reclined together on our kayak, twirling slowly in the current under the massive shadow of the white, verdant cliffs. The experience brushed me with a sense of the majesty of the world, of the incredible calm that can permeate every chamber of our hearts if we allow it... It we permit ourselves the time to see and feel what wonders truly exist around us.

Lake Como, you will be dear to us forever. Until next time...

Marriage.

I'm writing this from a speed train in Italy, more happy and content than I have ever been in my life. Honeymoon, we are off to an incredible start!!

 I'll write more about my adventures with (husband!) later, but for now I want to put down a few thoughts about our very, very special wedding  day and some of the sweet, small moments we experienced.

  The night before our wedding my little sister julia and I stayed in a hotel near temple square. We laughed and chatted and had some great, girly bonding time. I was grateful for that because my time with her is limited these days. She lives far away and is suddenly oh-so- grown up! Sisters are important. Later that night, we both fell asleep, but I woke up frequently, my head spinning with electric excitement. At about 3am, I finally rolled out of bed, took a hot shower and decided to go on a walk. Temple square was exquisitely silent at 4am. The light posts speckled across the dark skyline and the water at the fountain was gently rustled by the wind. It was a rich and quiet moment. I took a picture of the lit up salt lake temple on my phone and sent it to Chris. I hoped he would wake up to the photo and feel excited! However, he surprised me by answering back immediately "are you on a walk?". Within minutes, a wide-eyed Chris was bounding up the sidewalk toward me... At 4:30 in the morning. We hugged and talked.. shared a moment with the night. We played a song on my phone and practiced slow dancing for our reception that night. It was beautiful.

  The rest of the morning was a blur. Getting ready, shoveling down 3 bites of eggs, walking to the temple, preparing for our marriage... The experiences all sifted through my scattered brain like sand. There is something surreal about these epic moments of our lives- something that toys with our imagination and gives us a sense that what we are experiencing can't be real, is too big for our minds to wrap around and package up. It is a sense of the extraordinary!

 While waiting for our sealing, Chris and I sat together and stared at each other. I had been a little nervous in the morning, but sitting there with Chris brought peaceful sweet feelings that muffled all the worried butterflies in my stomach.

 Finally, they came to get us. My uncle walked down a bright hallway with cream carpet to meet us, his white suit pressed and eyes sparkling with kindness. And then.. We went in together. When Chris and I walked through the door, a strong emotion crashed over us both like a curtain of water. It was the most beautiful and powerful thing I have ever felt in my life. I knew I was in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I knew a new level of happiness that I had never experienced before and would never forget.

 Some tender experiences of life are more grand and spectacular than we could ever understand.

  .... Many minutes later, Chris and I waited together before walking out to meet family and friends. He was beaming- I had never seen him so happy. I felt butterflies whenever I saw the gold band wrapped around his finger. How can I love that ring so much?!!! (Days later, I am still commenting on it). There is something so treasured and special and thrilling about the knowledge that we are together- that his ring represents me, represents us!!

Here are a few photos of the first few days of our honeymoon in Italy!

 

Living In Love

   Last night, I was cuddled until I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was warm and safe, with long, comfortable arms wrapped around me snugly. And I realized, -as I do every beautiful, honeyed, glorious day of my current life -that love is far more splendid than I ever believed it could be.

     I don’t know how to articulate everything I’ve been feeling and experiencing these past few months because it seems so beyond any ability to adequately describe. My life has been a wash of wonderful, with sweet notes left on my car and warm goodnight kisses pressed against my forehead. How do you convey a sense of consistent, complete calm, a safety and security that binds your heart and emotions in a steadying, intangible hug of unconditional love and understanding? How do you share so many winks, giggles and stressed tears with someone and not feel your heart wrap around him and be cradled in his loving care. How do you respond when you have that oh-so-intimidating feeling of being stared at and you look up only to realize your -almost husband- has been admiring you for minutes with the sweetest one-sided smile.

    

  I think I’m in love.

   And it is SO much better than anyone told me it would be.

But I’m also finding.. as wedding planning, school, work, grad school applications, etc.  continue at full speed ahead… that parts of life are exhausting, and love is so much more important than cuddling and kisses on the forehead. It is the buttress that carries one through the good, the bad and the ugly;  the lifeline when exhaustion, sickness or sadness linger for a time. Love is strength in addition to happiness, and when it is sincere…it can be boundless.

    These days, we have been sleepy, stretched to our limits, a little stressed (that 499th million invitation is still not addressed!), snacking on leftover takeout and taking every available opportunity to each something with sugar in it… wedding diet, you were fun for a day or so!

   As tuckered out as we feel… living in love is pretty wonderful… and it’s going to be a much bigger adventure than we ever dreamed it could be.