Jelly Ham and Cheese does Dallas

So my last semester in college I had to pass Spanish II in order to graduate with my degree. I was so nervous bc I had to pass with a grade better than a D, so my slogan was "D for diploma"…Well way back in the spring of 2003, Sierra, myself, and Lauren went to class each week on Tuesday/ Thursday. Our class was in the afternoon right after lunch, so many times we would go to El Magauy (our fav mexican restaurant in Dahlonega) and eat lunch, have a few beers, and study our Spanish with the owner Roberto…He would actually make us order speakin gonly Spanish, no English.

…So now that I am in Italy with Lauren, I was telling her how I wanted to study Italian so that way I could get around and know a bit of something to day! She was telling me that because she is stationed over here, the Army will pay for you to learn Italian thru that "Rosetta Stone" software, that teaches you Italian very fast!

So here is the funny part…..When I told Lauren that I wanted us to learn together, she says "Gilly remember our days in Spanish, obv. that didnt work out to well for us, so what makes you think we are actually going to learn Italian together?"

So I finally got, out from the Army Post and Lauren and her mother-in-law Betty Sue took me on a very winding road (where if you dont know I get very car sick) to a city about 30- 45 minutes away called Marostica. Here are some facts that I googled to find:

Never Fear for my Luggage is Almost here….It has been found.  Sadly the one thing that I was saddest about not having was my straighening iron for my hair, because if you all know me you know my hair gets frizzy and out of control with out it, and if I am going to meet a prince I need to have my cute hair on…ha ha ha

have a great day…gilly

Hello all. Well I finally made it here this morning (GA time around 3:30 am and Italy time 9:30 am) So last you heard was that I was about to board my plane in Charlotte. So we all get on the plane and then they announce on the intercome and a battery needed to be charged and it would take over an hour to get the charger from the hanger, so we all had wait on the plane with one irrate lady who was blaming the flight attendants and she was making a fool of herself, so we had to witness that for over an hour..she finally shut up! so we got to philly and I waited for a bit and called everyone for the last time in the states and then I was on my way….but wait, of course something else had to be wrong, so a food cart has "ceased a wheel" so they had to go back to the hanger to find another food cart so that took another wait of about 45 minutes. So then we finally took off and I ate, had a glass of wine and I was out. I actually got about 4 hours of sleep which I thought was pretty good! Then it was off the plane (where I hadnt brushed my hair or teeth in over 25 hours bc that is how long my journey took me from waking up to actually standing on Italy ground) so I am standing waiting to get my luggage when I find one suitcase (that has a huge rip in the side) and then I keep looking for the other…Then it see that I am pretty much the last person from my 400 passenger flight, still looking for my luggage….If any of you remember from my London trip with Brooker I also had my luggage lost, but it was found a few days later and delivered to me at my hostel…So today I had to go and report my lost luggage and it turned out that about 5 other families from my flight also were missing luggage…luckily I came prepared with phone numbers and address’ of Laurens house to know where to have my luggage delivered if it is ever found..keep your fingers crossed! Then I was able to actually go and see Lauren waiting for me. It was so good to see a friend that speaks all english and someone that knows you and knows where they are going and what they are doing…I kept telling her she was so smart because she knew where to go and what to do, but she has lived here for over a year, so she has it down pat…

We drove to her house on post and even though I was so tired, I stayed awake, I kept calling her the nap natzi for not letting me sleep just a bit to catch up on my Zzzzz, so we came to her house and I took a long hot shower and even brushed my teeth!!! Then we went running some errands, came back to the house and I took about an hour nap…So that leaves me to where I am right now. It is 8:30 and I am so tired I am off to bed….

Thank you for all your prayers for my travels and my journey’s I really appreciate all the support I have gotten. Thanks again and good night..Gilly

So today started out very early….mom and I got up around 4:30 am and took showers and then left for the Chattanooga airport. We got there in no time at all. I got my bags checked in and each weighted about 50 lbs, with one weighting 63, so we had to pay a little $50 fee… Then mom walked me all the way to security and we hugged and she was sheading tears but I reminded her that I am only going on "an extended vacation", I think that helps people remember better when I keep saying it…I hope it really catches on. Just Friday night I was seeing some friends that I havent seen in a while and they were saying things like, "Gilly I cant believe I will not get to see you for 3 months, but wait really I think I will ok because I probably havent seen you in like 3 years!" Ok so now back to the security check, sorry for the interuption!!!!

 when I finally got into the security, you take your shoes off, you get your lap top out, you put everything in the buckets, and then you think you are home free…well……………….nothing that is simple with the ole’ Gitaly….so I am asked if I have some sort of cd player in my backpack…well I dont. so this lady takes me to the side where she can start going thru my bags. so she is asking me all these questions and so of course I am trying to help her, and then I get in trouble for touching the bag. not only did I touch it once, but I touched in like 3 times, and she kept saying "mame (spelling) dont touch this bag or I will get in trouble" so finally we figured out that it was my alarm clock that projects the time onto the ceiling, that was causing all the problems, so she had to put it thru the xray machine again to make sure it wasnt a bomb I guess. I mean do I look like I would be carrying a bomb? probably not!

So I flew to Charlotte in the smallest plane I have ever been on, and I sat in the front row, which was great…and we had the best male flight attendant ever….he was so funny. When I boarded the plane, he got all excited to see me and he said "wow is it so nice to see you again!" and I had to ask him "do I know you?" bc he really made me feel like we were old best friends or something. he just made the whole experience so GREAT! and too bad it was only an hour flight bc I would have loved for him to follow me to Italy! Someone even asked him if he was a drama major bc he just acted and talked like he practiced all his lines in front of a mirror every day. he was very dedicated to his job!!!! and he gave me some good pointers for my next airports and he even gave me a people magazine, so that is always a plus. If any of you know Cruise ship andy, he really reminded me of him in an older version! So this name should be names Plane Trip Patrick!!!!

Well anyways, I am now waiting in Charlotte bc I volunteered my seat for someone else, but I got a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the continental 48 states! so that is a plus, and plus I am getting to sit here and type to all my readers ( ha ha that just sounds funny that I have readers) PLEASE leave comments if I am too boring and you think that this is a waste of my time and your time for reading it…You can tell me! 

Have a great Sunday and maybe I will write soon…and hopefully it will be more interesting….

So as most of you know, that I have been a full- time nanny for almost 4 years for the same family.  If you have ever talked to me, then you know I talk alot about my kids Alexis and Connor. So today is technically my last day working for the family and it is so hard. Just thinking about this day for months has really made me very upset. I love that I am getting the oportunity to go and stay in Italy for 3 months, but the thought of leaving is also so sad. I am going to miss the hugs I get and the kisses and the silly jokes and the fun times we have together. I truly feel as though I am partially raised these children and now I am leaving on what we call "an extended vacation". Both kids know that I am going on a big trip, but do they really get it. They both talk about getting a new babysitter, but I dont think they really understand that it will a long time before they see me again. Last week I didnt work for Stephanie (the mom) and then when I got back on this Monday, Alexis asked me "how was your big trip?" and that was from me only being gone a week!

So of course I have cried all week, secretly when I can, because even though we all know I need change and I am really doing something great for me, change can also be bad.  I cant sleep and I am making myself eat. I do know today around 4 pm I will be a wreck! I mean I am crying so hard right now just in the library typing this thing because I am just thinking about today at 4 pm. This morning Stephane (the dad) gave me a hug and that was bad enough.

Please just keep me and my kids and Steph and Stephane in your thoughts and prayers because this "extended vacation" is harder than I thought it was going to be.

It is a sad thought to think of leaving my precious home in the hills of Dahlonega, GA… I have been here since August of 1998, that is a long time! This small city has been so good to me, and it will not be the ending for ole’ Gilly and Dahlonega. There will always be more Gold Rushes and more Parent/Alumni weekends, and many more nights staying on my Aero bed at Hotel Tench 106! That be-home-later- light will always be left on for this girl.  As I am packing up my boxes (well actualy I am taking a break right now) but packing up my boxes I cant help but think about how I moved into this apartment with Kendra with 2 large rubbermaid containers full of my clothing and my shoes and that was it…I really thought this was only going to be a mini move..who would have thought that 3 years later I would still be here! Oh and dont forget my Aero bed where I slept on the floor for almost 2 years until I finally purchased a real big girl bed! And here and there buying things for the kitchen, and my bed room furniture and all my decorations at IKEA, my room finally came together, after living on the floor for 2 years and with plain white walls and no decorations! ha ha… Leaving Dahlonega will be hard, but it will only make coming back so much better! My favorite hang outs are here, El Mag, Caruso’s, Wiley’s, The square, robyn’s nest (only when certain people are in town), Wal-mart, zaxby’s, wow all these have to deal with food, ha ha ha…but that is what I love! But when I drive down this hill and get to see my school in the valley and to see the sun gleam off of Price Memorial every time really warms my heart! and it makes me think of all the fun memories I have in this small town, and it makes me so proud that I did go off to school and make all new friends and I found a new Gilly that people from home dont know!  Seeing the leaves change colors and seeing more and more motor cyclists every Fall is a great pleasure to me! Eating my way thru Gold Rush and supporting my T-shirt will be hard to miss…and dont forget the Alumni Reception…I am sure my friends will make up for my losses (if you know what I mean… ha ha thanks)!!! Dahlonega and the people there have meant so much to me over the years, but it is time to move on, and packing up is the hardest part!