Yes, we made it home safely. It took me two days to get home, but I'm here and back to work. Can't live in vacation land forever. The trip was essentially uneventful and the long plane ride was actually quieter than the ride over. We just couldn't sleep as it was the middle of the day for us. I had a harder time adjusting to the jet lag coming home than going over. It took me several days to feel like myself again. I had talked to Sam and he said he felt the same way.
I was ready to come home. I was missing my home, bed, and the kids left at home. Sam on the other hand, said he could have stayed longer. That's the beauty of being young, I guess. You can keep going longer. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping up for most of the time. We really didn't get on each others nerves much, other than my suitcase and the one bus ride to Harry Potter, where I was scared we would miss our stop. We had fun and shared an absolutely amazing vacation. Both of us taking memories with us we will cherish forever.
I have been asked what my favorite part of the trip was. It was funny, I had to think about it and would say, the last night in Ireland... no wait the Harry Potter Studio Tour...no wait the castles....no, Wicked...
Well, you get the point, it all was the most amazing trip and it is so hard to pin a favorite moment. I faced my fear of heights on the London Eye, learned history of England and Wales, climbed and walked on castle walls, and saw sights people have dreamed their entire lives of seeing. I am so grateful and blessed to have seen, touched, tasted, and done all I did. Traveling like that is kind of life changing. You leave as a person with expectations of the things you may see and do, and come home as one who has seen and done things they only dreamed of before.
I have certificates stating I am an official Jamison whiskey taster and can pour a mean Guinness. I have key chains from the places we have been. I have pictures of all we saw. But the best part of the trip was experiencing it with my son. No, he's still not my favorite because they all are my favorites for something, but he's grown into a very special man that I am proud to say he's my son.
I can state that my favorite country was Wales. While discussing it with friends, we decided London and Dublin are for the young. There is so much to see and do there. Wales was more laid back and had a slower life. I appreciate the slowing down to smell the roses, so to speak, at this time of my life. I know that all the rushing the young do, is ultimately going to get them to the same place as those of us who like to take it slower and savor the journey. The young might get there quicker, but do they appreciate it as much? It's the journey of getting there that makes life worth while.
I have also tried to express how awesome it is to walk through buildings that are older than this great country of ours. I have talked to my kids about it and they try to understand, but it is impossible. You can talk of the castles with their several feet thick walls made of stone. You can explain how small and circular the stairs in the towers are. You can explain that they are hundreds of feet high. The thing is, unless you have been their to experience them for yourself, it just isn't as impressive.
I hope that you have enjoyed our blog. Even though you weren't there physically with us, many of you we carried in our hearts and minds. I know that you tried to imagine the places we were at, but if you haven't been there, it is hard to do. My wish for each of you is that you get to take this kind of journey yourselves. Maybe not to these places, but to some place you have always wanted to go. If you are as lucky as I have been, maybe it will also be with someone you cherish.
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