Quest #6: Europe Summary

The month-long vacation is over - back to work and back to blogging!

At the risk of sounding trite, traveling abroad has given me an entirely new world view. Prior to this trip, I couldn't imagine traveling abroad without someone essentially holding my hand; now, I'm trying to decide whether to re-visit the countries I've already been to or to book a flight to Asia!

Regarding the quest...

1. Joystealers. I shed a few tears here and there for Grandma, but family and friends supported me and by the grace of God, I got through it.

On the way home, I did sit on a plane that waited on the runway for over an hour before taking off... I may have allowed my joy to be stolen in that instance. It was so horribly hot, and the voices of the teenagers next to me were growing louder and louder, and the little plane was getting smaller and smaller... and then the pilot tells us it will be at least another 20 minutes... I had enough! I would not be bound by this seat belt any longer! I stood up to stretch. I was told to sit down. My seat mate wanted something from the overhead compartment, so I grabbed her backpack. As I stood up to put it away, the stewardess said over the mike,

"Please remain in your seats. We ARE in line for take-off. Ma'am. MA'AM!!"

And I didn't speed up an ounce. Call it my personal form of protest to the horrid conditions I was suffering through at the hand of the airline. (The pilot just said we weren't taking off for 20 minutes, I think I'll risk my life and stand for a minute). Despite being caged in a sweltering enclosed space, I was doing far better than the group scheduled to take the second flight out of New York to Minneapolis - they found themselves heading to Atlanta since their direct flight to Minneapolis was canceled! Sadly, the Atlanta group would not reach Minneapolis until the following day.

2. Laugh Out Loud. The kid loves weapons. In Rotenburg, Germany, we went into a medieval weapon store. We thought he had reached maximum euphoria... until the shop owner came by to tell us nonchalantly that "if you want to sword fight, you go to the back and fight for free." The kid's eyes just about rolled out of his head. The shop owner and the kid sparred, and then I had a chance to try my sword-fighting skills! I did more screaming than sparring, but it was definitely fun.

Overall, while I had a fabulous experience in Europe, I wouldn't describe it as the happiest vacation of my life. Instead, it was a major growing season for me. It was a time of transition. For example, I bragged that I was going to Europe with high school kids and was going to be "16 for 16 days!" Instead, I learned that I am more like 66 - what with my back pain, my inability to adjust quickly to the 7 hour time difference, sub-par stamina when walking long distances and particularly when walking uphill in the mountains, and my fear of breaking my leg on the cobblestones. :-) In all seriousness, I did become aware of my physical limitations - some which I plan to address, but some which I accept are part of being the big three-o!

I also adjusted to the kid's independence. At first, he barely acknowledged I was on the trip with him. I was surprised at how maturely he interacted with adults, peers, and his girlfriend. But I gave him space, and by the end of the trip he was seeking me out (at times other than lunch!). He doesn't need me anymore... so it's nice to know he likes me.

3. Photos. I took 236 pictures. I should have only 192 according to my goal, meaning I took 20% more pictures than allotted. Switzerland and France pushed me over the edge - the mountains and the beautiful historical landmarks...(see above!) The kid took 480 pictures! Between our two cameras, I cut down to 416 and am printing 339.

This Europe trip came at a great time in my life - unlike my high-school counterparts, I really appreciated each tour, museum and landmark. I wanted to take in as much as humanly possible. It was liberating to see how many more options are available in life - I mean, I could move to Zermatt, where gas-powered vehicles are banned and the only (convenient) way up is via the sunnega! The Europe Quest was definitely influential in my Free To Be Me Mission.