Last Supper in Europe with the Lunds

Our flight back to Lisbon from Rome arrived safely the morning before we left to go back home. We spent our last day in Europe relaxing from our busy, fun-filled adventure to Italy. The Lunds were nice enough to have Camilia stay with them again while she visited me again, and I stayed there as well for the most part while she was in Lisbon. They made a nice last supper for us, and we caught our flights back home early the next morning. We were both very appreciative of the Lunds and their kindness and hospitality. I consider them good friends and look forward to seeing them again when they return home from their mission in a few months. I cannot believe that my European adventure has come to an end. I can definitely say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time studying abroad in Europe this semester. I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity, especially to have been able to spend some of it with my wife-to-be that I love so dearly. I know we will always look back on our adventures in Europe together and share fond memories of the fun things we were able to do in our youth. My time in Europe was definitely a learning experience where I was able to grow in a lot of different ways. Some of those ways include the knowledge I gained in my classes and relationships with the people I came in contact with. I also grew to truly appreciate Camilia, and I realized how much I need her in my life. Being away from her for the majority of the time was one of the hardest things I have had to do, but I can say without a doubt that it made our relationship and our bond stronger than it ever has been. I can also say that over the past few months I have grown closer to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I experienced a few really hard times, including the deaths of my Nana and good friend Jared Johansen. I really struggled being alone in Portugal without Camilia and my family with me. I received great support from them even though they were far away, but I especially grew closer and relied on the support of God. I am grateful to know that They will always be there for me, no matter how far away I am from home or how lonely I might be feeling. All in all, I am so very grateful for the time I spent in Europe and the great experiences I was able to have.  

Florence, Italy

Camilia and I left very early in the morning on a train from Rome and spent the day in Florence, which was much smaller than Rome but equally as impressive. The highlight of Florence was being able to see perhaps the most famous statue in the world, the David by Michelangelo. The statue was enormous, and absolutely incredible. I was so impressed by the statue and the fact that he made the entire thing out of one piece of stone. Every detail was remarkable, and made me see art and sculpture in a whole new way. I also really enjoyed the architecture in Florence, especially the famous Duomo. The Duomo is the main cathedral chapel in the middle of the city, and it is unlike any other building I have ever seen. The painting of it was very unique, it was a striped green and white color. The city, like almost every other European city that I have visited, was on the bank of a river. There was a very impressive bridge, called the old bridge, that spanned a part of the river. Once again, the bridge was like any other I have ever seen in its color and architecture. After a fun day in Florence, we took the three hour train back to Rome. A funny thing happened to us at the end of the trip. We thought we had arrived at the station for Rome (which was the final stop) so we got out of the train. We quickly realized as the train started to speed away that we had indeed gotten off a little too early! Luckily, there was a subway station at the train station we got off at accidentally and we were able to get back into Rome and back to our hostel not too much later. It was a funny way to finish the day, though a little frustrating at the time, I'm sure it is an experience we will always remember and laugh about. 

Rome with Camilia

Before we left to go back home to the United States, Cam and I made one last stop in Italy, visiting Rome for two days and Florence for one day. I absolutely loved both of the cities, they were incredible.  I loved being able to see some of the most beautiful works of architecture, painting, and sculpture that I have seen my whole life in movies and classes in school. The highlights were the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Vatican City which included St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. I really enjoyed being able to see the Coliseum and think of how long ago that was built and the crazy things that used to happen there. St. Peter's Basilica was unbelievable as well, my breath was taken away by how big and magnificent it was. Finally, the Sistine Chapel was absolutely incredible as well. To think that one man, Michelangelo painted that entire wall by himself is remarkable. Camilia and I really enjoyed the food in Rome as well, the pasta, pizza and gelato were all delicious. I absolutely loved being able to see and experience Rome with the love of my life.