Back Again

Here I am, back from the Mount of Oaks, back in the Farmers' house (I actually got back Monday). We were supposed to leave for Italy on Monday, but since we hadn't found a house yet, my parents decided that we'll leave tomorrow.
Fortunately, it looks like my parents have finally found a house today! I think it's so funny that when we moved from Mantova to Salo', the only house that all five of us saw ended up being the house we moved in, and now it looks like the only house that I went to see is the one that they're gonna be living in!

So anyways, our time at the Mount of Oaks was, yet again, amazing! It was crazy cuz this time, instead of being between 3 to 9 people (as it was when I was last there), there were about 35 people there! And what was even crazier was that I knew a lot of the people who were there! =)
I always find it exciting to be with so many people from so many different places! There were Portuguese people, Germans, Americans, two French girls, an Irish girl, a New Zealand girl, and, well, "Italians" (Alana and me)....I think those were all the nationalities. It was great living with all these people and getting to talk to them all and listen to their stories and testimonies! That's gotta be one of the things I love the most (listening to people's stories and experiences).
Having a bunch of Americans and German Freaks there, it was kind of obvious that the whole Bush thing would come up, but it was so awesome how Lyna (one of the French girls) got up and said "I'm not going to talk about this. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. I don't know what I would have done if I was in his position and no one really knows what goes on with him. There's always something wrong with all politicians!". That shut everyone up =)
It's so awesome how, in just a few days, we all became a community, a big family, and when, Monday morning, we all said goodbye to one another, exchanging emails and hugs, no one really said "goodbye", but "see you another time" =)
Mount of Oaks is such a special and peaceful place. When Alana and I were talking about our time there when we got back, we noted that everyone there was always so nice and was always smiling. I can't wait to go there again, next year!
It sucks that we get to miss out on the African dinner they're having tonight! That sounds cool!

Oh, and while we were there we also went in the village and helped clean the school yard and the town hall's yard. It was so funny how, while we were walking around, everyone (especially all the old people) were looking at as as we passed. Some even stopped to watch us work. It was also so funny how it looked like all the old ladies of the village knew Barbara.

And here's a slideshow again hehe =)

I have to say, though, that I'm really really missing my bed and room. I've been kind of sick for some time now and haven't gotten any nice sleep yet. While at the Mount of Oaks, I would go to bed late and had to sleep in the wet tent and sleeping bag (the night after we got there it poured and our tent wasn't waterproof so we got wet) and now, at the Farmers', I'm sleeping with my family in the living room. The rest of my family is feeling the same way. I hope we don't have any misadventures during our travels back to Italy.