When in Rome.......

After Romania we had the opportunity to hop on over to Rome for 4 days. What a treat! I LOVE Italy. It was so fun and cram-pact. The first day we pretty much did all of Rome except the Vatican. It was a long and exciting day. We saw the Coliseum, Palitine Hill, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Campo Di Fiori, Michelangelo's Square, and a bunch more. Our feet were really tired at the end of it. The next day was spent at the Vatican. Words cannot express the shear pleasure I felt when I saw the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. It was a little like a dream come true being able to see these great works I have learned about my entire life. They were breathtaking! St Peters Square was massive and St Peters Basilica very impressive. Although, I must admit that, even though beautiful, St Peters Basilica was a disappointment. It was adorned with large statues of Popes. As a matter of fact, they had a preserved pope in a glass coffin........Here is the kicker, In the entire Basilica there was only ONE statue of Christ. Albeit an amazingly beautiful one by Michelangelo but only one. It made me question who they really worshiped. At the end of the day we walked the streets of Rome at sunset. On the third day we visited the Borghese Gallery. This was probably my favorite part of Rome. Why you may ask....for 4 very good reasons. The four statues of Bernini. He is a master! They were exquisite. They held so much raw passion and emotion that they spoke to you. And to think, he did these impressive works when he was 21 yrs old. I mean, just amazing. What a great trip!

Tearful Goodbyes

After three long, and sometimes frustrating weeks, we said goodbye to all our little children. Saying goodbye didn't seem real. I felt as though my professional self had taken control. However, I was sorely mistaken. As we drove away from Barlad towards the Capital of Bucharest, we passed through Tutova. I could vividly remember the excitement of the first night we arrived. Mihaela, our team leader, and told us all that if we hurried we could get a glimpse of the clinic. We all pressed our noses against the pitch black windows and searched for what was going to be our home for the next three weeks. The exuberance of finally arriving to do what we set out to do was tangible; it was electric. Now as we drove away, down that oh so familiar road, all my walls and coping mechanisms came crashing down. I was actually leaving. I would never see these children again. I would never hold them or comfort them. My tears came then; silently. It was so hard to have hope in that country where there is still so much corruption. My experiences in this country were definitely eye opening. My gratitude for the things I have has multiplied greatly. My love for others has expanded. I feel as though I have a better understanding of some things there.....and yet, I leave with so many more questions. There are still things in this world that I may never be able to fully comprehend, but for now I will have to settle for what I do.

*Pictures compliments of Tamera

The Painted Monasteries

While in Romania, at the end of a long and emotionally draining week, we would get the opportunity to take weekend excursions to various touristy areas. On the second to last weekend there, we went to the Moldavia area and visited some of the Painted Monasteries. They were absolutely incredible. It was a truly spiritual experience being able to walk on the grounds and see these vivid paintings depicting the life and teachings of Christ. How wonderful it is to be able to have a few common facts among different religions.

There was one particular monastery, the Varonet Monastery, that moved me. It was commisioned in 1488 and finished in 1547. It is a masterpiece. The western wall is completely covered in a fresco depicting the Last Judgment. They use a very rare blue stone for the blue paint. At the same time this fresco was being done at this monastery, the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel was being completed my Michelangelo. He also used the same rare stone crushed for his blue paint. These works of art are unbelievable! Words and even pictures do not do them justice.

Family Photo

While visiting Bran Castle we were asked to pose by this door.......doesn't it look like a cheesey family photo? Ah good times!

I Have Fallen in Love

Over the weekend some of our group went on an excursion to Transylvania. While away I had an 'aha' moment.
The first week I was here I struggled with whether I was making any difference at all or if it even mattered that I was here. However, having time away to think things over opened my eyes. I have realized how much I already love these children. They have totally wiggled a space into my heart. I know they need us. I know they need love. I know they are alone. They have such sweet spirits. These are some of Gods children. I have been so blessed in my life and I see their current struggles and understand that life will just get harder for them. Most of them will never know what it is like to truly belong to a family.
So even though I like to see instant results and it is hard to work blindly at something every day, I now know I am making a difference. I am one of MANY hands that are molding a better future for these children. I alone may not change the world but I can help by doing my part one piece at a time. Every little act of service is a step! It is a move towards progress and change. These children may not remember me or the roll I played in their lives but I will always remember them and the opportunity they gave me to love selflessly and to grow.

Fun in the Fresh Air

So today we were finally able to take the kids outside. They are really afraid of drafts here in Romania and try and keep us and the kids inside with the heater on and the windows closed. Blah! It gets really hot so when they said we could go play out side we all tripped over eacher with excitement. I think we were as excted as the kids. We went for walks, played on the swings, and ate fresh pears from the trees. Oh the day went so much faster with the sunshine! I really hope that the nice weather sticks around for a long time......

Alexandru

Oh the trouble! This sweet little boy is a twin and has a heart defect. His family still visits him occasionally. He has been so starved for attention that he has conditioned bad habits for himself. He throws horrible tantrum sometimes over a toy, or food and other times for no apparent reason. He will start banging his head on the floor or wall when really upset and it takes a lot to get him to stop. Like the other big kids in the Mobile infant unit, he is a bit of a playground bully. He steals toys from the other kids and then goes around whacking them on the head with it. They are usually nice hard toys like rattles or big blocks. This child keeps us running. He is probably the most emotionally draining. When he has a bad day we go back to the hotel completely drained. I am usually asleep by 8:30pm on those days.

Andreea

This precious child was a preemature infant of a 16 yr old mom. She was abandoned at birth. When she arrived to the clinic at 7 months of age and 7 lbs they had given her 3 months to live. She has an untreatable hole in her heart. She is now 3 yrs old! She has cereberal palsy, mental delay, and cannot see. She does however hear and loves to be tickled! She is a sweet baby. We are not sure what will happen to her. Once the children reach the age of 5 they are suppose to be out of the clinic. They will have to find a foster family and that is very hard to do with disabled children.

Daniel aka Chubs or Fatty

This little chunk is here for....wait what is he here for? I think he was here for malnutrition. It was most likely due to his family not being able to afford food because this kid could eat a horse! Um...as a matter of fact I am considering putting him in my carry-on luggage and bringing him home. I just love this fat baby! He is so happy and mellow. When the other kids steal his toy or hit him on the head with it he will just look and them and then crawl somewhere else and find a different toy. Nothing bothers him....well, except when the yogurt runs out. He loves his yogurt. Actually all the kids love yogurt hour. Every day at 11:00 am chaos occurs. The aids bring us the yogurt and the kids maul us. We serve all the children with the same spoon from the same bowl. I know! It was a big adjustment. It went against every infection control policy I have ever known...but when in Rome.... So, needless to say, 11:00 is the most hectic and most messy. There are usually several tantrums thrown by the kids when the yogurt runs out. Really I am pretty sure these kids could eat yogurt until they burst. As a matter of fact that could be why chubby cheeks is so solid. He gets a lot of yogurt.

Sammy

Sammy has been in the clinic since he was just a baby. He has mild down syndrome and had initial malnutrition. He is now 3 and still doen't walk. Jenni and I try to get him up and moving as much as possible. It is sometimes hard though because he is very content just sitting in the same place for hours. He is a very funny boy and will mimic you once he warms up to you. We love Sammy!

Sa

Mihaela

This adorable child has been in the clinic since infancy. She was here for malnutrition. She is obviously much better now. She is a doll and she knows it! She is sassy, sassy, sassy! Soon she is going to go to a foster family. She is lucky that there is one for her. Her curls melt my heart.

Ionella

This little one is so sweet and loves to cuddle. She is so happy and loves to smile even though it is so hard for her. Ionella had a cleft palate and lip. They do the surgeries in stages here due to various reasons. She has had her lip fixed but the scar tissue makes it difficult for them to smile. She crawles every where and though she cannot walk she will stand up and dive for you.

Here is a little video of some of the kiddos. Its not the best but it is a start!

Tutova

Today was our first day in the clinic. It was a real eye opener. There are approximately 24 children that are currently in the long-term failure to thrive clinic. These children are either too unwell to be with their families or they have been abandoned due to medical conditions. These children will never be adopted and most will never go back to their parents or into foster care.
Tutova is the poorest area in the country...as a matter of fact, it is the poorest area in the entire European Union. The Tutova hospital is one of two hospitals left with a long term care facility for malnourished and disabled children. There use to be 48 but the government shut them all down due to costs.
These children are happy and, thanks to this organization, are clothed and well fed. They are very active and totally wore me out! This is a nice bit of birth control;-) So far I am having a great experience.

Welcome to Romania!

Here I am in Romania. Jenni and I arrived safe and sound. There was very little excitement to our travel.....other than the entire plane full of beautiful Romanians.

Sadly, internet connection and pay phones are few and far between so up dates may be minimal. Sorry for that. The only thing that I can really say so far is that it isn't like any thing I have ever experienced. This country is so tired. It has been through a lot and it shows.

I am a Tourist!

My newest adventure! I recently went to Seattle Washington to visit a friend. I am not sure how it happened, but the entire week was sunny with a blue sky. I some how managed to leave the clouds and rain behind in SLC.

Snoqualmie Falls

The first day I was there we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and visit Snoqualmi Falls. Gorgeous! Everything was so green...and covered in moss.

Seattle

The next day was all about Seattle! We went on a tour called Ride the Ducks. It is a land and water tour in, well in ducks. DUCKS were originaly made during WWII to help transport supplies directly from land to water crafts. Now days they transport crazy tourists all around.

We then went to the Spaceneedle and had lunch. The view was spectacular and, not to mention, the dessert exciting.

Later in the day we went to the water front. There you will find all sorts of touristy attractions. My favorite part of this trip occured at the Ye Old Curriosity Shop. This little store had everything you could imagin. It had shrunken heads, mummies in displays, mexican jumping beans and much, much more! As a matter of fact, I found some very 'authentic' viking hats. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to show my true colors so I put it on and wore it around the store. I also found this vintage carnival love meter. You hold onto the metal handle and it rates your love level.....I rated at the top; uncontrollable. It was the best 25 cents ever spent. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Sunnyside...not so Sunny

Finally I had the opportunity to see where I came from. As an adopted person I have always been a bit curious at to where I was from and whether or not that has had any impact on who I am. Well, Let me tell you...it most certainly does not!

My first view of Sunnyside was coming off the freeway. In front of me were hundreds of cows. Its true. Just hundreds of them. Then we saw the welcome to Sunnyside sign and naturally I needed a picture. As we stepped out of the car the overwhelming aroma of country gold swarmed over us. It was so pungent that shallow fast breaths were required in order to survive. We then decided to drive through this thriving metropolis of a country town and take advantage of a restroom. Interestingly enough....Sunnyside is not very friendly to travelers. We stopped at three different popular gas stations and none of them had public restrooms. I know shocking....We decided to follow the big blue "H" signs to the hospital. Shocking as it was that this place even had a hospital we figured it had to have bathrooms. So we pull up to what must have been my place of birth. I am pretty sure this hospital only had five beds! Maybe one nurse! It was a miracle that I survived. Ah just kidding. But really, I am so very blessed to have been adopted and given this wonderful life and upbringing. Because when you think about it, the suburbs of Utah are ten million times better than Sunnyside, cow town, Washington.

Read this and you will be smarter...or more informed.

I was bored at work tonight and decided to give you all a bit of useless information....


The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.

City with the most Rolls Royces per capita: Hong Kong.

Average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.

First novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts - Charlemagne, and Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

Q. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? A. All invented by women.

Q. This is the only food that doesn't spoil. A. Honey

40 percent of all people who come to a party snoop in your medicine cabinet.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave. Wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles.

Every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.

If you put a raisin in a champagne bottle, it will rise and fall continuously.

"Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men do.

For the "wrong handed" people...Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people! That means DEATH to Lefties

A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off - it dies from starvation.

The state of Florida is bigger than England!

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.

The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."

Newborn babies have about 350 bones. They gradually merge and disappear until there are about 206 by age 5.

Donkeys kill more people than plane crashes.

Shakespeare invented the words "assassination" and "bump."

Now if any of you win a game show from one of these facts I would like you to remember me.

I bake because...well, a boy told me I needed a hobby.

Recently a friend of mine, whom I will refer to as Irish, informed me that I needed to get some hobbies. This came about during one of our lengthy conversations regarding our antisocial tendencies. While we discussed cures for common loneliness he asked me what my hobbies were and that maybe I should get more. I have a good size list of hobbies, some of which being camping, travel, photography, shopping etc. The problem with those particular hobbies is that they are best done in groups. Which brings us back to the entire point of the conversation; hermit like behaviors and lack of friends. He informed me I need hobbies that can be done alone. I informed him that I regularly sing in the shower and while blow-drying my hair. This is something I enjoy doing so surely it must count as a hobby. He wasn't impressed. So now I am subjecting my family, girls I visit teach, and elders quorum presidency to baked goods. I hope they all gain twenty pounds.

Wonderful Camping and the Hike of Death

I went camping over the weekend of the 24th with some of my favorite people. We stayed in a campground located in Huntington canyon aka Manti-LaSal mountain range. (Note: this area is known for its dense population of black bears) It was gorgeous! I cannot believe this was my first ever experience in this area. I have totally missed out in the past.

The first night there, as we were wide awake in the tent pretending to sleep like normal people (note: all members in that particular tent work graveyards at the hospital and therefore sleep during the day), we heard a sound that could only be described as a growling roar. The conversation that followed went something like this. "Do you guys hear that?" I ask in a hushed whisper. "Yeah what is it?" they whisper back. "I don't know...you don't think it sounds like a bear do you?" I reply. "No, but what could it be?" they ask back. "Well, if it’s not a bear then it could only be one thing....it’s a mountain lion." I gravely respond. (Note: this conversation is fact and quoted to the best of my ability. We never actually saw the animal but did get verification the next morning regarding the likelihood of mountain lions) So naturally, the next morning all the members of our camping party were having a bit of a fit at the idea of large and aggressive wild animals. (Note: present members were: one high anxiety mother whom I love with all my heart, one well camp-trained father, two Seattle city-slickers, one adventurous backpacker, and me the calm sane voice amongst the chaos.) I, being a kind and concerned friend, go over the basics of outdoor safety and reminded them in a soothing voice that the only animal that actually hunts down humans for food is a polar bear. Since we are not camping in the Arctic Circle we can consider ourselves safe so long as we remember we are guests in their home. As you can guess, my mother freaked out and wanted to arm all of us with police standard flash lights that we could use as weapons....just in case we got mugged by a ferocious wild animal. Ah, I truly forgot how much I love camping.

On the Saturday of our trip we all decided to go on, dum dum dum, the Hike of Death! (Note: my parents had already headed home in order to see the Osmond’s perform with the MoTab and one Seattle city-slicker opted out) So the three of us pack our camelbacks and backpacks with water and necessary sustenance and make plans to complete the 9.5 mile hike. The first 2.5ish miles of the hike were straight up the mountain. The plan was to get to the ridge and cross a pack trail and then head down a canyon 4.5miles to our parked truck. Not too bad, right? Well, we were over halfway to the ridge when we saw our first sign of weather difficulties; hail. (Note: we had already been hiking for about and hour and a half due to the constant need to stop and regain lung control) We hiked through the hail, which eventually stopped, assuming it would blow over. By the time we were to the ridge it had begun to rain very hard and coverage was becoming scant. (Note: at this point the backpacker was kind enough to remind us that mountain lions enjoy hiding in the thick brush) Since it was raining pretty good and had not started showing signs of lightning we took a rest under a large pine tree and regained some energy. (Note: energy source of choice was sour patch kids) We noticed that even if the rain stopped where we were currently sitting, the clouds were still moving towards the canyon we would be hiking through. Then the inevitable happened; lightning. We knew we only had one option and that was to head back down the way we came. The thought of 2hrs of hard work going down the drain was heartbreaking but it was countered with the thought of being fried by a lightning bolt. We ran! (Note: as mentioned previously the coverage was scant and the only lightning safety any of us could remember was to be the shortest object around.) The biggest problem was the 3/4 mile of switch-backs in a field of flowers on the side of the mountain. I was in front and set the pace. In what seemed like no time with what seemed like no breathing difficulties we made it back down the mountain. (Note: it took us approximately 30 min to get down that mountain) After arriving safely at the bottom we took inventory of ourselves. We were soaked from head to toe and covered in an unusual amount of mud. (Note: mud was due to all the mud puddles we ran through and the several falls we took while running through them) Since we were planning on coming out way down the mountain we had to trek another 1.5 miles through the downpour to our camp site. We arrived to find all our chairs and wood wet, my knee bleeding a smidge and the backpackers arms breaking out in hives. (Note: we had not noticed the bleeding knee due to mud coverage and the hives were a surprise from a random plant) We ended up driving into town soaking wet and sore to get some Benadryl and dry wood. The rest was a bit of a blur. The backpacker was drugged on my command and shortly passed out. I then cleaned off the mud and stripped off my wet cloths so I could take a nap. For the next 2.5 hours the world could have ended and neither of us would have known. When I woke up I could barely move and that feeling stayed with all of us for several days. (Note: being that we were all too cold, drugged or tired none of us found it necessary to stretch after our marathon hike resulting in a severe stiffening of the muscles and joints) Even though it has been hard to walk, climb stairs and sit we feel that it was worth it for having survived, dum dum dum, the Hike of Death!

A Big Adventure Soon To Be

As some of you may already know, in October I will be venturing half way across the world to volunteer in Romania. I am very excited! My friend Jenni and I are traveling with an organization intitled Global Volunteers. We will be working in the Tutova clinic which is the infant portion of the orphanage for a month. We will be caring for abandoned or disabled infants and toddlers. Most of these kiddos were severely underweight babies who arrived shortly after birth. Our goals is to nurture them back to health.

Throughout my trip I will be blogging about my experiences and hopefully have pictures of the sweet little things I will be helping. Stay tuned in for the updates.

My name is Melissa Dahl, and I am a relationship saboteur...

For all of you who have ever wondered, "Why is that cute little Melissa single", I am here to enlighten you. I am a relationship saboteur. It’s true. I sabotage any possible relationships and I also sabotage any current relationships. Why, you may ask? Well, I get an intense, overwhelming sensation of fear. The moment I think that a guy might actually like me, and that I might actually be required to like him as much, I panic. My stomach starts twisting into a thousand knots, my mouth goes completely dry like Death Valley in July, and my palms start to sweat like the leaves of the Amazon, and my mind, oh if you could only hear it. My mind starts screaming a thousand miles a minute, "What’s going on, what just happened, what am I going to do..." Well, naturally, I do what any sane person would do after the fight-or-flight mechanism has been activated...I run! I run as fast as my out-of-shape lungs will let me. Usually it is fast enough and after the escape I feel a very mixed sense of relief, regret, and most of all guilt. Ah, one more notch to add to my list of broken hearts.
Am I, in any way, proud of my accomplishment? No, I am never proud. As a matter of fact, I go to my dark place and mope for at least a week. I feel sorry for myself, I feel sorry for the guy, and I feel like a failure. The women we are always complaining about, the ones that break the boys so that they never want to date again...that’s me. I am a monster! Ok so maybe that is a bit extreme, but really I am not normal. To be fair to myself, I don't always realize what exactly it is I am doing until it is already done. I have always thought that the feeling of fear was my answer that he wasn't the 'one' and why should I string him along if I don't feel the same way, but, now I see that it was more of just an overall fear. Its ok, you can call me it; I am a commitment phobe. And I bet you thought it was just men.
I would also like to address the recent issue of flowers. Why did it vex me so much to have flowers sent to me? Does not that show interest? Am I not always tooting my own horn about being a hopeless romantic? Should I not jump at the opportunity to have a romantic notion acted on for me? The answer to all of the above is yes. I most defiantly should want flowers and I find them very romantic and very sweet. However, the Mormon society and generation I have been raised dictates that any and all flowers sent to any one woman by any one man be a representation of extreme like. Yes, when flowers are sent it is usually because you have dated the person, the holiday requires it or he is in big, big trouble. Therefore to receive such a gift is very overwhelming to say the least. As a matter of fact the last flowers I have received from a boy were a dozen long stem roses on Valentines Day my junior year. Since then I have received nothing. This caused the most recent flowers to have a sense of foreboding, like he new something I didn’t. Did I overreact? Absolutely. Should I have taken a few deep breaths and informed myself that since I am a very charming person it is only expected that I should be sent flowers? Yes. All of which, were huge mistakes on my part. If I ever have the pleasure to receive any more flowers for no other reason than someone found my company enjoyable, I will most definitely handle it differently.
All in all, I look at my experiences in life as opportunity for learning and growth. Have I missed out on a lot of great opportunities to date and get to know some amazing guys? I probably have. Ah well, admitting is the first step to recovery.

The best job ever!

As my title implies, I have the best job in the world. I am a nurse and I work very strange hours and lots of holidays but it really doesn't get much better than what I do. My patients generally weigh less than 5 pounds, have very spunky personalities, and make me realize every single day how amazing this life really is.

To give you an idea of what I do, I have decided to outline an average day. I arrive at work a little before 7pm and see which assignment has been given to me for the shift. An assignment consist of 1, 2, or 3 babies. The more sick or attention needing the infant the less the number of babies in the assignment. For example a baby that weighs around a pound, needs a lot of support to breath, and is requiring a lot of serious medication may be a 1 baby assignment. After finding what my assignment will be I go and get report. The off-going nurse will tell me what the history of the baby is (i.e. how he/she was born, what was needed at birth, etc.), what the baby eats, what the baby has been prescribed for his/her respiratory needs, and if the baby is on any medication. Then I take over. The babies are now my responsibility. If you look at it in pounds it doesn't seem like a lot but if you think about it in life and vulnerability it is huge.

In a shift I will change each babies bum approximately 4 times, the babies will each be fed 3-4 times, vitals signs will be recorded hourly, and medication will be given as prescribed. I have given all kinds of medications ranging from blood pressure medication, to caffeine (helps with respiratory drive) and I have started hundreds of IVs. To put that in perspective for all of you, that is like starting an IV in an adult pinkie finger. I have sent babies home with mom and dad, and I have sent babies home to heavenly father. Each shift is a surprise of what I will be faced with. I never know if I will be working with little champs who pass every mile stone with flying colors or if I will be working with the little ones that will struggle for the rest of their lives. Some days I feel as though I could never do enough for these babies and other days I find myself wondering if sometimes as a unit and as a technology we do too much. I have rocked babies to sleep, and I have comforted them during a procedure. I have also wanted to pull my hair out because of the crying but every time you see a new one, every time you hold a tiny life in you hands or, hand as is sometimes the case, it is all worth it. All of the hard times, all of the stress and crazy, non-English speaking parents are fine. Its all OK because for 12 hours at a time you are responsible for one of Gods most beautiful creations and you have the chance to make the first trials of their life less difficult.

This is why I have the best job in the world.