Wanderlust, Part 1: Europe

I've had the bug lately.  The travel bug.  Maybe it's the warm weather.  Or friends' talk of summer travel plans.  Perhaps it's the fact that travel is just out of reach for us right now that makes it so desirable.  Between a busy externship summer for Jonathan, a baby, and a complete absence of funds, a whirlwind adventure isn't quite in the cards for us this year.  But, man, I've got an aching in my gut to pack my bags, drop the baby with the grandparents, and hop on a flight to who knows where.  

One perk of times like these is that in our six years of marriage before Riggins came along, Jonathan and I really made travel a priority.  We have enjoyed incredible experiences all over the world together.  When my summer plans consist of a zoo membership, a blow-up pool in the back yard, and a few road trips to see family, it's nice to reflect on days spent with nothing but a backpack and the love of my life.  

The seed of wanderlust was already sprouting, but it grew in bounds when we spent part of last weekend recovering years' worth of photographs that had been lost when our computer got a virus last year.  Among these photos were many of our newlywed adventures.  Lucky for you, I'm going to satisfy my appetite for travel with a little walk down memory lane!  Over the next week or so, I'm going to reminisce with some of those old photos.  So sit back, put your seat in the upright position, and take off with me to....

EUROPE!  

In the fall of our first year of marriage, I applied for graduate school at Baylor University.  Knowing that there was a potential move on the horizon, we discussed that the transition between jobs and school could provide a great opportunity for a good chunk of travel time.  With that in mind, we began to save.  That spring, my acceptance letter arrived, and the next day we bought two plane tickets to London, with return tickets from Brussels two months later.  That's right...two MONTHS.  Go big or go home, right?   

In June, we quit our jobs, put all of our belongings in storage in Texas, put the bare essentials in one backpack each, and hit the friendly skies!  And boy, did we hit them in style!  We were shocked to find that we were bumped up to first class, and though we tried to pretend that we flew first class every day, we exchanged giddy squeals (ok, I squealed...Jonathan probably fist-pumped the air or something) over our free champagne and three-course dinner.  

Over the course of two months, we made our way across the continent, making sweet memories all along the way.  We did it all on the cheap, staying in hostels and small family-owned hotels, shopping at markets and picnicking, and traveling via Eurorail.  It was amazing.  

We hit London and Cambridge...

(Tower of London)

Paris and Versailles...

(Versailles) 

Caen and the Normandy Beaches...

(The D-Day Beaches at Normandy)

Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, and Barcelona (interjected with a week-long jaunt across the Straight of Gibraltar to visit friends living in North Africa)
  

(Barcelona)

Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice...

(Florence)

(Vernazza)

(Venice)

Vienna, Prague, and Munich...

(Prague)

(Fussen)

Interlaken and Gimmelwald (my favorite place on earth, tied with Vernazza!)

We celebrated our first anniversary over Swiss fondue in an Alpine chalet...

Met friends in Frankfurt for a few days in the Rhine River valley...

(with the Russells, exploring a series of tunnels underneath a medieval castle)

(Oberweissel)

And hit Amsterdam and Haarlem before rounding out the trip in Brugge.

(Mussels in Brussels....ok, they were in Brugge, but that doesn't rhyme!)

This trip brought us closer than ever.  There's nothing like international travel to test a relationship.  If you can make it across a continent, dodging pick-pocketers, figuring out train schedules in another language, and agreeing on where to go and what to do, you're on the right track!  On the flip side, there is nothing like experiencing the wonders of the world with the person you love.  To stand in ancient ruins, devour a delicious meal, or take in the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower while hand-in-hand with the love of your life...well....that is just paradise, my friends.  

We returned to DFW airport on a Thursday, took our belongings out of storage and drove to Waco that Friday, moved into our apartment that Saturday, and I began my graduate assistantship that Monday.  It was crazy, but it was worth it.  That summer was a defining time in our marriage.  It represented so many of the things that we value as a couple: valuing experiences over things, being willing to take risks and live adventurously, expanding our hearts and minds through interactions with those who are different from us, and cherishing the beauty of God's creation though nature and the arts.  I can't wait to instill those values in our children, show them pictures of their young parents' adventures, and inspire them to do the same when they are grown.  

Next up...the Texas Hill Country!