22 May 2011

Due to the fact that we did not return to the Jerusalem Center until three o’clock in the morning, I was quite tired throughout the entire day, but no amount of tiredness could make me miss out on the adventure and beauty that is Jerusalem.

I had planned to sleep in until after eleven in the morning. That way I could wake up and get breakfast in my sweats before the Oasis closed. However, other people had different plans for me. Skylar Olsen knocked on my door near 10:15a in search of someone to go to breakfast with her. Since all of my roommates had remained asleep after she knocked, I was the one to open the door. I decided just to pull on some shoes and risk falling asleep later that day. After all, I didn’t have much planned. Breakfast in the Oasis was graciously welcomed after a week of suffering through Turkish breakfasts. Those people just don’t know how to do a good breakfast! I happily ate a bowl of fruit, Yoplait yogurt, and bread with Skylar as more and more people filtered in to eat. The food was happily welcomed by my stomach.

The rest of the day went smoothly. I checked and sent a few emails, read a couple of homework assignments, talked with friends, and went to seminary. It was a pretty ordinary day of relaxation, trying to get caught up on rest after a long week of travelling, but I couldn’t just stay inside the Jerusalem Center. I had to do something with my time; I had to make the most of my experience in Jerusalem. And that is just what I did.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 came out in theaters the weekend prior to our field study to Turkey. While there was some talk about the movie, I hadn’t heard much of it nor did I have a desire to see it. On the bus rides through Turkey, the movie was constantly talked about and the previous films were referenced. This is when a decision was made, a decision that changed the course of my entire day. I am proud to say that, along with thirty other students and one professor, that I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 4 today in a movie theater nestled deep into West Jerusalem. I don’t regret my course of action in the least. The second and third movies, as many of you may know, were not worth the money to make. The storylines were poor; the acting was shoddy. They just didn’t live up to the name of Pirates of the Caribbean. I went into the fourth movie with low expectations. I expected a movie similar to the second or the third, but I was wrong. The movie held my attention for the full 130+ minutes. It had a storyline. The acting was entertaining. The characters had foundations. I really enjoyed it. As I said, about thirty people went to see the movie, including Brother Muhlestein and two of his kids, Tashara and B.J. They each dressed up as a pirate, with B.J. going as Captain Jack Sparrow. They looked great! But, it got even better when Josh Dance decided to dress as a pirate. With a white shirt, scarf tied around his head, and dark eyeliner, he was ready for the movie. He looked amazing and I wish I had clothing to look like a pirate as well. Some people were embarrassed by his attire, but I was proud to say that I knew him, that I could call him my friend. He made the movie just that much more fun.

The rest of the day was fairly quiet. I received two letters which was a surprise: from Elder Joshua Jeppson and Elder Alex Buchkovich. It was great hearing from them! I attended seminary, as mentioned earlier, but I didn’t do much else. I was able to call my family though. That was amazing. I love talking to them. While I am always the one doing all of the talking (I honestly don’t mean to; they want to know how I am and hardly ever talk about themselves even when I try to get them to…they always turn the conversation right back to me), it is still nice to hear what they have to say and hear their voices. I miss my parents very much. This is the first time that I have been away from them for this long. I spent seventeen days in Europe with a choir group two summers ago, but I have now been gone for twenty-five days. And there are many to come. We talked mostly about my Turkey trip and everything I did there. I think they enjoyed hearing about my adventures in Turkey, or at least I hope they did. I can never tell sometimes. I hated telling them goodbye. We spoke for about eighty minutes. I honestly could have spoken with them for another couple of hours. There is just something about family that keeps you talking, that gives you something to talk about.

It was nice to finally be back in Jerusalem. I had an amazing time in Turkey, but there is something about being “home” that makes you happy, that makes you secure. Plus, the food here is amazing. And the pillows here…they aren’t lumpy or the weight of bricks!