8 months is way too long

at least that's what i thought when i got to utah on saturday night. on sunday morning, the sidewalks were built up with slush and water and snow and i had decided to wear some really great heels. good idea. i ended up almost completely soaking my favorite heels, getting roxanne's car stuck because i couldn't make it over a giant puddle, and staring at a puddle for a long time before sam, roxanne's sam, came and lifted me over the puddle as he had been doing with roxanne while we walked to and from the conference center. later that day, i walked around on 800 n for a long time trying to get to the sidewalk because it was slushy and puddly everywhere, and i seriously couldn't even get to the sidewalk. i don't know if i've ever made a worse fashion practicality decision...have i?

how???

don't worry! i still thought eight months was way too long without being here. the last time i saw the lady above, we were saying goodbye in dublin. the last time i saw roxanne, we were saying goodbye in rome. some people i had seen for the last time in london, and all of my other lovely friends, i hadn't seen since APRIL, beFORE i went to England! EIGHT months. there were a lot of glorious reunions. i wish that i had cute pictures of all of them! but alas, you can't really take good pictures of having fun conversations and laughing and eating on the couch of people's apartments, can you?

and this last week, all of my luggage, a large suitcase, two overly stuffed carry-on-sized bags, and one huge study abroad backpack barfed all over whitney's house. isn't she the greatest.

it's great to be back in the states!