now that we are home and i am reflecting on our holiday, there are some things i thought you should know.  i feel that you may really appreciate some of the “quirks” (shall we say) and what travelling with the parkinsons + an abbott entails exactly 🙂

• phil LOVES to do laundry.  he does it daily.  it’s a good thing we stayed in an airbnb with a washing machine.  he claims none of the laundry is his.  but he definitely finds joy in it as far as i can tell!
• i don’t like other people doing my laundry.  i know it’s weird.  and with phil’s love for laundry, i should embrace it.  but i can’t.  nope.  not evening hanging it up.  just let me do it.  please.
• linds is an AMAZING singer.  she likes to really emphasize and highlight parts of the songs.  we also feel there is value in living ones life as a musical.  and as much as phil pretends that he doesn’t like it, he wants a roll in the musical.  just saying.

see. a musical. always!!

LET IT GOOOOOO!!!!!

• we bring poop spray.  where ever we go.  what’s poop spray, you might ask?  it’s spray from bath and body works that smells like fresh balsam and lives in the bathroom.  on EVERY single trip.  it’s courtesy really.  it started as a sort of christmas joke a few years back but now we bring it everywhere.
• i need a window seat.  and if i don’t have a window seat i get a bit crazy.  as in a bit (or a LOT) anxious and i feel super claustrophobic from all the people around me.  oddly, being at the window seat makes me feel less anxious and like i can actually breath.  luckily my travel companions are pretty flexible when it comes to this and they let me be crazy.  or i try to move to a seat with extra legroom.  this also helps.
• phil has a ‘different’ strategy to dealing with things that linds and i do.  we tend to be more go-with-the-flow and he tends to be more…freak-out-and-realize-later-it-wasn’t-a-big-deal (love you, phil!).  we saw this a couple times on the trip and luckily we are laughing about them now, but at the time, catching a cab in the old town was a BIG DEAL (for one of us…) and that was a SMALL problem compared to the ‘missing HATCHIMAL incident of 2017’!!  picture this…the girls have 24 tiny hatchimals…it’s almost bedtime…one hatchimal is MISSING.  the girls are fine.  phil is freaking out.  looking everywhere.  mad at everyone.  storming around the house.  and mad that we don’t think it’s a bigger deal.  BUT, don’t worry friends, linds found it (in the playdough!) and phil calmed down, and now we laugh (at him and with him!) about the “incident”.

just keep swimming! or smiling!! we’ve GOT THIS!

• linds is always cold.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.  our apartment in warsaw was so adorable and newly renovated and the heating was really good.  so good, in fact, that the apartment was super hot.  as in 26+ degrees indoors at all times.  AKA TOO HOT!  we had to crack the window most of the time when we were home just to make it reasonable inside (getting the temp down to 25 degrees was hard work!).  phil and i were dying.  phil was walking around without a shirt on.  and linds was wrapped up in a blanket.  i’m usually on her side in this regard.  and i am often cold.  but holy moly.  it was hot in there!!
• on this trip, i assumed the role of chef and we made most of our meals at home.  it was really lovely and a great way to cut down on cost while you travel.  but apparently in my role as chef, i have also become super awesome and making…PEANUT BUTTER TOAST!  just ask juliet!!  i’m the only one who can make it!!  TAKE THAT, masterchef!
• sweet baby angel and nornado.  also known as juliet and eleanor.   these little sweeties have alter egos and when they are ON, they are ON!  we came up with ‘sweet baby angel’ for jet this trip when we went through a serious NO spree one day.  there were moments where she brought the sweet baby angel back out.  and moments where she really was a sweetie!  as for nornado, i think we saw her at her best as she cartwheeled her way through the ariport at 1:00 a.m.  and for the most part…we managed to keep laughing about it all!

sweet baby angel in a serious NO mood.

and the nornado. at 1:00 a.m. acting like it ain't NO THANG!

• linds and phil started this awesome tradition when nory took her first flight (i think they said when she was around 4 months old) of having the ‘airplane fairy’ visit before heading out on a long flight.  the airplane fairy brings tiny toys, activities and treats and puts them into the girls’ backpacks the night before the flight.  they can’t open their bags until we are through customs but they are always SO excited for it!  it’s great because these new little activities and toys are exciting and hold their interest, especially when embarking on a long journey!
• unpacking is really awesome.  this is a little quirk that i learned from phil, but i must admit he knew what he was talking about on this one.  i used to always make fun of him for unpacking his suitcase the second we arrived, but there is something to be said about NOT living out of a suitcase!!

well, i think that should give you a pretty clear picture of what travelling with us looks like.  the important part is that we have fun and even with our little quirks and moments of crazy, we love each other and manage to travel very well together!  and what fun would it be if we didn’t have some keep-you-on-your-toes moments?!

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while i considered writing this post, i was worried that it would come off as brag-y or boastful, and that isn’t my intention at all.  you have to know that i feel completely and utterly blessed and grateful to have seen and done all that i have in the past 11 years abroad.   TRULY.

 

and as i was thinking about this post i found myself wondering…where was i that year?  or what did i do the year before that?  i had to give it some serious thought, but here it is…

 

the ghosts of christmas past.  em kat edition 😉

 

p.s. can we talk for a minute about all of the fabulous people i have celebrated with over the past ten years?!  being away from family is made just a little bit easier because of THESE amazing people! xo #framily #BLESSED

christmas 2007.  cairo, egpyt.  my first away from home, spent in egypt with aunt melissa and heather.  we visited the pyramids, went on a camel ride,  and of course, we dressed for the occasion!

christmas 2008.  tanzania.  one of the most magical christmas days EVER with kelly, valerie, and naomi in tanzania.  we watched this herd of elephants cross the road and drink and play in the water…with tears in our eyes!  we also saw the migration of the zebra and wildebeests.  simply.  amazing.

christmas 2009.  wawa, canada.  home for the holidays this year.  but apparently i was too cold to take any pictures…cause there are only about 10.  and they are all of makai.  here are fynn and makai after a busy christmas day!

christmas 2010.  mirissa beach, sri lanka.  whale watching in sri lanka!  except we didn’t see any whales! LOL travelled to sri lanka with colleen quinn and met up with lindsay and phil there.  we had a great time travelling around the country with our awesome tour guide, lal.

christmas 2011. florence, italy.  after a week of touring around italy with naomi, we met up with valerie in florence and had a wonderful christmas together!  the food.  the drinks.  bring me back!!!!

christmas 2012.  kenya.  i mean just look at this picture!  how did i get so lucky?!  this was my second trip to kenya and it was just as amazing as the first time.  and this time with an even better camera lens 😉 we all know i can’t pass up a member of the cat family!

christmas 2013.  copenhagen, denmark.  we were there for the world junior hockey championships!  well actually that was happening in sweden the next week but first we enjoyed some time in copenhagen!  i just love all of the beautiful building everywhere you look.  love.  love.

christmas 2014.  salzburg, austria.  driving through the country side.  what a way to spend christmas day!  the hills really were ALIVE!  and then we ended up in a TWO horse open sleigh!  AMAZING!

christmas 2015.  helsinki, finland.  i really LOVED it in finland.  and it was such an easy place to love.  and to add to the excitement, we were seeing the world junior hockey again AND sandra and caleb and family were there from home!!  how does it get any better than that?!  this christmas day proved to be a COLD one at the helsinki zoo! #christmasdaytraditions

christmas 2016.  budapest, hungary.  another christmas day, another zoo!  and this year we were much warmer!  we had a great time checking out the zoo and heroes square in budapest this year! aside from the terrifying birds of course lol

christmas 2017.  warsaw, poland. spent another christmas with my family (away from family) and OF COURSE we spent christmas day at the ZOO!

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when around every corner it looks like a storybook village…L.O.V.E.

exploring the old town and christmas markets.

ooh la la! christmas light magic!!

look at this little sweetie!! i can't deal.

night time cuddles...i think we were online shopping for barbies!!

you wanna be on top?! ANTM mom's edition.

and this insanely adorable book shop.

who could resist these beautiful treats?!

auntie had to work hard to get this little one to eat. but we DID IT!

an 'evening' at the Palace of Lights. AMAZING.

visiting the neon museum. this used to be at the public library in warsaw.

guess which sign was my fave?!

although history isn't my thing, these books about polish history were tempting!

sisters sharing. so sweet!

when you get out of a taxi and see THIS!!!

so many beautiful lights!!

best museum ever. aka not much like a museum at all.

another day of exploring. this time in the snow...or slush...

but i settled on THIS gem! and i couldn't be happier!

we did it! another successful outing!

the bank machine that ate my bank card. jerk.

still smiling, even after a serious palace of light meltdown.

and em kat LOVED it!

out shopping with linds. we found the cutest sock shop!!

a good old game of 'mommy, we're having a baby!'

my family away from family.  so happy to be with them again this christmas! xo

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i was thinking today about how much i have changed as a traveller.  when i left wawa elevenyears ago, i was not well travelled but i was DEFINITELY more adventurous (and WAY younger).  i don’t think that either way is better than the other, i just think it’s interesting how much i have changed.  and i know that some people would prefer the way i travel now and some people would prefer the way i travelled then.  and that’s what makes travelling SO COOL.  so many options.  so many ways to see the world.  and i absolutely still LOVE to travel!!

but, let me share a few things that were different about the way i travelled THEN vs. how i travel NOW:

then – i stayed in $3/night hostels in india…for example.

now – i prefer 4 or 5 star hotels or charming apartments from airbnb.

then – i carried all of my belongings in a backpack and didn’t check my bag.

now – i bring ALL the things.  large size suitcase? YES, please!  full size toiletries? YES, please!  bringing a razor?  YUP!  nail polish, multiple books, extra clothes?  CHECK!!!

then – i would go, go, go.  all day long.  from early morning until late at night.  seeing every single possible everything in all of the places.

now – i am really okay with waking up when my body feels like it, doing an event/outing or two, and spending time relaxing, blogging, reading, etc. in the comfort of my fancy accommodations.

then – i would try to see a billion places on each trip.  multiple cities or even countries?? NO BIGGIE!

now – i am more of the “really get to know one place” kind of gal.  i feel happier when i can unpack and really get comfy.

then – i would look for the cheapest flight.  no matter what.  regardless of flight times, layovers, airports, etc. i was all about cheap flights.

now – i will absolutely refuse to go to certain airports…not naming any names…and if at all possible, day time flights are preferred.  i look carefully at layover times and which airports that time will be spent in.  it’s a whole thing.

SO, YA!  although my style of travel has most definitely changed, my love for seeing the world has NOT!  i feel so, so lucky to be able to see the world and to have a career that allows me to continue to do so!

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