There's No Place Like Home or To Sum Up

Would I do it again?- Now that we've been home for more than a week and I've had some time to reflect on our adventures of the past two months, I think I'm ready to sum up. Do I want to do it again? No, at least not for a long while. My first descriptor of our time in Europe is difficult. You may ask, "What's so difficult about travelling through Europe?" First of all, doing it with three children is not as carefree as going it as a couple. Home schooling is not without much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. It seemed that the boys were playing emotional tag team, taking turns with the meltdowns. Secondly, travelling to so many locations where the languages are unfamiliar makes learning even basic phrases confusing. It was hard to remember where I was and what I should say and I found myself speaking Dutch in Germany, German in Italy, and Italian in Utah.

What's the highlight?- I've been asked what was the highlight of our adventure for me. I can't say that there was one favorite moment, but I'll share a few. It was satisfying standing atop Aurthur's Seat in Edinburgh, even with the wind gusting. It was fun running the city wall in York. I really enjoyed the bike ride from Brugge to Damme along the canal. Sitting in the yard of our hotel in Bacharach amidst the twittering birds, lush wooded hillside, and blossom scented air was a bit of heaven. The majestic views in the Alps of Switzerland were breathtaking. I really liked walking the streets of Florence and stopping to watch local artists and musicians showing their stuff. Walking mere steps from our room to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea in Vernazza, and sitting on the rocks looking at postcard perfect views all around was paradise.

Where would I like to see more of? Someday I'd like to go back to the Alps with a week-long travel pass which would allow me to ride all the gondolas and summit the surrounding peaks and hike and ride throughout the Jungefrau region. There's also a canyoneering adventure in the area run by riverguides that would be a thrill. These activities would, of course, be most enjoyable with Steve at my side.

Have I learned anything?- There are a few things that I would like to do differently now, because of our time in Europe. I feel that I should be more like the Brits in conserving, such as recycling, reusing, and not wasting natural resources. I'd like to put up a laundry line in the back yard for summertime use. After all that walking and hiking wherever we needed to go, I would like to walk and bike around our neighborhood more. Also, I was really impressed with the friendly and hospitable people we met in church throughout our weeks in Europe. We sure appreciated those families who invited us over for Sunday dinner. I have decided that my hesitancy to put myself out should not keep me from being friendly, helping visitors and new neighbors. Another thing I learned was how to blog. I'm sorry that you faithful followers had to put up with my beginning posts and lackluster layout at the first. But, I hope you'll agree with me and say that I've improved since then. I'm not sure whether I'll continue to blog or just turn to keeping a journal, either way I think it's important to keep a record of personal experiences.