there's just something about...

snow falling at 11:00 last night that made a not so enjoyable trip to the library bearable and even a little bit magical. Its beautiful.

Its snowing. And I'm freezing.

Well, today marks four weeks to the day since I stepped off the plane here in Utah. Somehow it feels much longer than that. Not a day, or a minute for that matter, has gone by without thoughts of my experiences in the Holy Land and the surrounding areas filling my mind. Everyday since I've been back at BYU I've seen or hung out with my friends from the JC. Friends just doesn't seem like the right word for them though, we shared so much more than normal friends would in four months. Every time I'm with them I feel...at home. That's the only way I can describe it. Seeing them helps me not miss Jerusalem as much, its like a part of my past life I got to bring home with me. Its strange the things I didn't think I would miss about Jerusalem, or things I didn't even realize I had until I came home and didn't have them. In an effort to help you understand, I'll try to make something of a list of the things I miss the most, in no particular order, for that would be much to difficult. But to make it a little bit less sad, remember that these things are not just the things I miss about the last four months, but the things I love! Forgive me if the list is rather lengthy. 1. seeing Jerusalem outside my bedroom window every morning. 2. reading about something in the scriptures then going to visit it. 3. having a new experience every day. 4. Jimmy's cooking, despite the weight I gained and the sometimes strange smell it had. 5. living with my best friends. 6. 79 other people taking the same classes as me, so I always had a study buddy. 7. the beanbags 8. the smell of the old city, its like.....mmmmm.....just like that 9. the flush button on top of the toilet 10. prayer call. 11. best sacrament meeting view ever. 12. shuwarma, from that shop up the street from Aladdin's 13. Friday open air market trips for challah bread and fruit rolls 14. lanas and Abdul 15. little kids playing in the streets all the time 16. the short cut through the city to Shabans store 17. fireworks.....every night 18. month long holidays 19. really good shower pressure 20. lizards in the hallway to my room 21. the Hajj to my room (I know, no one would ever think I miss this) 22. peanut butter and honey pida for lunch every day 23. the space between the classrooms 24. uphill both ways 25. walking everywhere because we can 26. knowing the old city backwards and forwards, literally 27. shopkeepers knowing who we are 28. "bus one" 29. nasty sack lunches 30. falling asleep instantly because I've had a completely exhausting and productive day 31. weather above fifty degrees 32. the amazing sunsets every night 33. olive trees 34. taxi or shirut rides that almost caused my death numerous times 35. tour buses parallel parking 36. donkeys on the road 37. eternal spaz uno 38. hearing multiple languages on a daily basis 39. finally understanding that I was the one speaking the foreign language 40. trying new food 41. endless puns about anything and everything 42. Tarik, Tofik, Eran and everyone else that took care of me at the JC 43. Galilee and everything that happened there (even being sick helped me learn and grow) 44. oasis water: the best in the JC 45. incredible vistas from all around the city 46. "sketchy" 47. daily miracles in my life 48. the service couples, all of them 49. linen exchange towel wars 50. getting up early and going to bed relatively early Well, thats all for now, I'm sure I'll post again soon with some more things I miss and love about Jerusalem. I love the JC!