thirty dirty days in europe I'm so pumped to take this trip and I wanted a memento/journal of stories to have when I return as well as keep all of my loved ones back home updated on my traveling!

we're in the middle of the meditteranean right now, somewhere in between the southern tip of Italy headed towards Greece. We left Venice yesterday around noon, spent the day and night on the boat and no we'll spend the rest of the day until about 8pm on here until we get to Patras...and then we'll be catching a train to Athens! Before we left Venice yesterday, we were able to make it back to the St. Marks Basilica before we headed out. The Basilica was literally breathtaking, it was finished being built in 1007!!! It hold's St. Mark's body at the alter, so weird to be in something so sacred and so so old. We crossed ourselves with the holy water, and I lit a candle for those back home that are sick right now. Anyways, the boat has been pretty relaxing so far, a good break from walking thousands of miles around Venice for the past two days! We stayed up late and played euchre last night, Blake taught us all and i FINALLY get it after trying to have learned that stupid game 50 million times. I got up early this morning and sat with some coffee by one of the windows, watching the islands we pass by. The tv nearby was speaking greek (such a crazy hard language) and two people next to me were rattling off in german! And there i sit, in the middle of the ocean, in wonderment that there can be so so much in this world, so many different people, so many different lives and i'm just one person...an english speaker from america....who am I? Seeing the world like this can really make you think just how vast this world is, and to know that God created every drop in this ocean and every curve in those tiny islands I watched pass by...AND he created everyone on this boat....WOW. Anyways, enough sentimentality, haha. I'm so lucky to be doing this trip, the world is beautiful! On that note, I think I'm off to catch some fresh air and practice some greek! "Aforisto"!, that means thank you in greek! the only word i know so far. I love you all, and I'll write soon. After Greece, we're trying to make it back to Rome by Easter Sunday, so I'll write in between if I find a computer!