The most amazing couple of weeks in the history of the universe.

No mom, I didn't meet a guy.

I've just had the most fun in like... forever.


1. I MADE A MEXICAN DINNER FOR TWENTY PEOPLE AND THE FOOD WAS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Yes, I am your master chef. Marriage boot camp is going well. I made Chiles Rellenos! And for dessert nothing short of my grandma's Leche Espesada (Dulce de Leche). And I'm sure I did her proud, cause the darn milk pudding was so yummy I lost my mind...

2. I legally changed my name to Tina Tina Orocco (and by legally I mean I changed my name on Facebook). So it turns out that, when you pick a confirmation saint, you kinda take on their name. If I would have known this, I would have never taken St. Faustina.... Listen, she's a personal favorite, but I already have a long first name. Worse... Faustina rhymes with Cristina............................. so it was a ticking bomb all along--and it finally exploded. So, in the words of Jean Valjean: "who am I? WHO AM I? I'M TINA TINA OROCCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

3. You might be wondering what's up with the last name. OH YES. This is what I call "My American Moment: That time I was Super Dumb". Turns out, the letter "Z" here is pronounced ZET and not ZEE. I didn't know this, and I have been saying zee, confusing hundreds of thousands of British people. So this is why they have been misspelling my last name!!!! O-R-O-ZEE-C-O = OROCCO. I'm Italian, ya'll!

4. Singing, singing, singing. Everyday---everything from Disney songs to Les Mis to Jesus-loving songs. Singing alone. Singing in groups. ABSOLUTE INSANITY. My life has turned into a musical. And it's... so.... awesome.

5. I WENT TO THE LAKE DISTRICT.

Oh, oh my... there are no words. So beautiful. So quaint. So English. Here, have a look:

Awww.. with my Indians! 

Just one of the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring places I have ever been to in my whole life. If there's something you need to see in England, it's this place. I YOLOed this all the way through: I risked my life trying to trick geese into believing I had food for them so they would let me pet them, I rolled down a muddy hill, and I almost lose my feet to hypothermia for dipping them in the semi-arctic waters of the lake.

6. Homework? What is that? What do you mean I came to England to do a master's?

7. Having awesome friends, geeking out about Jane Austen, Disney movies, musicals, etc, etc etc. Truly, I am so, so lucky and grateful. The people I've come to know and to love here... they really make up for it all. God has given me a family here. God has fulfilled His promise to me, at last! And to be able to share my faith with these friends just makes me infinitely happy. so, I basically live at the chaplaincy now.

cyber group hug to you all!

I will never get tired of saying it. And I will never forget.


8. SPRING IS HERE!!! And I've fallen madly in love--with Durham. Flowers popping out everywhere, the gentle blue sky, the sun smiling beams of yellow on the timeless castle and cathedral. There's nowhere like Durham.