7 Quick Takes: Getting back to real life after Pope Francis in Philly!

1.

It has taken me over a week of being home for me to start to feel ready to do anything. It’s not just that I’m tired, but I also have so much to process from a cross country road trip to see the Pope and for some reason, the only way that I have been able to process it is by being with my family. Usually writing a huge way for me to figure things out in my life so it’s really weird for me to not be able to write about all the things that happened in our week long adventure. It’s all starting to fall into place and I am hoping to write more in the coming week. I also have school to catch up on and my Logic class is kicking my butt! All my classes are to be honest. And it’s fall. If you go look back to any post that I write in the fall, you will see that Fall is basically proof that I’m a bear. I can’t function at the beginning of Fall. I can’t seem to get enough sleep once October rolls around. I’m not trying to whine, I’m just saying that I’m dragging but it’s getting better.

2.

I met some really awesome people on my trip that I have been friends with online but haven’t ever met in person. It’s a crazy thing to know someone but have never seen them in person! I stayed in Philly with Jewels Green who is so fantastic. She is even more so in person. She was a wonderful host who gave us a bed to sleep on and fed us when we were hungry. I loved her house and her family. I woke up Sunday morning to her husband and children talking in the kitchen. It was like I had this window into what a father should be like to his kids. They were in they kitchen of their peaceful home making breakfast and talking about zombies. He listened to every word they said and the boys both talked freely and confident that their dad was hearing them and that they mattered. For someone who didn’t have a father or a peaceful home growing up, it was really a gift to witness it.

3.

On our way from Texas to Philadelphia, we stayed with the producer from Breadbox Media, Jennifer. Here house is gorgeous and she gave me whiskey. What more do I have to say? By the time I got to her house, I had been driving for over 12 hours and had almost died in Nashville, so I wasn’t very talkative and that bottle of whiskey looked like a gift from heaven! In the morning she got my kids donuts and they were happy campers. We had never really had anyone be so kind to us and we also got a giftcard from all the hosts at Breadbox Media to help us on the road and made sure that we could eat real food and not just granola bars!

4.

On the way back home we stopped at a 5 Guys in Virginia and met with Emily who runs a blog named “Conversations with Women“. I interviewed Emily on my show and I really love the concept of her blog. It is important that women speak openly about the realities of life but at the same time take into consideration the privacy of our families. Emily was kind enough to drive to meet us and give us a care package for the road and lunch! Please go visit the blog and read the stories of Catholic women.

5.

My kids were amazed at the kindness from everyone that let us stay with them or that bought/gave us food. Not to mention the people who donated money for gas and the rental car. We had conversations about the generosity shown to us and thank you all for being an example of what being in the Catholic Church means, the love and support and kindness that comes with being a part of this family. Seeing Pope Francis was a blessing for sure, but knowing that so many people helped make it happen was a great witness of the Body of Christ in action.

6.

Looking at the huge crowd of Catholics and all the flags really brought the fact that catholic means universal to life for us all too. I had witnessed it in Rome, but to see that universality in the US was so great! Not only as a Catholic but as an American. To see that we are a country built on different cultures and people from different places as well as being part of the Universal Church, made me pretty proud to be Hispanic.

7.

My husband and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary this week. I have to thank all of you who have prayed for us in the past few years. There were a lot of moments when I was not sure if we were going to make it because life got really hard, but we made it. We are the happiest that we have ever been and we know that no matter what life throws our way that we have brothers and sisters in the Church who will pray for us and help us. Jesus is always with us and our marriage. I also finished the 33 day consecration to Jesus through Mary. Consecration day was the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is our wedding anniversary. Our Lady has been watching out for us too!

For more Quick Takes, go see Kelly at This Ain’t the Lyceum!!