Three More Days

Three more days until I'm home! To say I'm ready to be back is an understatement. I've loved being in Italy and getting to know everyone on the trip, but I miss Alisha, Joan, and Charlotte too much. One of our favorite singers is Ray Lamontagne, and his song "Three More Days" perfectly captures this moment. Enjoy.


Three more days, Girl you know I will be coming home to ya darling
Three more days, Girl you know I will be coming home to ya darling

I know it's wrong to be so far from home
I know it's wrong to leave you so alone
I've just got to getcha this good job done
So I can bring it on home to you
So I can bring it on home to you

Father's Day

Enjoying a Mississippi State Basketball game.

Well, it's Father's Day, and unfortunately I have to spend it without my family. Alisha was kind and forward-thinking enough to get me a present to bring to Italy before I left (isn't she thoughtful?). I haven't opened it yet, I'm waiting until we can all get on Skype. Being a father is absolutely wonderful and way more awesome than I ever imagined it would be. I love Joan and Charlotte so much, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them. They give me so much joy. Some of the things we love to do together are sing, attend Mississippi State sporting events (maybe that's just me), watch movies, go to the pool, play outside, and draw. I wouldn't be a father if it weren't for Alisha, so let me tell you that I love you and I thank you so much for my beautiful daughters.

They're just too cute!

I have to wish a special happy Father's Day to my own pop, Ross. I love you so much, you're one of my best friends, and you are the example I look to when it comes to being a father. I wish we had more time to spend together fishing, cooking, and just joking around. I can't wait for you to come to Starkville for the LSU game in the fall!

There's only one man who's generosity matches my own father's, and that's my father-in-law, Poppa John Guilbeaux. One of the many benefits of marriage is that you get a whole new family, and it has been such a pleasure building a relationship with Alisha's father. Thank you Poppa John for treating me as a son and friend.

Happy Father's Day!

Here we are with my parents and my in-laws enjoying a baseball game.

Alisha loves this picture: Proof that I'm a redneck Dad!

We're Two Coins in a Fountain

I've only been to Rome once before, and it was in 2005. Alisha and I were dating at the time (I was 24), and we spent 3 days in Rome as part of our pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany. Here  you'll see two photos from that trip. Above we're in front of the Trevi Fountain, and below in front of St. Peter's Basilica. According to tradition, if you throw one coin into the fountain, you are ensured a return trip to Rome. A second coin will ensure marriage. Our coins have done a pretty good job, with us getting married in 2006 and me returning to Rome this year. Something must've gone wrong with Alisha's other coin. Perhaps I'll head down to the Trevi fountain and put another Euro in for her.

The First Post

Tomorrow I leave for Italy. My bag is mostly packed, my phone is charged, and my shoes are by the door. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement. Five and a half weeks of travel with stops in Rome, Florence, Pisa, Genoa, and Milan. I'll be teaching Mississippi State students about drawing and lettering, something I haven't quite done before. Plus, I'm really looking forward to all of the drawings and photographs I'll be making myself. *Nerd alert: I even bought some new pens and pencils!

All of the excitement is great, so you might be surprised to know that I'm actually feeling bittersweet. I have to leave my wife, Alisha, and two daughters, Joan and Charlotte behind. We've known about the trip for a long time, and I hoped to at least bring Alisha along for a week, but the cost is simply too high for us right now. I've never been away from them for this long, and it's a bit weird to think that I will experience all of this without them. I will certainly miss them, but technology will help narrow the distance between us. In addition to following my trip on this blog, I'll also be able to speak to them through video chats and emails. If you're a friend or family member reading this, I hope you'll follow my blog too! But, this first post is for Alisha, Joan, and Charlotte. I love you all very much, and I hope all goes well while I'm gone.

Quick side note: I'll turn 30 this Thursday, May 26, and on Saturday Alisha threw me an awesome surprise birthday party! You can read more about it here.

The next post you read on here should be from Rome - CIAO!