Forgiving the Worst Offenses Ever Done to Me

It's quite interesting that during World Youth Day -- the theme this year is mercy ("Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" Mt 5:7) -- I've had to face the two biggest offenses ever done to me. These two things happened during my childhood and have been crosses I've had to bear and work through in therapy (as they have been causes for the development of my anxiety disorder) and were a bit unexpected.

As some of you longtime readers may remember, I've talked about how, when I was a little girl (4 years old or so), I used to be locked in the bathroom by an older half-brother and my sister-in-law for hours while my parents worked. This seems to be the root cause of my fear of being enclosed in small spaces; of being trapped without a way of getting out. I still have the memory of having a little pink chair next to the door, where I sat until I was let out before my parents came home. I was also underfed. I think what finally tipped my parents off (from what I was told) was that they found me standing on top of a stool, over the stove, trying to heat some tortillas to eat because they (bro and SIL) didn't feed me very well. I actually have some fuzzy memories of this; definitely remember when my parents caught me heating tortillas because I was hungry. Again, I was 4 years-old. My guardian angel definitely kept me safe from harm because I could have burnt myself in the process.

This week (Wednesday through Thursday), my brother and SIL came to visit. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle seeing them (I hadn't seen them in years) so I asked my friends to pray for me. I was sure that would need both strength and charity. I wasn't sure if the wounds had been healed and was worried that they hadn't been. I've been working with both therapists and spiritual directors over the years to help forgive and let go but it was never put to the test by having the people who hurt me in front of me after I'd worked through the hurt. I was nervous until they came to visit and then I saw something unexpected: the hurt and anger were gone.

The visit wasn't completely hiccup free. My sister-in-law spoke through my brother in the first couple of minutes they were here (which I thought was a bit rude since my questions were addressed to her) but it quickly went away. I was able to talk to both of them as if I were talking to anyone else. Before they left, they took my car and found me a mechanic to fix the a/c in the car. My brother even paid for part of the repairs, which I was not expecting. I felt so at peace that I hugged my SIL as they left and thanked them for everything. That hug was a release and a wonderful moment for me. I was grateful for the opportunity to put that awful experience (one that triggered a lifetime of fear in me) behind and to know that the wounds had been healed. Later that night, my mother said that my SIL looked and spoke to me in a way that showed that she was ashamed of what she did when I was a little girl. Now it's my turn to pray for her so that she may forgive herself.

The second experience happened today. I'm going to have to be super vague about this one because I'm not ready to open up this part of my life but let's just say it's the one thing that has plagued me for most of my life. It also happened during childhood (shortly after what happened with my bro and SIL) and it also instilled a lot of fear and anger in me. This one, unlike my brother's visit, was a surprise. The person who committed the offense called me and wanted to help get my car fixed since my brother had mentioned it (and given that person my number, apparently.) I told them my car was getting fixed and that I didn't need help. I tried to be as civil as possible and, thankfully, the call didn't last for more than 2-3 minutes.

When we hung up, I called my mom and told her what happened. She told me not to be angry with my brother (I'm not and wasn't then either) because he was only trying to help. I then texted one of my best friends and let it out so I wouldn't bottle anything up. It wasn't until I said everything on my mind that I cried. Hello, gift of tears. Part of the reason for those tears was because it was unexpected and it scared me a little bit. I was unprepared to talk to the person who'd inflicted the most pain on me. The other reason for the tears was (I believe) because I didn't feel the anger I'd felt in the past. In fact, I felt no anger or any of the negative emotions I'd felt in the past. There was actually some confusion because I didn't know what to make of it all and the anger wasn't coming out like it had in the past. I wasn't exactly at peace since the call rattled me a bit, but I had no ill will towards the person. Do I want to talk to or see them again in the future? No. Not because I haven't forgiven them -- I think I've finally gotten to the point where I have forgiven them and have moved forward -- but because, for my own mental health, it would be best that I don't have a constant reminder of the past in front of me. The past is the past and I refuse to let what happened in the past keep me an emotional and psychological prisoner.

I've been following WYD events closely and I had the prayer vigil on the TV when all of this happened today. After I talked to my mom and my friend, I looked up at the TV (watching it on EWTN) and the skit about forgiveness began. Two actors acted out Pope St. John Paul II forgiving his would-be assassin in the jail cell. I began sobbing because, obviously, it hit so close to home. I asked God to help me forgive if I hadn't forgiven them but it felt like I have and I've moved on. I also felt as if this week has happened because God wants to show me that I've moved forward and have healed from those unfortunate events in my life. The tears didn't last long because I began to feel, deep down, that God allowed for these things to happen this week because He's preparing me for a new chapter in my life.

This past summer has been one big deja vu moment. As I've written before, it feels like God is giving me a second chance to do everything with more wisdom, more faith, and more peace. I've already spent a week in and out of the ER like I did the summer I reverted. God has opened my eyes to many things that have hurt my relationship with Him as well as my own well being, including things have been detrimental to me in various ways (physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, etc).

Just like I did 10 years ago, I've begun the process of cutting out toxic people from my life. My academic (and general) plans have changed quite suddenly. I've learned how to best take care of myself according to my introverted nature. Now I've learned that the biggest wounds in my life have been healed, not through anything I might've done by myself but thanks to His love for me. What a wonderful gift from God on the 10 year anniversary of my reversion.

Again, I feel as if God is allowing me to see that I've matured and I'm ready for whatever new and exciting adventures He has in store for me. While I might've felt weak, unprepared, too fragile, and/or incapable of moving forward in the past, I don't feel that way anymore. Things that I felt kept me from doing anything no longer feel like obstacles. I feel like I now have the tools to unpause my life because, honestly, it feels like I've been completely stagnant for the past decade. Now? I'm all set, I think. I feel like I'm finally doing what I wanted to do in my 20s. All in God's time, right? I hope that everything I've gone through this summer (thus far) means that my time to do everything I've felt called to do will finally happen. I'm ready, Lord.

Anyway, I've written way too much so I'm going to go do something else. Perhaps I'll go clean the apartment while I wait for the mechanic to call about my car. I'm sooo ready for a/c in the car because I've been trapped in the house when temperatures have gotten over 85 degrees... which has been almost all day, every day.

I hope y'all are having a lovely weekend thus far.

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

What I Learned Wednesday #16: Nope, Nope, Nope Edition

If I had kept these What I Learned Wednesday (#WILW) posts like I had wanted to, this would've been the 35th installment. Yes, I counted. I will try to get better at these, even after the Year of Faith ends. Oh yes, that's still going on despite what some of you may think. lol. ;)

Anyway, without further ado, here's this week's WILW.

1. Some Catholics will believe anything as long as it's on "the news." It saddened me to see just how many Catholics believed the MSM (mainstream media) this past week. I was expecting more of it from the English-language news outlets than the Spanish-language but I saw it on both. I personally watched Univision this past week (after a seminarian gave me the heads up that they weren't as Catholic-friendly as one would've thought) and I was unpleasantly surprised by the shoddy reporting. First they were talking about the "radical" words of Pope Francis (which have been twisted by almost every non-Catholic news agency) regrading homosexuality. Then, the next day, they reported more clarification (even interviewed a priest), which would've been great except that at the end of the news report they interviewed a gay Catholic man about how the Church needs to "get with the time." They ended the report with an open-ended question about whether Pope Francis and/or the Church would ever change. Way to confuse the audience, Univision. *sarcastic slow clap* Something I learned early on (pre-reversion) in my intro to Journalism course (freshman year of college) was that the MSM will always be biased. Always. It's no secret that it's anti-Catholic 99% of the time so I don't understand why people don't take the time to look into what Pope Francis actually said. I actually saw his response to the question from a reporter, which was in Spanish (thank goodness for being raised bilingual) and I saw how easily someone who doesn't understand Catholicism could twist the words. Instead of relying on media outlets, check out video/audio clips (as unedited as possible). Better yet, go to the USCCB or Vatican websites and check the Church's stance on homosexuality for yourself. It hasn't changed and it won't change, no matter how much people many want it to. Click here to read it straight from the Catechism via the Vatican's website.

2. Moving on from that unpleasantness, I was happy to learn (along with most of you) that the next World Youth Day (2016) will be held in Krakow, Poland. Yay! I only have two big World Youth Days before the cutoff age of 35 (I'll be 34 in 2019; no, I'm not ashamed to say how old I am) so I am determined to either go to this next one or (fingers crossed that it's in Ireland, the U.S. or Canada) in 2019. I know a lot of, ahem, "traditional" Catholics call WYD a "Catholic hippie-fest" but I like them. My first one was WYD 2008 in Sydney (happened two years after my reversion) and I've continually gotten something out of each. They've helped me grow spiritually so I am ignoring all the "hippie-fest" naysayers. Also, a little sad that some of y'all talked so much smack about the Masses and the music. Don't forget that some cultures celebrate their Masses different. I am not a fan of the clapping and dancing in Masses -- I'm a fan of the solemn, Gregorian chant, Latin Masses though not in a snobbish way -- but I do recognize and respect the fact that it's not celebrated the same way everywhere. I think some people missed the great homilies and words that Pope Francis spoke because they were being nitpicking everything.

3. Just when I was done with discernment, nope (nope nope). I have to discern both career vocation and vocation vocation again. My spiritual director thought it would be a good idea to discern what I will study in grad school (Speech-Language Pathology vs. Theology) as well as my "other" vocation (mother & wife vs. consecrated single). It's going to take a while so please keep me in your prayers. I am honestly leaning towards SLP (and I have been prepping myself for the exams and whatnot) but I've had enough people (spiritual director included) bring up an MA in Theology that I have to really discern things. There may be something that everyone is seeing that I'm missing (wouldn't be the first time).

As for the vocation vocation, I am in a state of limbo. I thought I was 100% positive that it was of wife and mother but I've been having my doubts lately. Not that I haven't had a chance to date; opportunities presented themselves but I haven't wanted to. I don't know if it's because I've become used to being single (and have been enjoying it) or because I haven't met/dated the right guy yet. I am currently suffering from the Emma Woodhouse "... I am not only not going to be married at present, but have very little intention of ever marrying at all" syndrome. I feel selfish for thinking this way but I've gotten a taste of independence (first time I haven't had any heavy adult responsibilities since the age of 12) and, while I would be happy to give it up for the right fella, I haven't had the need to give it up yet. Call it the curse of the Millennials or whatever but it's not my time yet. If it happens, it'll happen and I won't fight it. For now it's trips to Disneyland, staying up reading whatever I want, and enjoying going out with friends. Either way, I will be spending a lot of time in prayer. I pray not only for guidance but for my future husband if I am to marry in the future. I'm very grateful that I have a fantastic spiritual director to help me along the way. :)

... and this blog post is officially way longer than I intended. Oops. I really should've saved number 3 for a separate blog post but I didn't have a number 3 so I improvised. lol.

I won't make this any longer so I will say: thanks for making it to the end of this blog post. If I could give you all cookies and milk for getting this far, I would. lol.

I should go do something productive (currently on a mini vacation but still). Maybe I'll go finish one of the 5-6 books I have going on at least. I really should do something about that. lol.

As always, thanks for reading and God bless. :D

World Youth Day (WYD) 2011 Theme Song

I usually leave these posts for Music Mondays but there have been many people searching for the WYD '11 Theme Song and have been landing on the post from the last WYD (2008). If you're on XT3 then you have the ability to hear all the different versions of the song and not just one of them. There is the International (multi-language song) version, Pop/Soul version, Orchestra version, and Choir version. Except for the International version are in Spanish which is unsurprising as WYD next month (a month already?!) is taking place in Madrid, Spain. I have to say that my favorite is the Choir version.

Here is the official video for the official theme song:


I'll be the first to admit that, despite some friends being overly critical about WYD and trying to persuade me to dislike it with intensity (why is that even necessary?), I very much wanted to go to WYD this year. After watching the last one via EWTN, I actually dreamt of attending this year's celebration and feeling that excitement and that youthful enthusiasm for myself. Alas, it wasn't in the cards for me: not only do I not have the funds but my senior year of college starts the day after it ends and I wouldn't have had the time to get back to L.A. and get over the jetlag in time. Maybe next time? Hoping it'll be closer to home next time.

Is anyone going to Madrid this year? If so, are you excited? If not, will you be watching online and via EWTN like I will? :)

Anyway, I am not feeling that great (stomach bugs like to plague me during the summer) so this is a short little post for now. Hopefully those looking for the new theme song will now find it easier. :)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless! :D

Music Monday: World Youth Day Theme Song

I finished two quizzes, an assignment, and now I'm getting my financial aid stuff all worked out. Mondays are hectic for me. Tomorrow I will be at 3 different campuses in less than 5 hours (seriously), so I am getting everything ready for that. As I said yesterday, no real entry until tomorrow when I can finally breathe... you know, after I drive around L.A., trying to get my transcripts sent to the school I am hoping will accept me for next Fall. Which school that is -- no comment until I know that I am for sure attending it. Anyway, I haven't forgotten today's entry (though it's very late -- 11:33 p.m. PST). I decided to re-vive Music Mondays and thoughts today would be the perfect day.

I chose the theme song, "Receive the Power" by Guy Sebastian and Paulini, from 2008's World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia because it brings wonderful memories to me. Though I personally couldn't attend (due to my anxiety which was still really bad at the time), I watched all the coverage EWTN offered... which was a lot. This song always brought tears to me eyes (and it still does) because of the message it brings to us.

By the way, did you know that you can find the songs to the most recent World Youth Days on XT3? If not, now you do. ;) You can find them here.

Alright, without further ado: the music video for "Receive the Power."


Isn't it a beautiful song? :D I can't wait to hear what the song will be for the next World Youth Day in Madrid (just a year away!) By the way, don't think that because I posted the song, I am telling you guys that the new WYD theme song is about to be released. I don't have that kind of intel. If it comes out soon, it'll be a coincidence. Got it? lol. :D

Alright, I need to get back to filling up these forms before midnight comes around... because that's when a lot of the school websites do their maintenance. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

Getting Excited about WYD 2011; Saint Books

Is anyone besides myself getting really excited about World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain? I know it's still 2 years away but with the introduction of the new logo for the event and the website the Archdiocese of Madrid has launched (which is currently only in Spanish), it's a little hard not to get excited! I was excited last year, and all I did was watch it on T.V. Btw, yes, I did sacrifice sleep to watch most, if not all, of it. :D One of the downsides of living on the U.S. West Coast and having the event broadcast live from Australia; several hours ahead of us. I was so bummed I couldn't go last year. I was still dealing with my anxiety (which was still in full force and was just getting into the routine of going to Mass without getting panic attacks) and we were also still dealing with dad's chemotherapy at the time. While I didn't get to experience the entire thing in person, I am thankful that EWTN (especially the Spanish channel, which is the only one Time Warner Cable allows me to watch without extra cost) broadcast it. I felt like I was still able to experience the joy and wonder of it all, though, admittedly, not the same way the people who went probably did. I was even on the edge of my seat, waiting for them to announce where the next WYD would take place, and I was overjoyed when it was announced that it would happen in Spain. I told myself that I would try to do everything I could to make sure I would be able to go to the next one in Madrid.

I told my parents that we would all go to the next WYD, especially since it's happening in the country where our ancestors came from. (Here's my Spanish heritage pride coming out. lol.) They both said that it was a plan. I actually planned on helping them return to the Church by then, if not then and there, but things don't always go as we planned. Anyway, as soon as the Spanish language website and logo were revealed, I told my mom about this. We now have a game plan. We're going to set aside a little bit of money every week for the remainder of the time so that we can go. I'll also have to figure out how to help mom with her fear of flights/airplanes, and, okay, myself as well (although, I'm more used to that than she is) but I still have more than enough time to figure that out. :D I fully intend on making the trip and hopefully I'll be able to stick around Spain for a bit after to visit places like where St. Teresa of Avila, and other Spanish saints, lived. :D

And while I'm talking about St. Teresa of Avila, I hope to re-read (and actually finish this time) her autobiography, long with other saint books before I head back to school. I've already gone through 4 books (plus currently reading another) but they haven't been about saints, or even Catholicism. As soon as I finish the one I'm reading (Jane Austen themed), I will re-read one of Bl. Pier Giorgio's books and finish the other I haven't read. After that, I hope to finish St. Augustine's Confessions, a book on St. Therese of Lisieux (which is in Spanish and was passed down to me by mom), one on St. Philomena, all before I go onto St. Teresa of Avila's book. The reason I saved hers for last was because it'll prepare me for the new school year. I don't know what it is about her and her autobiography but it definitely puts me in the right mind frame to tackle school. I hope to finish them all by the 30th (which gives me 23 days, 22 if you don't count today). I do intend to write reviews for them. I hope to get my hands on St. Therese of Lisieux's autobiography, too. I love saint books. If anyone has any more suggestions for good saint books, please let me know! Any and all suggestions are welcomed. I'm a bibliophile that needs to have a book with her at all times. lol. :D

Alright, I think that's about it. I've fallen into my summer reading mode and I am not online much because of it. All I need is a book, some jazz music, and a cup of peppermint tea to be perfectly content. If you can add some lilies to the room, even better. Yes, I'm a full on nerd. lol. Sorry this post has been a little boring, I'm just very anxious to get back to my book. lol. I hope to write something a little more substantial next time; perhaps even a book review on one of the books on my list. :)

OH! Before I forget... I currently have NO prayer requests from anyone. Aww. :( If any of you would like me to pray about something -- illness, lack of job, anything! -- please let me know. I LOVE praying for others and my little book is currently empty. :(

Okay, that's all for now. I hope everyone had a great week and will have a great weekend as well. :D Thanks for reading! God Bless. :D
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Nos Vemos En España!

Translation: I'll see you guys in Spain! Yes, the rumors were true! The next World Youth Day (2011) is taking place in Madrid, Spain! I probably scared people with how loudly I yelled when I heard. It was one of 2 other places (the others being the U.S. and Ireland) I wanted the next WYD to take place at. *happy sigh*

It's perfect because a) I don't have to learn a new language -- I grew up speaking both English and Spanish, b) I LOVE the food (yes, it all goes back to the food for me, lol), and c) I will be going to a country that I love. You just have to look at my last name to know why I'm so excited (hint: its origin is from Spain). AND, I hope that I'll be able to visit where St. Teresa of Avila grew up and lived as a nun! *squee* lol. It's 3 years away but, oh, the plans have started to come out of my little head. lol. Of course, I have to start saving up (little by little) and I have a feeling both of my parents will want to come, as well (especially my mom... if she can get over the fear of airplanes) so that's even more savings we have to make. Luckily, I'll be done with my first degree by then so I won't have to stress to much about how that's gonna affect my savings. I'm not looking forward to the heat (it gets hotter in Madrid than it does in Southern California) but that's something I'm willing to struggle with to be able to attend WYD. :D

Unfortunately, that's all I have time to write today. Still a very busy time for me. I had hoped to have more down time to write but that's not looking possible any time soon. But, it's good that I'm busy... it keeps me from over-analyzing everything, which is a sort of specialty of mine. lol. I hope to write tomorrow... I still have A LOT that I want to touch on -- especially with the news that an American soccer player chose to leave his team to become a priest. How awesome is that? God Bless him!

Alright, that's all for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks for reading and God Bless!
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I Know, I'm Sorry!; WYD2008 Opening Mass, Rumor; Miracles.

I KNOW, I KNOW... I'm SORRY! It's taken me a week to post another blog but I've been so busy with so many things. Summertime, not counting the past two summers, is normally my busy time. Summers of 2006 and 2007 weren't because I was very sick. This summer, I'm still a bit sick (but, really, it's mainly my anxiety which has been under control lately) but not enough to keep me from doing other things. Or, at least, I am not letting it keep me from having a busy schedule. I took a road trip this past Friday, which went very well. I was surprised how well it went! It's been the most successful one I've been on in years! Whoo! :D Despite the insane traffic and the heat, I actually enjoyed myself and didn't worry about getting sick. Whoo! :D I have a pretty mellow week this week (well, that I know of) so I hope to start blogging for often again. I'll admit it, I sincerely miss being able to blog every day, or every other day.

I caught the opening Mass of World Youth Day 2008 on EWTN en Español last night/this morning. I was way too excited about it. I even thought to myself, if I'm excited now that I'm watching it on T.V., I can't imagine how ecstatic I'll be at the next one (which I hope, and plan, to be at). I was blessed enough to meet some of the pilgrims that were going to Sydney before they left to fly out there and I'm so excited for them! May the Lord protect them, and may they have a safe flight back to their homes. I can't wait to hear how it went (I've already been promised pictures and videos of the trip). Anyway, back to the Mass (see how easily I can veer off-track? lol), I honestly enjoyed the entire thing... even though I had to stay up until 2 in the morning to watch it. That's what happens when you're about 17-18 hours behind them. It was completely worth it though! I understood 3 of the languages spoken (English, Spanish, and Italian) and a bit of other (French). I got a bit choked up when I saw the U.S. and Mexican flags together. Yeah, I know... I'm a big dork. lol. I loved seeing how everyone was mixed and that people didn't care whether they were near other people of their countries. I saw the Irish flag mixed with Germany, Spanish and African flags. Canadians mixed with Koreans. It was an amazing sight. I'm hoping and praying that I will be able to attend the next WYD in 2011... which is rumored to be held in Spain. Hey, I'm just repeating the rumor that's going around with the pilgrims (which I heard through EWTN en Español). I really hope it is! I would love to attend my first WYD in a country I love -- a country in which I know the language and foods. lol. :D Although, it gets VERY hot in Spain in the summer. Eh, to be able to go, I wouldn't mind the heat! :) Wherever it'll be held (we won't find out until Sunday's closing Mass), I am so there!

OH! And, before I forget, I was so overjoyed to hear that 27 Iraqis were granted visas to go to WYD! I almost cried (happy tears) when I heard that! Originally, I think they were only going to allow 10 visas because of fears that they would stay in Australia instead of going back but granted 27. It's still a VERY low number but I'm just glad that those people were able to fly to Sydney and participate. :D You can read more about this story here (pre-WYD/original news) and here (latest news).

Another miracle that has happened... I've gotten my father to attend Mass with me. Twice in less than a week. Yes, I did the impossible! WHOO! I even got to introduce him to Fr. Leo on Sunday. I was far too excited. :D It's a true miracle because I couldn't get him to Mass. I tried but he always used excuses until I finally broke him down. Or, I like to think that I broke him down. lol. We have a new priest at my parish (or new to me -- I hadn't been attending Mass for a month because of the virus that took nearly 2 months to get out of my system), so I was happy about that as well. He was awesome; very funny. :D Needless to say, I had an amazing Sunday. First time in a month I'd attended Mass... first time in MONTHS that I'd gotten my Father to go willingly... no anxiety, no stress, no illness. *content sigh* I hope to have repeat experiences from now on. :D

Okay, well, it's still early in the day and I want to do something other than sit in front of my computer. Hope everyone is enjoying/enjoyed their day! Watch the WYD celebrations if you can! They are aired on EWTN and EWTN en Español. I believe it's broadcast worldwide You can also watch it on EWTN's website (if I am not mistaken). In fact, I will post a link on the right hand panel, under the Bella link, so you can watch it live from your computer. :D.

Everyone take care, thanks for reading, and God Bless. :D
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Trip Down Memory Lane and World Youth Day '08.

Today I received an e-mail (from the website photobucket) letting me know I still had pictures in an account I had forgotten about. It'd been a little over 2 years since the last time I'd been on the site so I decided to go look at what I had. Wow, there were a lot of pictures from 2002 - 2005 that I'd forgotten about. I did delete most of them but saved a few before deleting the entire account. The ones I did save were uploaded to my facebook account where, I know, a couple of my friends will get a kick out of seeing them. I've changed a lot in just the last year alone, so I can't wait to hear what memories my friends have about certain photographs. The thing that was most interesting was how much I've physically changed in 2 years. I still look younger than I am (and am often mistaken for a 16 to 18 year-old by those who meet me for the first time) but I have changed quite a bit. I seem to look younger, and slightly different ("But in a very good way" according to a friend, lol) than I do in photographs. Honestly, I don't really care how I look... I just like pictures because they're a snapshot that captures a particular moment. It's always fun going down memory lane and seeing how much you've grown (not just physically) as a person. The pictures made me very happy, which is always nice, and I hope some of my friends also get lovely memories from a couple of them.

And while I'm on the topic of looking slightly younger than I am... I'm starting to save up for, hopefully, a trip to World Youth Day in Australia this year. I wonder, though, if I may be slightly too old for it. Okay, so I took a moment to google the answer for that, and no, I am not too old for it. The official age range is apparently 16 - 35 years of age. That means I can squeeze in about 4 - 5 more WYD's before I hit 35... and that's assuming it's every 3 years. Although it doesn't look good (my possible trip this year) you can bet I will save up for the next one... whereever it's held. I really hope I do make it, though, because it's something I'd love to experience. Of course, I am going to see if any of my friends would be up to go with me because I don't want to go by myself. Although I do have experience being in a different country by myself, I always have back-up nearby if needed. I don't know anyone in Australia, or New Zealand, so no nearby back-up. If my bro wasn't married with kids, he would've gone with me. Hmmm... I've got some thinking to do about this thing. Luckily, since I'm on the West Coast of the U.S., it won't be terribly expensive (or at least I hope it isn't) for me to fly out there. No, I still haven't looked at the prices but when I planned my trip to New Zealand a year ago, it wasn't that bad. Okay, I just checked it out... it's $1727 USD for a round trip from Sydney to LAX. If I register for WYD at the official site and get one of their pilgrim packages, I don't have to pay too much for food, health cover, transportation, etc. Not only do I have some major saving up to do (medical bills last year took out a huge chunk of my savings), they flight to Sydney is 15 hours; the flight from Sydney is 17 hours! Blimey! Well, I will try and if not, I will just watch it was much as I can on EWTN (assuming they'll broadcast some of it).

Hmm... I've got some number crunching and planning to do so I'll end the blog for today.

Thanks for reading and God Bless. :D