Since many people expressed interest, and I really enjoyed
keeping a little written accounting of our last long trip, I have decided to
reinstate my blog for this European adventure. What prompted this odyssey was a
culmination of many factors. We were on the brink of moving across country, as
of last week almost everything we own is sitting in storage pods, we were
forced to move-out of our rental house earlier then we planned because the
owner decided to sell, and maybe most importantly we just had the itch to get
out there and see stuff. To live as a citizen of the world. This being the 4th
trip for both Gardner and I we are becoming increasingly comfortable navigating
Europe, and absolutely love it there. Since planning time was short we decided
to stick with the sort-of familiar and head to some old favorites as well as
some places that are brand new to us.
So after what has felt like a complete whirlwind of sorting,
selling and packing up our house, packing for and planning this trip, and
serving as a bridesmaid in my oldest friend’s wedding, I still can’t 100%
believe I am currently sitting 10,000 feet in the air above the Atlantic ocean,
only a few hours from landing in Madrid, Spain! We won’t be stopping there; we
have one more short connection after this that will take us onto Malaga, Spain,
the Costa del Sol.
Sitting here peacefully watching my babies (all 3 of them)
sleep, I am struck by how fortunate and excited we are to be embarking on this adventure.
This trip will be very different from the last, the kids are older this time, we
won’t be changing any diapers. (YAY) I am anticipating that the kids increased
age will make things both easier and harder at the same time. What I want to
focus on is really soaking up this time with my people, the three that I love
most in the world, enjoying them and taking on this adventure together. So here
we come Spain, France, Italy, and Istanbul! For the next 7 weeks you will be
our temporary homes.
Also for the record…the kids have been amazing on the
flights!! Walking through the airports with two little aspiring ninjas, makes a
mom want to pull her hair out, I think I said “Come on Ev” 1 million times at
least, BUT they have been rock stars on the planes! It’s amazing how a combination
of ipads, Kindles, and Nintendo DS’s, plus a mandatory “bedtime kept the kids calm and happy.
Update:
We are here, exhausted, but all checked-in to our temporary
home. It’s a nice 2 bed-room apartment with killer sea views, and an unfortunate
habit of the breaker tripping every time more than 3 things are plugged in. It’s
already happened 4 times today. Massive annoyance. But all in all, we are good.
New SIM cards purchased, fridge-stocked and laundry started, we are ready for a
fun week exploring the Costa Del Sol.
