Great Memories Never Leave You

Buona sera,

I got back from being in Italy for November and December of 2012 on December 31st at 7:30pm. Just in time to celebrate New Year's with my family and a couple friends. If it had been up to me I would have stayed in Italy for New Year's Eve.

I arrived in Italy on November 1st. My Nonno (grandpa) and Zio Donato (uncle) came to get me from the airport. From that day forward I had the best trip I could ever ask for. To make a long story (2 months) short I will plainly list off the places I visited and the people I met.

I got to visit the cemetery with my Nonno to see his parents, the parents of my Nonna, and other relatives. It was a great experience to share with my grandfather... to hear him explain who they were and what they were like. I felt like I knew them for myself! It's safe to say that it was a spiritual experience for me.
I went to Acqui Terme with my grandparents. To see the boiling hot water (with the nasty rotten egg smell) and to visit some friends of theirs. It's great to see older people talk with their friends. They have this tenderness and sweetness in their faces and countenances. It's adorable :) We bought Buone e Brutte cookies. I can explain them in one word: YUMMY. But my Nonna would get mad at Nonno for eating them because he has diabetes. He would respond with "Noooo, I'm fine!!" Hahaha :)
It was great visiting Torino (Turin) with my grandparents. We went to the Mole Antonelliana, the National Automobile Museum, and to the opera "Carmen". Great stuff man! Great view of the whole city of Torino from the top of the Mole Antonelliana. You get to learn of the history of cars and see a whole bunch of them! Way, way cool. The opera was great! Man, the voices of some of those people. It's definitely a God given gift. Sadly, in the play there was a part that a man stripped totally naked. I was in shock and had to literally bite my tongue to not yell out "DUDE, put your clothes back on, you nasty!!!" :) My grandparents found my reaction hilarious.

I got to go to Verona with my Zia Rosita and Zio Massimo. That city is gorgeous! I went to see the Arena of Verona (similar to the coliseum in Rome), the balcony of Juliet, and the church of San Zen! Wow, Verona is OLD. It's so cool to go up the steps to the inside of the arena. It's breathtaking! My mouth dropped and I gasped. It was so exciting to see the balcony of Juliet. I watched the movie Letters to Juliet and so when I got to see it in person I was squealing! (^_^) The church of San Zen was SO COOL. It's huge. There was an actual baptismal font, that was odd! And there was even graffiti on the paintings inside! If I remember correctly... the earliest one was dated 1427ish. Dude!!! Sorry, I think that's way cool. :D We took a mini train around the city, it was so cute and a quick way to see the city. We went to a popular bridge (among the many) and took pictures. And we went inside a castle courtyard. We went on that bridge and Zio Massimo taught me how to read roman numerals. I was born IX-XVI-MCMXCIV (man that was hard...) :)

The Grotte di Toirano was interesting. I went with my friends Gabriel and Marc. Before entering the grotte we saw paintings of people on the side of the mountains across from us! I'd never seen anything like that before. That was way cool :D Inside the grotte we saw bear bones and historical footprints :O Afterwards we went to the sea. It was cold and I went into the water with my jeans (not the smartest idea) but it was worth it. It was really fun :)
The second time I went to the sea was after I went to the Aquarium with Gabriel! It was his birthday so we hung out. That was really funnnnnn. The dolphins were my favorite :D We got lucky to be on the second floor so we could see above the water of the dolphins and that is when the trainers came out to feed them and make them do tricks and flips! Way cool. The sea at night is even worse. It's kind of windy and it's a lot colder because there isn't heat from the sun! But it was still awesome. After the sea we went to a dinner with the GANS to eat all together and have cake :)

Some of my favorite moments was spending time with my friends and teaching with the missionaries. I got to spend a lot of my days of the week teaching with the elders and sometimes with Gabriel. I learned how to teach people who I didn't know something that is important to me. It was scary! But freaking Anziano Nelson kept asking me questions so I could in a way bear my testimony. I was so mad at him because I was scared to death but he kept asking me things like, "Nicole, how do you know that praying is important?" or "Nicole, how do you know when you feel the Spirit?" To me they are simple and obvious answers. But actually sharing why, to people you don't know, is a whole different story! I learned a LOT though and it helped that Gabriel told me he was proud of me. It boosted me up to keep teaching. (So...grazie Gabriel! Okay fine...and Anziano Nelson to get me practicing!)
The weekends I got to spend with the GANS was awesome, the institute classes, the English classes, the stake dance, and my favorite was the trip to the temple! Switzerland is SOOOO beautiful. I couldn't believe it. That was an experience I'll never forget. The temple is gorgeous with the trees and snow all around it.

I love my family in Italy. They taught me so much. They had so much patience with me. And I had so much fun with them. My cousins, Alice and Ivan, are some of the best and greatest kids I've ever known. They are both soooo super freaking smart and talented. They have great standards. I really admire and look up to them! I loved having Sunday lunch all together. It was one of my favorite parts of the week! I love that tradition and plan to keep it up with my future family. My aunts and uncles, grandparents, parents, siblings, and cousins are pretty much some of the coolest people I know.

To name a few people who made my trip the best were: My whole family ♥ , Giovanna (a dear friend who I met through the missionaries and Gabriel because they were teaching her. She is awesome and teaches me so much and she doesn't even know it.), Sofia (From what I know, she had a tough life and I am proud to watch her as she grows spiritually, I love her), Gabriel (my best friend who drove me around everywhere and always teased me and who was always patient with me), Giulia (the girl who was always a mystery to me ...I finally learned more about her! <3), Francesca (this crazy girl who I've basically grown up with, she speaks English perfectly and I'm so happy to say we got closer), Gaspar (who always told me "ma cosa guardi? girati!" and I will forever laugh at that!)  Lorenza (this fantastic woman ... I look up to her so much, she has no idea. Words can't describe.), Daniel (Although all he did was torture me with American jokes, he has a great spirit and a good heart.. I can't deny it.. oh and we share birthdays), Carmen (Big Mama! My favorite cake maker. I love who she is, her talents, and everything about her. She is another woman I majorly look up to), gli Anziani Hatch, Nelson, e Love (they each taught me something different about missionary work that I will apply to my own mission.) , and the rest of the Giovani Adulti whom I didn't mention (who happily and graciously accepted me into their circle of friends and even participated at my goodbye party! Nephi made this awesome video :D Thanks Nephi!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AKPaewWl4s ). Thank you all for having taught me so much. I can say without a doubt that you left a mark on my heart and for that I can never thank you enough.

I'm so eternally grateful for the experience that I had, for the people I met, and the memories I will forever retain.

♥/Nicole

P.s. I will be back! I will never stop going. It's my home. ♥♥♥♥