About a month ago, we realized that Tyler would need to leave camp halfway through the summer to attend his first football clinic for high school. We had already rented out our house in Westport for all of July, so we would be a little bit homeless between the 3-day clinic and August 1st, when we could move back into the house.
This homeless hiccup also corresponded with the achievement of a professional goal for which I've long been striving - to feel confident in the autonomy of the Experience Camps programs. I've always been surrounded by really great people, but there's been a lot of learning and growth and change in the last few years and I haven't felt ready to let those little birds fly all on their own in the summer months. Until now.
And so I called up my sister and asked, "do you want to go to Europe with me and Tyler?" and she said "yes, and Cate does, too". And then I waited a few days for her to change her mind but she didn't, so I booked our flights and a few hotels, and a month later, we were on our way! It probably sounds like I skipped a few steps or conversations, but I really didn't. I did, however, get an instant sense of excitement and worry all at the same time.
Excitement for this adventure!
...For going to Europe, which I hadn't been to in DECADES. For doing something different and a little unexpected.
...For traveling with Tyler, who is 14 and pretty funny and eats all kinds of food and is interested in things (some things, anyway), and doesn't complain about walking long distances. And who has two other siblings that take a lot of my attention when we're all together, so we haven't really been alone since 2010 when his sister was born.
...For traveling with my sister, Stacey, who makes me laugh until I cry, and is up for anything, and who I haven't traveled with since my junior year of college when she met me in Spain after I studied abroad. That was our first time really getting to know each other away from our parents and our entire adult relationship was built from that trip.
...And for traveling with my niece, Cate, who I have loved like my own child since she was born - before I had kids of my own that kept me from being more present in her life these last 14 years - and who is now a junior in college like I was when I last traveled with her mom! (holy shit, I just realized that as I was writing this).
And yeah, a little bit worried. I'm not even sure why. Maybe for breaking the mold of our usual family vacation by splitting up the group. Or maybe for the unknown outcomes of mixing 4 different travel personalities together. Or maybe because I can't see in the dark and I'd have to depend on other people for 10 days straight. Or maybe it's just the idea of having to figure everything out - like how to pay for the Tube, and how to get from the train station to the hotel, and which shoes to pack.
We are halfway through the trip as I write this and it has been flawless.
We've wandered through the streets of London and Amsterdam. We've delighted in every interesting bit of history, every morsel of food, and every piece of architecture. We have laughed until our bellies hurt. We've had a few snippy moments of irritation that quickly pass - always directed at our children (obviously). We are acutely aware of how special it is that we're here. Together.
And now we will spend four days eating cheese...
All of the details on London, Amsterdam, and Paris to follow.
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