The summer of dreams coming true

Empress Tea Room

Although the program here is a lot of work and sometimes I feel very overwhelmed, I forget how awesome it is to be out here. There are so many blessings every day! I realized how blessed I was this weekend, when I had the chance to go over to Vancouver Island and spend some time in the beautiful city of Victoria. It was a whirlwind weekend of staying in a hostel, exploring the downtown area, spending some time with relatives, and trying to track down an old friend of my mother's.
I was standing in the Empress Tea Room on Friday night when I realized how many of my dreams have come true this summer. You see, my grandmother traveled to Victoria a few times when I was small and for some reason, I always wanted to as well. It is a weird dream, but it's always been my dream to go to the Empress Tea Room and the Butchart Gardens and all the other places in Victoria. Well, I never made it to the Butchart Gardens... I have decided I will have to return to Victoria someday! But I went to the Empress Tea Room, Chinatown, the Legislative buildings and much more. And this was all a dream come true. SO. Here are my dreams that have come true this summer:

-Going to the Empress Tea Room
-Eating the best waffle ever (http://www.wannawafel.com/)
-Celebrating July 4th in the USA.
-Getting to see friends who live on the other side of the country as I do

-Being among mountains
-Seeing a seqouia.

But, by far the biggest dream that has come true this summer is studying linguistics. I cannot be thankful enough for this school, and for the ways I am intellectually challenged. I have not doubted once since I've been here that is the exact right place for me to be.

Sequoia tree