Europe (Part 1)

First of all, it feels great to be back home. I missed my Auri terribly (not to mention my bed, my washing machine, and my fridge full of cheap food. Oh, and my lungs not filled with second-hand smoke).

That being said, we had an amazing time! I'm so glad we finally got around to it, and it was definitely worth every penny (except, maybe, for the many pennies that taxi drivers jipped us out of). If anything, one of the most valuable parts of our vacation was the newfound appreciation we have for our relaxed days at home. I'm still exhausted from the trip!

I think our first problem was that we started out the trip already tired. We got about one or two hours of sleep on the nine hour red-eye flight to London. Arriving in Heathrow at 7:30 Saturday morning, during a 9 hour layover, we were quickly introduced to the world of foreign currency, automatic ticket machines, and public transportation. After a few failed attempts, we finally managed to purchase two day passes for the London tube system, and away we went. I'm sure we looked pretty goofy at how impressed with we were with the tube stations, and trains, and all of that. When we arrived in London, we were greeted with unseasonably warm, sunny weather. We were tricked into wearing fewer layers than we should have, because the clouds quickly moved in, covered the sun, and took away all the warmth. Even so, we had a great time in London. We saw most of the necessary sights, including Buckingham palace, Westminster Abby, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar square, etc. It was a wonderful practice run, because they still speak English in England, and if we got completely confused, we could at least talk to someone for help. We then caught our connecting flight to Barcelona.

{I'm getting tired, and will post more later!}

Final Countdown

The week is here! I can count down the number of days until we leave on one hand. The documents are are printed, stapled, and tucked away in a tidy little folder. The suitcases are begging to be filled (but I won't let myself until Thursday... okay, maybe Wednesday). Jason is officially done with his killer class. I still have loads of laundry to do, and plan on cleaning the house so we don't come back to a dump, but I'm sure that'll get done on its own.

The only real thing left for me to do is play with my sweet little Auri, read her all of her books over and over again, and blow thousands of bubbles for her. I'm going to miss that kiddo like crazy! But I know she'll be in good hands. She is enamored with both of her grandmas, so I'm not too worried that she'll really miss us at all. She never wants anything to do with me the moment she sees Oma or Debba. Though, I think this week, she is establishing herself as a one-nap-a-day baby... sorry guys!




Our itinerary for Europe is pretty loose. Rather than any planned excursions or activities, I think we're just going to wander, soak up the culture and just get lost in it. Maybe we'll find some cool stuff to do on the way. Either way, I'm so excited!