"There's nothing like two pickled fish at the end of a long day..."

Well, it's almost time for me to leave Europe and head to Saudi. It's been a crazy three weeks here, and I've loved and experienced so much. I literally have been on the move non-stop, so I'm sorry for my lack of updates/responses. 

Really quick--thank you all for your comments regarding my post about being "forgotten"--you are all really far, far too wonderful for me. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. I know you won't truly forget me--my point was simply that life goes on, and it's always jarring to watch things change. Know I keep all of you in the front of my mind and prayers as well. :) 

A few random memories to share from my time here in Eastern Europe, a culture far different from where I came from and where I'm going.  :) 

--Since I've come here, I've had tripe (cow stomach stew), beefsteak tartar (raw ground beef), pickled fish, liver, cottage cheese and chocolate, spinach pancakes, crepe-cake, "greasy bread" (slabs of fresh bread smeared with pig fat and topped with onions, paprika, and pickles), and countless drinks I don't even want to list...

           ...and to finish off several weeks of strange foods, Eva fed me strudel stuffed with CABBAGE this evening. *twitches*...it wasn't TOO bad. (Just pile on lots of sugar, it helps). 

--I got hit on by a very strange Serbian man on the rooftop of the Esztergom Basilica--it is a round dome, and so I just kept scooting around to get away from him...It was very uncomfortable. Things were made worse when he turned u

p two more times at different locations. VERY STRANGE....

--If I ever decide to move to Hungary, I have a husband lined up--a 14 year old boy named Peter, who spend almost 4 days straight with me and Julianna last week.  He's a friend of her family, and it was supposed to be an afternoon--then he kept finding ways to stick with us longer. He speaks no English, but mostly follows me around with a goofy look on his face--apparently he needs a new crush, now that Julianna is married. :-P He told Juls that he'd like to marry me. I replied that it'd be too hard to learn Hungarian...

--As with most of Europe, "bubbly" water is very common here--and I've decided I LOVE it. 

--Dancing with lots of harmless drunk people is more fun than it sounds. (I was sober, I promise.) 

It's been a refreshing, busy, surprising three weeks. Not a day went by that we didn't go on some adventure, whether to a renaissance castle, a pub for some 'peasant-style' cuisine, to a cathedral overlooking the Danube, to a city-wide festival, to the biggest mall in Central Europe, to neighboring countries of Austria or Slovakia, to art museums, to a Terror House restored from the Hungarian Communist era, to wineries, and...well you get the picture. I've been blessed with many new memories and new friends. :) 

So, it is 2 a.m. here, and i am semi-finished packing. It's bittersweet. I miss my family and I always LOVE to go to Saudi, but I've had a blast here, learned a lot, and I will dearly miss the whole family. I'm looking forward to seeing them all in Saudi over Christmas though. 

Time to march on...to the desert, now.