Two more stamps in the passport

I feel like among my many accomplishments in life (being Bat-Mitzvahed, graduating college, getting and staying married, having two children, running a marathon), taking this recent trip to England and Portugal with my girlfriends ranks right up there.  Even though I had a countdown app from 150 days out, planned every little detail in advance and spent 10 fantastic days on the trip, I am still in awe that this event even occurred.   I believe I outdid even myself in taking a vision and making it a reality.

It was a magical 10 days spent with friends, exploring new countries, and having wonderful adventures.  We must've laughed non-stop for 10 days. I truly believe laughter is chicken soup for the soul and does wonders for your mental being.

I could not have asked for better traveling companions.  I met these women when our sons started preschool 8 years ago.  We bonded and stayed close over the years despite everyone going to different elementary schools.  Our boys are good friends and the girls born a few years later inherited instant best friends.  There is a saying in Judiasm, "Beshet", meaning it was meant to be. That's the kind of friends these women and their husbands and kids are.

 After 10 days of being with each other 24/7, we were not tired of each other.  We meshed well when traveling and found humor in most everything.  From proving the rental car guy wrong in Portugal that yes, we can fit in the size of a Prius with all of our humongous suitcases, to walking around Covent Garden in circles looking for a place to do tea, to attempting to check into the wrong hotel at 11:30pm at the end of a very long day, there was nothing that could dampen our spirits and not have us treasure each moment of the journey.  Even getting my legs and feet covered in Stinging Nettle (crazy!!!) made me be in the moment and appreciate the opportunity I was taking a part in.

And we had adventures!  Many wonderful moments from speeding down the Thames river at 35 mph feeling like we might tip over, to seeing the play "Kinky Boots" and sticking around after the show to meet the cast.  Imagine our delight when all the performers turned out to be really nice and stayed to chat with us.  We held our breath while Susanne expertly navigated the windy, steep, crazy roads in Portugal.  We all tried something new by taking a big leap of faith at the Spa in Lisbon and immersing ourselves in the Float thingy capsule in complete darkness and silence.  We were in awe of the performers doing acrobatics right in front of our eyes while we ate dinner at Circus in London. We managed to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace just as it was beginning, standing in the exact place where all the action happens.  Serendipitously, we participated in a live radio show for a Portuguese Fado station and we crashed a cocktail party for an art gallery, complete with meeting the artist.  Cambridge, Cotswold, London (in England) and Lisbon, Sintra, Costa da Caparica (in Portugal) were among our destinations, absorbing the environment and taking it all in.  

Azenhas do Mar in Portugal

In Cambridge.  I absolutely love this photo.

We made the most of each day and would summarize the final minutes before sleep with "Our husbands and kids would've hated today."   It's true, this trip was not to please everyone, just us.  And boy, did we have amazing weather in England.  Everyone kept saying the warmth (high 70's and sunny!) was not typical for London.  It made the experience all the better.

We now have the travel bug big-time!  It was all we could do to not start planning our next adventure.  We hope to return to Europe in two years and take the boys to Spain and Greece.   And of course, if the boys get a trip, then the girls deserve one too a few years after that.  Oh what fun to think of the possibilities that lie ahead. 

None of this would've been possible without my husband.  If Jeff wasn't as great of a father or one of my biggest cheerleaders, I couldn't have gone and enjoyed myself as much as I did.  He not only held down the fort and kept things moving along smoothly, but he did it with gusto and his usual sense of humor. 

I'm sure these sheep are laughing at me as I am fully covered in Stinging Nettle taking this photo.

PLENTY of room in the rental car!  Ha!!  We refused to go back and tell the guy he was right.  :)

Palacia de Pena in Sintra

Time for tea!

Susanne and Robyn navigating the Underground from Notting Hill to Charing Cross -- victory!

Have passport, will travel

So if you are reading this, then it means I successfully made it on my trip.  I AM IN ENGLAND!!!  Oh my gawd, I can't believe I even just typed that line.  I am currently taking "Girl's weekend" to new heights! 

For 10 days, my two girlfriends and I are crossing over the pond to visit our friend Dawn, whose family relocated to England for 3 years.  Dawn is the one I traveled to Israel with 2 years ago.  This trip has been in the works for so many months.  I never thought the day would finally come. 

We are spending 4 nights in London, 1 night with Dawn in her home (she lives about 45 minutes from London) and 4 nights in Portugal.  Why Portugal?  Because when you've traveled that far, we figured we should throw in another country to visit.  And none of us has been to Portugal before (including Dawn who is joining us for this part of the trip too).

We have some amazing plans and reservations booked. 

Highlights include:
-Tickets to see the Broadway show "Kinky Boots"
-Speed boat adventure sightseeing cruise (think 50 mph!) down the Thames.  They give you full rainwear and goggles to protect you from getting soaked.  
-High tea at Fortnum and Mason,
-Reservations to eat at this restaurant called "Circus" where they do acrobatic acts all around you from the ceiling.  Freaky, right? 

Plus, we are doing Cambridge, Cotsworld, and all the usual sights in London (Westminster Abbey, Changing of the Guard, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, etc).  

In Portugal, we are spending a day at the spa.  Dawn helped make our reservations.  It's going to be quite interesting to see what we end up with as there were some major communication issues.

Dawn: I see on your website that you have a package for two people.  Can we get a package for 4 people?
Lady at the spa:  Oh honey, if you want romance for 4, you need to take that to a hotel.  We only do romance package for 2 here.

hahahahaha!  Once Dawn stopped laughing, she explained that romance wasn't something we were looking for, but to book us for other things.  There has been talk that we are signed up for 4 handed massages.  Oh my!  I am little freaked out at the thought of having to relax while trying to keep track of so many hands touching me at the same time.  

I still can't believe I was able to make this trip happen.  And I am equally in shock that my fellow mommy friends, Susanne and Anna are coming too.  This trip is going to EPIC! I don't normally get to live such a glamorous life.  I already have a feeling it will be hard to go back to my normal routine once we return.

Finding happiness admist total mayhem

It's amazing how friends can make your day a lot sweeter.

I recently went on a girl's weekend to Charlottesville.  It was part of a multi-process farewell tour for my dear friend Dawn, whose family is moving to England for three years.

During the car ride home our conversation turned towards "being happy" and what that means.  It was a very interesting conversation of how people seek happiness and may never achieve it because they don't realize happiness can be just living in the moment.  For me, happiness is being content.  As long as my basic needs are being met (I'm not hungry, I'm not tired, I'm not too cold, or too hot, or whatever) and I am surrounded among people I enjoy being with, I am content.  And, therefore, I am happy.  In fact, all hell can be breaking loose around me and I can still be happy.  Really.

We went to dinner the night before at this supposedly very trendy, very hip restaurant in Charlottesville.  It came highly rated and of course, needed reservations to get a table for their busy Saturday nights.  We were seated within an appropriate amount of time of showing up.  The menu looked promising and we had a great waitress.  I ordered this amazing Peanut Butter cocktail that was out of this world. 

Three of us ordered the spinach salad (I asked to have my bacon on the side), Dawn ordered the salad on their specials list for the evening, and Susanne didn't order any salad.  Susanne and I each ordered the acorn squash soup.  Since I didn't order an entrée, the waitress said she would make my salad the entrée and bring out the soups first with the other salads that were ordered. 

Our salads (minus Dawn's) and both soups arrived at the same time.  We knew it was meant to be my salad because it had the bacon on the side.  No worries, I can set my salad aside and eat the soup first before it gets cold.  However, Dawn's salad never came.  And when it finally did, it was the spinach salad, not the salad special she asked for.  I asked the table runner if the small container was the bacon from my salad (it was very dark and I couldn't see it very well) -- he said and I quote "We don't have bacon at this restaurant."  Um, yes, you do!! It's written on the menu. 

The three of us look at our spinach salad we had ordered and realize it is missing easily 3, maybe 4 of the ingredients listed on what is has in it.  It is missing the cheese, the almonds, dressing, etc.  We eat it anyway because we are so hungry.

Meanwhile the table runner takes Dawn's wrong salad away and after a very long time, finally arrives with the salad special.  As Dawn is saying 'Thank you', the table runner slams the salad down in front of Dawn. Yes!  You read right, the plate gets slammed down.  Instantly the five of us drop our mouths open in shock.  We couldn't believe what just happened.  Dawn asks to speak to the manager and when he arrives, he makes excuses for the rude service and says that he isn't to blame for how busy the restaurant is.  WHAT!?!?!?!

During this whole process the spinach salad with the bacon on the side keeps arriving at our table, again and again and again.  I keep turning it away saying I already received it.  However the 3rd time it came, I got curious and asked to see the salad the guy was holding in his hand. I saw it was made correctly!  This is what the Spinach Salad should've looked like!  I told my friends the 4th time the salad shows up, I am taking it.  Sure enough, the extra salad came a 4th time and I said, "yes, it was mine."  This one was tasty.

It had to have been a full hour from when the salads arrived to when the entrees came.  At this point I only had sweet potato fries left to eat.  I shared my fries with my friends.  The one fry Dawn picks up is frozen!  Crazy, right!!?!?   We call the waitress back over and tell her to hand this fry to the manager.  Almost immediately a new order of sweet potato fries arrive at the table. 

We lost count at the amount of mistakes that were made.  It was pretty hilarious.  It wasn't the waitresses fault and we made sure her tip reflected that.  As she put down the bill, she said "If it said salad, you won't see it on here."   More probably should've been done to compensate for the rudeness and all the other mistakes, but we survived. 

What a crazy, fun night.  It might not be most people's definition of happiness.  But for those 3 hours, it was mine. 

The peanut butter cocktail...they did get this drink right.
Yum!

Girl's Weekend

I have been very fortunate to go on not one but two girl's weekends in the last 4 months.  Each  trip was with a different set of women I hang out with.  My most recent one was to Berkeley Springs in early October with my neighborhood mom's group friends. 

We booked spa treatments for Saturday at my favorite spa.  I always like to try something new and this trip was no exception.  I booked a Steam and Herbal Wrap.  I had no idea what to expect.  Fortunately my friend Jen booked the same exact thing and we experienced the spa treatment at the same time. 

Here is a description of the treatment:

An Atasian signature spa treatment, this service begins in the herbal steam room, followed by a cocoon of hot, fragrant, herb soaked linens. Further perspiration draws out impurities while beneficial herbs nourish the skin. A scalp massage enhances deep relaxation.  20 minute steam / 25 minute wrap.

So here is what is not included in the description.  The steam room is crazy!  It's filled with so much steam you can't see your hand coming from your body.  You are wrapped in a towel (with nothing underneath) and told to enter this enclosed room.  Upon walking through the door, Jen says, "Is that you Robyn?"   Trying to get my bearings, I say, "Yes".  We had no idea each other was in the room.  Jen then says "Thank G-d you are here!!  I keep trying the door to make sure I don't get locked inside."

I am still not sure where I am.  I can't see anything.  I ask her if we just stand here.  She said no, take a seat. Um, where the heck is that!?!?!  I feel my way for the long built-in bench and find it.  I sit down and am amazed I've lasted this long.  I don't do well in the heat.  But I am game to try something new and find that this is not too bad.  For 20 minutes Jen and I chat.  It helps make the time go by faster.  We can't stop giggling on what we are putting ourselves through.  I am sweating something fierce, but find a bit of relief in letting the towel slip down.  Hey, no one can see anything.  Not even me.

Finally, the bell goes off and the steam stops getting pumped in the room.  Jen and I leave and make our way upstairs for the rest of the treatment.  We are each shown to separate rooms.  At this point I am a bit lightheaded and don't quite remember the instructions I am given on how to lay on the table.  I do it completely backwards.  Oh my!  Instead of being on my back, I am on my tummy.  I think my head is where my feet should be.  I feel lucky at this point I have not passed out.  Whoa, baby that was a lot of steam!!  The technician very nicely tells me to readjust my body. She then gets started on wrapping me up.  To begin with, I am on a heated table laying on top of hot soaked towels.  I get covered with hot soaked towels on top of me, only leaving my head free.  A plastic sheet goes completely around me.  It ends with a heated blanket put on top of that.  My arms are by my side and I feel like a mummy all wrapped up.  The technician puts a cold wash cloth on my face and leaves my mouth free for breathing.  She tells me she is about to leave the room and if necessary, break my arms free.  Um, ok. 

I try very hard to hang tough for the 25 minutes.  I am positive I can stay completely wrapped up and not look like a wimp upon her return.  After about 5 minutes, I can't take much more.  I have sweat dripping in places I didn't think was possible.  I break my arms free and feel a little relief.  I let myself enjoy the room temperature air on my arms for about 2 minutes and am certain I can stick my arms back by my side in the wrapping.  She'll never know!  I slide one arm back in and I freak out. YOWZER!! It is hot in there!!!  I think Hell is actually a few degrees cooler than what is going on under the hot towels and heated blanket.  What in the world was I thinking?  My arm comes back out and I make the decision to leave them out for the remaining time.

I am not sure how I survived this treatment, but I did.  Once it was over, I was actually shaking I was so hungry.  I sweated out EVERYTHING I had in me.  There was nothing left for my body live off of.  Those who know me probably don't understand why I willingly paid for this form of heat torture.  I am not sure I quite get it myself.  But I have to say, the next day I felt amazing.  And, get this...I would do it again!  Next time I would make sure to drink lots more water.  My 6 oz cup I had going into the steam room clearly wasn't enough. 

I love my girl's weekend getaways.  I love that I married a guy who is okay with me being gone and has no problem being 100% in charge of the kids.  And I love that I found a spa I can afford.