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!

Window seat, please.

The next two to three weeks has us taking our normally hectic schedules to a whole new level of crazy.  Jeff, Ian and I are all coming and going in vastly different directions.  If we manage to pull this off and be where we need to be without any delays or cancellations, it will be a miracle. 

Saturday (6/21) to Saturday (6/28):  Jeff is in Trinidad for work.  Like his plane leaves at 6:00am on Saturday and he doesn't land until 7:35pm one full week later.

Tuesday (6/24):  Ian goes to Massachusetts for Camp Ramah. He flies out of BWI in the morning.  Ian doesn't come back until July 6th.

Sunday (6/29, a few hours after Jeff lands):  I depart for Israel and come back late in the day on July 9th.

Sam is the only one who won't be boarding a plane.  She is going to get a lot of one-on-one time with me, than a lot of one-on-one time with Jeff and then a few days with Grandma and Grandpa with Ian when he gets back from camp until I return from Israel.  It is a complicated schedule, but if everything goes as planned, it should work out just fine.  Thank G-d for friends and family who are able to help out.

We are kicking Summer off with a bang!  Before we know it, I'll be counting down to when school starts again.

I heart NYC.

A Times Square selfie

It's been 8 years since I've been to New York City.  That's 8 years too many in my opinion.  I love the big city.  There is something about the fast pace, the people, the buildings, the noise, and the smells that really appeals to me.  The energy is contagious. 

The musical "If/Then" (starring Idina Menzel) had previewed at The National Theatre in Washington, D.C. this past November 2013.  Jeff and I went and really enjoyed it.  Idina is amazing!  The storyline was a bit confusing and we knew changes were going to be made before it opened on Broadway.  In March, an article came out in The Washington Post reviewing the musical and explaining how the two characters (both played by Idina) were going to be less confusing.  I sent out an email with a link of the review to the people I knew who had also seen it while in previews.  Before I knew it, an idea was born.  Let's go check out the musical on Broadway!

Jeff and I went to NYC for the weekend with another couple.  We had never done a trip before with another couple, sans kids.  Let me tell you, it was fun!  We took the Megabus from White Marsh to NYC and arrived on Saturday morning by 10:00am.  We picked our hotel right in the heart of Times Square.  Other than the cab ride to the hotel, we walked everywhere we needed to go.  We managed to get great seats for the 2:00pm matinee show of "If/Then."  I had inquired with a FB friend on a restaurant recommendation for dinner after the show.  My friend's husband said it was one of the best Thai dishes he ever had. 

The whole weekend flowed.  I love this couple we traveled with!  It was easy being around them.  My friend and I waited for 25 minutes after the show to see if Idina would come out the side exit door.  We managed to see almost everyone else in the cast (including the 2 lead male characters), but no Idina.  Meanwhile, the guys decided to go get a drink while we were acting like little school girls with a crush.  It was fun and silly and something I would totally do.  To find a friend who thinks like you do (on a whim to stand outside with the rest of the crowd) is awesome.  And at one point during our "breakfast" at Carnegie Deli on Sunday, our friends and Jeff each started thanking the others for being up for going there.  The funniest thing was when everyone thought it was their idea and no one elses.  Ha!

We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and spent a lot of time outside.  After dinner we walked to The Empire State Building.  We had cheesecake from Juniors at an outside table on Saturday night and hung out talking.  We walked around Central Park for close to 2 hours on Sunday morning.  It was a very relaxed weekend. 

The highlight (besides the play) was going to Carnegie Deli.  We went there for breakfast on Sunday morning and walked right in.  There was no wait for a table. Talk about getting lucky!  By 9:30am, Jeff had a pastrami sandwich that he is still dreaming about.  One hour later, Jeff was still talking about his sandwich.  He was a VERY happy camper. He has since said that every trip to NY will now require a stop at Carnegie Deli.

Jeff enjoying his sandwich

Given Jeff's insane work schedule these past 6 weeks, this weekend away could not have come at a better time.  He did 3 hours of work on the bus (it had wifi!) on the way to NYC and another 3 hours on the drive back, but then he successfully managed to turn the computer off and enjoy the moment.

My inlaws graciously agreed to watch Ian and Sam for the weekend.  It worked out very well and everyone had a great time.

In Central Park

A big shout out to Marcia and Harold for making our weekend away a reality.  Without them, it wouldn't have happened.

It doesn't get better than this.

Each time I visit my family in Orlando, I get a nagging thought in my head that maybe I should've moved back to my hometown after college.  I am super close with both parents and siblings.  It's hard only seeing them around 4 times a year. 

When we are together, it's like all the pieces of a puzzle are back in place.  At the core of it, we love to spend time together.  We really do love each other's company.  I am so blessed to have these wonderful people as my family.  We have a great time and the laughter, teasing, and reminiscing is usually non-stop.  We are there for each other and look out for each other.  In times of need, we can count on each other - no matter what the distance.

Me and my two sisters. I am not only the oldest, but also the shortest.  :)

Even with my parents divorced and each remarried, we still get together as group.  It is pretty spectacular to fly into town and have your stepmother plan for us to all have dinner together on a Friday night, even though we will all be seeing each other again the next night at Lori's house.  And of course again, at the baby shower on Sunday.

I got to spend a great afternoon with my dad on Friday. He picked me up at the airport and then we ran errands together.  It was very ordinary, but so special getting to go around with him.  Just like old times.  And on Saturday, my sister Meghan and I spent  few hours pool side and then headed to the movies with Lori and Rita.  What a great way to pass the time.

If I had moved back, I know that I wouldn't have met Jeff or had the kids I have now, so I am grateful that I did stay up in this area.  I guess this means I just need to plan more trips down to Florida to see everyone.