BIG Changes!

So, it's been awhile since I last posted. A LONG while. I've been thinking about blogging a lot actually which really sounds odd I know, but I've actually missed it. A lot has gone on in my life since my last post. In fact, I have had some HUGE, HUGE changes. So, I thought I'd start this post with a recap of my past few months.

Bil (real name Raouf - that's what I'm calling him now) arrived on August 10th. Two months ago today actually. It's been a whirlwind, but a really amazing time. The weekend after we got here, we went to Duluth for my cousin's wedding where he got to meet a bunch of my family and spend some quality time with my Mom and my sister. We also spent some time in beautiful Duluth.

We got legally married on August 28 in a very non-ceremony. We got married in the mosque with just the shiek and two Muslim witnesses. No one either of us knew were there. And I'm totally okay with that because it was really us. And we just had to get married as quickly as possible for a variety of paperwork reasons.

Since then, we've just been settling into a life here in the States. It's been both weird and wonderful. It's weird to adjust to each other again and in more of a real life situation. In Italy, I wasn't living in a real life. I didn't have a job and my school was incredibly easy, so I didn't really have any responsibilities. Here in the United States, I have a job and real responsibilities. And he doesn't have a job or a license so we've been dealing with him being/feeling stuck in quite a few different situations.

He is working on a business opportunity that we are hoping is going to lead to some good things. And hopefully some money. Believe me, bringing someone here from another country is NOT cheap. It's frustrating, expensive, and involves more paperwork than you could ever possibly imagine. Ironically enough, every form says something ridiculous about the "Paperwork Reduction Act" so I laugh each time and fill out the same information I've already written down 3,793 times.

I've still been reading blogs, just not commenting because I just run in and out of my Google Reader. I hope to be able to blog more in the coming months though!

Beautiful Duluth

Tuesday!

Tuesday is Bil's big day. I can't believe it. And yet, I can't believe that it's been this long. I can't decide how I feel about the time. It's gone by fast and slow. It's been horrifying and a great learning experience all at the same time. I hope that we don't have to wait months and months for a decision because I'm just tired of waiting.

I have lots of plans for my blog...stay tuned!

It's time.

I left Italy a few days over a year ago. I can't believe it. I can't believe that it has been a year since I last had un cafe in a bar with Bil in the morning. I can't believe that it's been a year since I saw Bil. Hugged him. Kissed him. Just touched him. Time has gone by both fast and slow. It doesn't seem like a year, but it seems like an eternity at the same time.

I miss living in Italy. I miss the relaxed atmosphere. I miss not knowing what people are talking about. I don't like actually being able to understand people's conversations here because people really talk about some really ridiculous things. I miss the food, the coffee, the gelato, the cute men (and women), the markets, the streets, the smells (except for the pee smell by Grom, I don't miss that), the bells, the sights, the tourists. I miss it all.

I never thought in a million years that I'd actually like living in a foreign country so much. I think about living somewhere else almost daily. I think about other places I could live with Bil. What we'd do there, where we could go, how my life would be there. And I'm not opposed. When I first moved back here from Italy, I didn't think there was any way that I could live in Tunisia or any other Arabic country for that matter. But, I think I was wrong. I could live in Tunisia. At some point, we will live in Tunisia. And I'm okay with that. In fact, I'm kind of excited for it. I want to know Bil's family. I want them to know me. I want to learn about his culture so I can pass that knowledge on to our kids. I want to learn the language, the food, the customs. I think it will be important for us as a couple and for us when we have children.

I'm too comfortable here in my life in the United States. I'm too complacent, too okay with whatever happens. I don't take risks, I don't DO anything. It's time for me to start living my life here instead of living my life in my head. I need to get out of my comfort zone, take some risks, and live the life I dream of no matter where I'm living at the time. It's time to start living.

Just another reason why I need a camera

My point and shoot has recently taken a turn for the worse. It hasn't been the same since my trip to Barcelona, but in the time since I've been home from Italy, it's just been getting worse and worse. I'm reminded almost daily why I need to get a new camera, even if it's just a new point and shoot. This picture was one of those reminders.



What a fabulous moment. And another one that makes my ovaries hurt, I have baby fever!

A striking resemblance

I discovered this gem on the Sexy People blog. After laughing for a few seconds, I figured out why he looked familiar to me. He's like every guy I dated before I met Bil. What was I THINKING?!?!?!? And why didn't anyone slap me silly? My most recent ex probably has pictures that are exactly like this one if not worse. Seriously, I found that attractive?!?! I think I more found myself so unattractive that I thought that was all I could get. How wrong I was.

Thank heavens I've figured that out because, well, wow. That is just some scary stuff.

I suck at keeping ya'll in the loop!

New visa interview date: June 9! I'm just glad it wasn't too far in the future. That would have killed me if their next appointment was in August or something ridiculous.

I left Italy May 27 (I was supposed to leave May 26), so it's been almost a year. An entire freaking year. That's just way, WAY too long.

Plans as of now are that once his visa gets approved, he'll work for a few weeks to give them time to find a replacement. Then, his parents will come to Italy to visit him and then once they leave, he'll come here. Originally, he was going to go to Tunisia to visit, but realizes that he'll have to be down there a long time. He wants us to go together after we get settled here. We'll see how that goes!

There is a slight possibility that I'll go to Italy this summer to meet his Mom and Dad before he comes here. We'll see. I don't have the money for it, but if it's important to him, we might just have to find the money. I'd love to go to Italy again for a little while anyway. It'd be a whirlwind tour of me seeing some things in Firenze and then going up to Pordenone to visit his sister and Mom and Dad. We'd have to take the same flight back to America because I don't think I'd be able to leave him in Italy again. So, we'll just have to see.

I've had a rough few days of just missing him so incredibly much it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest. I have these days and I've just learned to live with them. Certain people get the blunt end of that though and end up with me crying for no reason. There's a guy at work that I've become good friends with that reminds me so much of Bil it's almost scary. He gets it a lot and I think because he reminds me so much of him.

As a random sidenote: I'm getting spam comments "Diet Plan" but they actually look like they read my post. Odd. Stop talking to me "Diet Plan."