As I start thinking about writing a blog series about our trip to Europe, I figured I'd start out with some overview info on my [very much inexperienced and amateur] views on international travel, and what was great - and not so great - about this trip.
The Good: Generally speaking, the good things about international travel include: new places, new faces, often a new language, new foods, time away from the regular routine, and time to relax. Specifically speaking about this trip, the good included one-on-one time with the love of my life, leisurely cups of coffee, quiet meals in restaurants, great food, ministry opportunities, traveling by train, lots of walking, better than expected weather, staying in the home of good friends, a splurge at a really nice hotel in Berlin our last night of the trip, the chance to share my testimony several times, spending time with friends, making new friends, and some powerful lessons on ministering in different cultures... just to name a few.
The Bad: Honestly, it's hard to say much bad about the trip. We both agreed that had it not been for missing our boys, we would've happily stayed much longer. But I would say that one bad is missing our fellas. We talked about them a lot, and would frequently comment on certain things that one or the other would really like. But I also think it's so important for us to spend time alone, without the kids. I don't want to be that couple that hits the empty-nester stage and looks at each other and says "now, who are you again?" Among the other bads, I have to mention airplanes. Airplanes are so germ-y. Yuck. Seems both Zack and I always end up with a stuffy nose or cough or worse after flying. We've learned to always pack sinus medicine and drink lots of water, and that helps some. But I did fight a cold part of the time while we were there. And lucky me, I came down with a stomach bug about 24 hours after getting home - I'm pretty sure I could blame that on the nasty airplane, too! There were other things along the way that some might consider bad (got caught in a rainstorm in Berlin, walking WAY out of the way in search of the London Hard Rock), had to take the slow train to Berlin instead of the express, inability to find the one odd but very specific item that Daniel wanted us to bring him, the experience of visiting a former concentration camp site), but each of these made the trip special and created some amazing memories.
The Jet lag: That's never fun. Thankfully, our flight left Atlanta at 9:30 PM, so we took some melatonin and were able to get a good bit of sleep. But even a five-hour time difference can be tough. We got checked into our hotel in London around 2:00 and then hit the city. We set out walking, and made our way down the Thames River, to the Tate (a modern art museum). There's a huge grassy area in front of it, and people were spread all over the ground, napping, eating, playing guitars, you name it. So we found a spot and just sat and rested for a while. 30 minutes later, we were feeling much better.
International Travel Tip #1: While some may disagree, this is a lesson we've learned from experience and I swear by it. If you arrive to your destination in the middle of the day, DON'T TAKE A NAP!! Push through, stay up as long as you can, and try to get yourself onto the local time as quickly as possible. The first time we ever travelled to Ukraine, we arrived in the afternoon and took a LONG nap. It took us days to get adjusted to the time zone, and I believe it all started with this decision. Since then, we've pushed through the first day, always with the goal of staying up until 9 or 10 PM that first night (coming home, too). And we recover from jet lag so much quicker using this approach!
International Travel Tip #2: Take lots of pictures. And when you think you've taken too many, take some more. With the beauty of digital cameras, capture as many memories as possible. There are already things that I look back on from this trip and think "I should have taken a picture of that!"
International Travel Tip #3: If Rick Steves offers a book or podcast on your destination, GET IT! His London book was especially helpful, and saved us lots of time, plus led us to some sites we might have otherwise missed.
The Good: Generally speaking, the good things about international travel include: new places, new faces, often a new language, new foods, time away from the regular routine, and time to relax. Specifically speaking about this trip, the good included one-on-one time with the love of my life, leisurely cups of coffee, quiet meals in restaurants, great food, ministry opportunities, traveling by train, lots of walking, better than expected weather, staying in the home of good friends, a splurge at a really nice hotel in Berlin our last night of the trip, the chance to share my testimony several times, spending time with friends, making new friends, and some powerful lessons on ministering in different cultures... just to name a few.
The Bad: Honestly, it's hard to say much bad about the trip. We both agreed that had it not been for missing our boys, we would've happily stayed much longer. But I would say that one bad is missing our fellas. We talked about them a lot, and would frequently comment on certain things that one or the other would really like. But I also think it's so important for us to spend time alone, without the kids. I don't want to be that couple that hits the empty-nester stage and looks at each other and says "now, who are you again?" Among the other bads, I have to mention airplanes. Airplanes are so germ-y. Yuck. Seems both Zack and I always end up with a stuffy nose or cough or worse after flying. We've learned to always pack sinus medicine and drink lots of water, and that helps some. But I did fight a cold part of the time while we were there. And lucky me, I came down with a stomach bug about 24 hours after getting home - I'm pretty sure I could blame that on the nasty airplane, too! There were other things along the way that some might consider bad (got caught in a rainstorm in Berlin, walking WAY out of the way in search of the London Hard Rock), had to take the slow train to Berlin instead of the express, inability to find the one odd but very specific item that Daniel wanted us to bring him, the experience of visiting a former concentration camp site), but each of these made the trip special and created some amazing memories. 
International Travel Tip #1: While some may disagree, this is a lesson we've learned from experience and I swear by it. If you arrive to your destination in the middle of the day, DON'T TAKE A NAP!! Push through, stay up as long as you can, and try to get yourself onto the local time as quickly as possible. The first time we ever travelled to Ukraine, we arrived in the afternoon and took a LONG nap. It took us days to get adjusted to the time zone, and I believe it all started with this decision. Since then, we've pushed through the first day, always with the goal of staying up until 9 or 10 PM that first night (coming home, too). And we recover from jet lag so much quicker using this approach!
International Travel Tip #2: Take lots of pictures. And when you think you've taken too many, take some more. With the beauty of digital cameras, capture as many memories as possible. There are already things that I look back on from this trip and think "I should have taken a picture of that!"
International Travel Tip #3: If Rick Steves offers a book or podcast on your destination, GET IT! His London book was especially helpful, and saved us lots of time, plus led us to some sites we might have otherwise missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment