Ciao

So I am updating Annie's blog while she's away...and I have some fabulous news: Annie is about 1/9th of the way done. Let me put this into perspective: if any of you have paid tithing, you have probably said, "Dang, that's a lot of money!"

Well, 1/9th is more than that. I know. Big news.

Annie is still fresh and fabulous, beautiful and blossoming, loving and laughing. And living. Here's proof (the following is a message to you from Annie herself):

1. Who ever thought I would get so excited to go to the gym? Especially on Friday nights. I literally scream with joy when we have a "TGIF" at the gym.
2. Doing laundry is my new yoga.
3. I love love love my companions! One is from Virginia and is 1/18 kids and the second is a graphic designer from Vancouver, WA.
4. I eat salads like every meal of every day to avoid random combustion from the varied chemical compositions of the food they serve at the MTC. Yeah, its a struggle to digest ANYTHING they serve.
5. I love being a missionary. It is exactly what I hoped for and even more!Baci a tutti!!! WRITE!

End of quote. Please direct any and all letters/packages to:

Milan Italy Mission
Box#162
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 North 900 East
Provo, UT 84604

And after April 21st:
Italy Milan Mission
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera MI
Italy

And direct all inquiries to katharinestevens@gmail.com

Arrivederci!

I may try to keep this updated (via my sister) while I serve in the Milan, Italy mission. But probably not. This poem describes how I feel as of late.

So Much Happiness
It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.
With sadness there is something to rub against,
A wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
Something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.

But happiness floats.
It doesn’t need you to hold it down.
It doesn’t need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,
And disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house
And now live over a quarry of noise and dust
Cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
It too could wake up filled with possibilities
Of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
And love even the floor which needs to be swept,
The soiled linens and scratched records….

Since there is no place large enough
To contain so much happiness,
You shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
Into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
For the moon, but continues to hold it, and to share it,
And in that way, be known.

~ Naomi Shihab Nye ~

One word to describe my evening? Epic

Atop of my to-do list for life hovers a simple, yet an elusive task: "go to a movie by yourself." Many people do this often while another crowd shirks at the thought of a solo trip to the theater. But, I have always thought it would symbolize a sense of independence; it would become a landmark for my confidence. Last Wednesday I went to
Australia at the Movies 10. After paying my 1.75 in quarters, I rushed into the theater and hurled myself into the hours of love, drama, horses, Hugh Jackman, (omg. oh my gosh.) and action. Please do not ask me for a thorough review of the film. My love for myself and my completion of my goal colored that 2+ hours with a deep shade of rose. Australia has a special place in my heart.

P.S. I would like to encourage anyone and everyone to check off of your life goals by just thinking, "Now is as good a time as any!"

WANTED

Kind, fashionable young ladies. Desire to look cute and care for cute clothes while I am gone. Let me know. I leave in 2 weeks!

PS- Read this image because it is bizarre.

5 Eventful Events

I can never resist a good, old-fashioned list.

1. The Mock Walk: Since I recently graduated with my BA from BYU without an official celebration or "walk," the Stevens/Lund family took matters into their own hands. Following a delicious Italian meal (including homemade pasta, foccacia, cannollis, etc.), the "President" began the exclusive graduation ceremony of the BYU class of 2008. The program included: inspirational stories of my fellow graduates, poems, my Valedictorian speech, quotes, and, of course, a feature speaker. OPRAH WINFREY flew in and gave a wonderful address about doing your best. As you can see from the image below, the crowd went wild! I was honored to receive my diploma from my favorite BYU President/triple PhDed scholar/talk show host/sister.

2. Sundance: Aside from seeing 50 cent and feeling like my soul hid in a corner as his eyes pierced through the crowd (seriously, I never thought I would feel fear with fiddy but he has murderer written all over him), my friends and I saw Adam Durritz, who sings/writes for the Counting Crows. Of course, I made a fool out of myself; I screamed and panted "Can we get a picture with you?" Embarassing. Other highlights included my sister and I attending the premier of Manure (possibly the weirdest movie ever) as well as the run-in with Tapanga from Boy Meets World (who actually looked surprisingly Latina).

3. My Piggy Bank: The day (today) finally arrived where I broke my bank. Slipping coins, bills, and--for some reason--jewelry (I thought I could pawn it off?) into the slot became a routine in my younger years. The bank says, "I hope they call me on a mission" and I picked it out at age 8/9. Now that my mission departure is 3 weeks away, I decide to unpack the little guy and hammer him in. $53.85. Yep. Mostly in pennies. And a couple of my tiny rings to sell for millions this next week. $53.85.

4. Adele: Can I just say that I adore Adele? I want to be her. And to make a fantastic concert even better, I met David Archuleta (he's tiny, friendly, and a fellow James Morrison/Adele enthusiast.).

5. The GRE PROCRASTINATION. It approaches (on Thursday) and as my vocabulary burgeons my desire to study enervates. I think I have failed my cursory attempts to reach an untenable goal: an epigrammatical and mathematical whiz. I HATE STANDARDIZED TESTS!

RIP

Purchased in November 2004. Died in December 2008. The Dell Inspiron 1150 served me during my college years. With the heaviest weight ever, the stupidest susceptibility to viruses, and the slowest rate of working in the universe, I gladly bid Dell farewell. "Rest in Peace. And thank you for dying at this most perfect time when I no longer need you." Dell died well. However, he took his memory and ugly harddrive with him. So--I take that back--he even failed at dying.

Who doesn't love Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

5 Reasons why I do:

1. It makes me feel smart. Martin Luther King Jr. and I share something in common: We went to the same university. I inflate myself with this fun fact when I feel unaccomplished.

2. No school or work/or half-day of work? Which doesn't really apply to me either way...oh well.

3. Tomorrow is the Presidental Inaguration! I love our new President and his call to service. I look forward to big changes and becoming part of history!

4. Every year I laugh at our family's attempt to celebrate the holiday. For instance, circa '98 my dear mother took us all to a "Celebration" of MLK Jr. at the University of Utah. Our little family's presence tripled the caucasian numbers and lowered the average age by 20 years. We sat there watching weird monologues and cried because we were bored to tears.

5. We can learn a lot from him.

"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control." Martin Luther King Jr.

Me "I will be a stylish, cute sister missionary" Everyone, "Is there even such a thing?"

Yes, there is. My new, all-consuming life's work is to prove that there is such a thing as a not-stuck-in-1997-Blanding, UT sister missionary. Because I will serve in Milan, Italy, I believe that this goal reigns high on the priority-list. One problem: I obsess over it. As in I have hit all of the post-Christmas sales with lightning speed. Now I stand knee-deep in my options for "4-6 conservative outfits" (WHO THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH? WHAT THE?)

Here are some of the things that I will definitely keep: brown riding boots, fun cardigans (i.e. a caramel ruffley one and one cobalt cardigan that I donned with vintage buttons), slim fit RL oxfords, a handmade grey jumper, and a cranberry cordorouy circle skirt. What else? I don't know! I guess I have one more month to streamline and perfect my wardrobe.

Miss Stevens

Yesterday I entered the world of substitute teaching. Since I only have a month of available work time before leaving on my mission, I decided to try it. And want to hear a tender mercy? I subbed at my alma-mater for a kindergarten class for a perfect 3.25 hours. Some highlights:

- The hilarious puppet shows that the students put on for one another.

- When this cute girl named Ruby (I love that name) raised her hand and said, "Miss Stevens, how do you spell 'a'?"

-Reading a story called Selfish Crocodile (or something like that); I asked "What does selfish mean?" The responses ranged from "Mad." to "When the person looks at theirself for a long long time."

-The snowmen that the kids tried to build with blocks for indoor recess (it was snowing too hard to go outside). 90% of the "snowmen" looked like piles of nothing.

- I said to a little boy "I used to go to Bonneville." He looked at me for a minute, "Are you 5?"

http://www.polyvore.com/red_apple_image_dianelion_on/thing?id=1946690

addicted

I know that traveling around Europe was a monumental gift. I realize that I will probably never get that chance again....and that ephemeral joy makes traveling all the more desirable. I am addicted. And my gateway drugs were moments like this:

The Dancing Uccelli

These photos give you a glimpse of the esthetic formations and efficacious flying techniques. Charming any visitor or resident of Rome, these little birds weave and then hover and then suddenly dart...like a mesmerizing dance they perform each sunset. The Dancing Uccelli, among many other things, made me fall in love with the evenings in Rome.

ETAP Hotels

I cherish those days and sleepless nights on Etap board beds. One of my fondest memories occurred in the Strasbourg Etap. Four friends and I decided to go cheap and stay in an ETAP outside the city. After getting directions from a supposedly "informed" bus driver, we catch a bus and a tram and walk for a while into the middle of NOWHERE (with heavey backpacks on our backs.) So we stop and get REAL directions. Then we have to catch a tram, a bus, and walk for a while into the middle of NOWHERE. Actually, it was Ostwald, France on the border of Germany. What a strange little ghost of a town. To make the memory all the more sweet and tender, I lost my wallet the next morning. Funny thing is when I look back at that wretched ETAP experience I just laugh. I love those moments of pure frustration when traveling.


Dutch Profiteroles


Mini-pancakes are great because I adore anything mini. But, even if they looked less cute, I would stand by my endorsement. I absolutely fell in love because of the gooey inside and perfectly crisp shell covered in melted butter (but not gross melted butter) with a light snow of powdered sugar. In Arnem I ordered one plate. But, I loved it so much that I immediately ordered a second. I just had to.

Emer


Although I never really mention the amazing people I met in Europe. I met quite a few gems. Our tour guide in Istanbul, Turkey was one such jewel. He took us into beautiful mosques, got us free apple tea (I LOVE APPLE TEA), loved the Utah Jazz, showed us the best restaurants, took us on an amazing boat tour of the Bosphorous, and told interesting stories about Turkey's past. He helped me to fall in love with Istanbul....it is such a magical city.


When I left Istanbul at 3:10 in the morning, I thought, "I love to travel." Then I sat down next to a tired but spry sixty-year-old man who started to strike up a conversation. Turns out he is a travel addict. As in "The only way to see Turkmenistan is by spending at least 1 month there." and "The first time I traveled around Europe for three years I rented a car. I would suggest you do that next time." or "If you go to Peru make sure that you have a man with you when you hike the blahblahblah." I suddenly realized, "I HAVE SO MANY PLACES TO GO!"


And then, when I got to the airport I saw a woman hula-hooping and watching CNN in German. In between quiet giggles, I knew then and there. I am addicted.

PS- I promise that this is the last post about Europe.

paralyzed in conclusions

I feel a nostalgia for the present...as it passes by me. And somehow time seems to twist all over itself like a boy's freshly-picked snowball of grass. I wonder, "How will the future untangle from this mess?" My fear of losing the present seeps into the future and hearkens back to preclusions set up by the past. Not living in the moment plagues me. Do you know what I mean? Of course you do. That feeling of time stopping but still speeding past you?

in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)

in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes

in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)

and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me

ee cummings

I find if I excavate a calcified memory and try to resurrect the whole--and by that I mean the feelings and the sensory specifics--of the episode, I begin to re-understand: Life comes at you fast. Neither you nor I have the time to waste by procrastinating conclusions. If only this realization translated to a cure for my paralysis. But it doesn't. The bottom line is that I only have 24 hours left in Europe. I do not know how to consolidate everything, everywhere, and everyone with a whole "me" in my right-now life. So, I become yet another victim of time, which, ironically, always stands the test of time as a universal ailment amidst the human family.

Au Revoir et Buongiorno

(Me on my last night of Paris. Climbing the tower in the COLD at 11 pm)

Leaving Paris hurt. I won't pretend that it qualifies as a legitimate trial in my life; but, I felt sad to leave. I truly think it is the most beautiful city in the world. (On Thanksgiving at the Colosseum)

Arriving in Italy and then traveling to Greece helped to heal the wound. I enjoyed a huge cone of gelato for Thanksgiving. Warm air and delicious food makes anyone content. For instance I healed my Paris aches by going to the Aegean sea today. I ate oranges and bananas together. (TRY IT) When a bite of perfectly-ripe banana marries a sliver of Greek clementine they taste like Aphrodite's fruit...especially when eaten with the smell of the sea.


Still, I must say that I will have an eternal nostalgia for my baguette-a-day days in Paris. Paris won my heart.

Christmas Villages

So this week I went to Colmar, Strasbourg, and Freidburg. All of which are magical German/Alsatian Christmas towns!

Colmar at night

Freidburg Christmas

PS- I know this post is lame...I just don't have time to write much! Must enjoy my last moments in Paris!

Better than a zoo....

Deyrolle is a must in Paris. I went there last week and then the Times read my mind by featuring the magical store (I love it when that happens).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/arts/design/15taxi.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

FLASHBACK: Dubrovinik, Croatia

Picture of me on Dubrovinik's cool city wall

Hands down, one of my favorite places in all of Europe is the Dalmation Coast. I truly loved Croatia. It is cheap, beautiful, and fun. Picture a rougher version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: rocky hills covered with quaint white houses, handsome men, and pure cerulean water charmed me within first moments of my arrival.

There are many opportunities to jump off of cliffs with the sun set in the background.

As winter fast approaches, I daydream about returning to the beaches; well, the sand feels "like powder" as our hostess told us on a daily basis. For any free-spirited travelers.....just in case you feel so inclined: the Croatians fully embrace nudity on their beaches.

The night of terror/hilarity/wearing everything I own

The disembarkation from Croatia really stands out as one of the funniest moments in my recent history. I will not go into prolific details of the evening, which included Katharine and my reenactment of the peasants on the Titanic and the old Croatian ladies cat-fighting over a seat. Needless to say, we were frozen and craffing and sad to leave the coasts of Croatia. Mark my words: Croatia, my love, I will return.