Revelings

Wow. The last month went by fast. Here's an excerpt from my letter to my sister.Thanksgiving was no big deal-- I rather forgot it was Thanksgiving- it started out running for an hour through grounds of one of the major palaces here and then studying for the test I had that day. Although 3 girls made a mini Thanksgiving feast at school. Later that night I went to a Christmas Market and then to Cindy's where people had been making pie for the last 24 hours and there was soup and bread and lots of people and I watched funny people play cards all evening and talked with other cool people and then I was bored and went home with Kasia and we watched thoroughly modern millie- which was thoroughly less innocent then I had anticipated!!-- And the next morning we met our group at school at 7 in the morning to leave on a weekend trip to the temple. Oh. The temple trip was just so lovely. So, so lovely. I don't know- but the timing of things and the time- maybe it was just the time I had on the 9 hour bus ride to Freiberg that allowed me reflect on how I've really changed the past few months and the nature of things I've learned about myself and life and people. I love it all, although I feel so overcome sometimes with the vastness of life- and frustrated and a little impatient with the fact that I simply won't understand all of life here. How many many ways there are to change and improve and learn. And there is a right way through all of it. There really is one right way to live and be happy- and it's not cultural- unless it can simply be called the culture of eternal existence- and I can't comprehend how I'll fit into that vastness, but I know that all human beings have identity in common- and that's so huge- so if we can hold on to the things that we have in common- if we seek for unity as Elder Christofferson spoke of last conference, unity with all mankind whom we should seek to know and love- then we will find peace, and joy. And wherever that unity can be, the loyalty to our identity and the faith in the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, wherever that exists, it can defy the destitution and ghastliness that comes upon us in this world- all war and suffering, persecution, pride, and power-seeking. His Atonement applies to everyone in every culture and dimension of life. If we could see with greater clarity and in the full spirit of purity the people of the world as God's children in whatever walk of life they may be in, we would come closer to real progress as a people, as humankind, as eternal beings. And the balance of cultural and simply personal diversity with eternal truth is completely possible, attainable, and necessary. I love life. I try not to cower at it's vastness because I know that that fear is the antithesis of my progress, my faith, so I continue to strive to live with hope towards the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that I can better understand its place in my life, and the lives of those around me as well. I hope that the strength of His love and sacrifice for me and for others can help me see life more clearly, that I might live with greater urgency and greater love and well-doing, less for me, and more for Him and God my Father. That I can see His purpose in my life, and thereby see the purpose of my life and have the strength to accomplish it. Words can't explain. Only feelings.Being abroad reconfirms my ideas of the futility of pure communication through words. The most real communication comes only through the spirit. But of course, we can learn and communicate a lot through the words we use- but the spirit is the highest product of our humble communications. Learning another language shows me how even the language we speak carries with it a subconscious bias and way of thinking which subtley changes as we learn to express ourselves with a whole new network of expression. Ah, life and learning. Amazing.

This may be less of a travel log and more personal than whoever reads this was expecting, but it's all I have time for, and it's most important to me. Hopefully my expressions can ring true with someone else as well. I love you all!!Actually, I hope to add more random pictures in the future, even after my trip, of the fun and random moments. :) I love to share, really. :)