An Introduction to Europe 2009

A lot has changed since my brother, buddies and I ventured to Europe in 2005. Most notably, I now have less hair on my head and more hair on my person. Fortunately, before the latter stages of that hairy migration, I managed to court and wed the woman of my dreams (and the dreams of many other men at the time).
Jenny wasn’t easy to tie down. She assumed that, by marrying me, she would be forced to dissolve her male harem and abandon her aspirations of world travel. Fortunately, Jenny caught me with my shirt off and decided that the other men could go….

But she still harbored the desire to see the world before she tied the knot. Fearing that I might lose her to a Greek sailor named Aristotle, or a Brazilian heartthrob named Ricardo, I made all sorts of promises. Among those was the vow to not only travel the world throughout our marriage, but to visit Europe at length before Jenny became pregnant. As I explain below, I believe I’ve taken care of the first part of the promise so far. As for the second part, we’re going to Europe on Wednesday, and I only pray that Jenny is not with child.

Through our fortunate relationships with the world’s foremost hotelier (Marriott), the most generous internship program in the United States (The Hinckley Institute), and family and friends who just love to travel, Jenny and I have lived in or visited 26 U.S. states, districts and territories, and 9 foreign countries since becoming engaged 3 years ago. Highlights include:

· Hiking around the rim of Iguassu Falls and feasting nightly on Argentine filet mignon

· Walking along the craggy beaches of the San Juan Islands with family, admiring tide-pools and the smoothing effects the Puget Sound has on driftwood, before venturing off to the mossy rainforests and breathtaking coast of the Olympic Peninsula.

· Meandering through southern California evenings and dining on Pasadena’s (dare I say America’s) best Italian – Il Fornaio

· Doubling the mileage on my brother in-law’s Audi during a quest for New England’s best lighthouses and clam chowder

· Being pleasantly surprised by Siem Reap’s charm and culinary delights on a visit to Angkor Wat, in Cambodia

· Bargaining $700 off the price of a Kashan Kashmiri rug in Jaipur, India, then carrying said rug on my back through the streets of Paris while Jenny saw the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame on a three-hour layover.
· Expecting to pay well over $100 for one nosebleed ticket so that Jenny could see Wicked on Broadway, only to win the nightly lottery for two, $25, front row tickets

· Awaking alone from a nap and anxiously searching every deck of our cruise ship for my new bride, only to find her deftly maneuvering her way into the finals of Carnival Survivor on the Lido Deck (Yes, she did win, and that was the first time that I thought, “I think I got more than I bargained for”)

· Blissfully enjoying $8, hour-long Thai massages, and exploring dramatic limestone caverns and lagoons in Phuket, Thailand

· Jogging through Rock Creek Park and the National Mall on Saturday mornings in spring, before heading to brunch at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill

· Logging over 4000 miles (that’s nearly one-fifth of the way around the globe) round-trip in a Mazda to celebrate New Year’s Eve under the fleur-de-lis of Bourbon Street, prior to watching the Utes annihilate the Crimson Tide. Stops were made in Durango, Santa Fe, Wichita Falls (not as charming as it sounds), Cadillac Ranch, Dallas, a Louisiana rest stop, and Salina, Kansas. While stopped in a traffic jam in a Louisianan bayou, we palled up with an alligator hunter named “Gator” and his 22 year-old son whom we were told to address as “Baby Gator.”

· Floating along the Ganges after dark, and watching hundreds of Bald Eagle-sized bats fly silently directly above us

· Relaxing time and again in St. George with friends and family, and discovering (and, in collaboration with four youngsters, naming) geological wonders behind our parent’s home such as “Larry H. Miller Mountain,” “Face Mountain,” “Rattlesnake Canyon,” and “Sagebrush Pass” (I only wish I could take credit for the two more creative landmark names).

So, Jenny and I have been around the block a few times. People occasionally ask us, “Has time just flown by? Does it feel like you got married yesterday?” After exchanging ruffled-eyebrow glances, we laugh simultaneously and say, “No, it definitely does not feel like we got married yesterday.” That’s what five moves, four months in D.C., three months in India, and a handful of side trips will do to you. Frankly, I'm glad that it has seemed long. I feel like we have all the benefits of being newlyweds, and yet it also feels like we've been together our entire lives. Our relationship has been blessed to feel fast-paced, yet slow enough to remember and enjoy.

As I have attempted to demonstrate, part one of my travel vow has been accomplished for a season. We’re about to embark on part two. That’s what this blog is all about. And, while I would lay down at Jenny’s feet to ensure she had a pleasant vacation, I am determined to have a good time myself. After all, as they say, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” That’s where the Baby Blues come in. Also known as my Blueskees (the accent falls on the first syllable), the Blues are something of a phenomenon. They’re enough to change a man.

I purchased the baby blue, spandex/nylon blend swim trunks on the Italian Riviera in 2005. To give you an idea, the inseam is two-and-a-quarter inches long. I believe that the phrase “When in Rome, do as the Romans” must have been coined by an American male upon the purchase of similar trunks. Either way, I’m gonna have a great time.

While the Blueskees offer the most excitement, we do have some additional plans. We’ve vowed to test out the Lisbon club scene, we’ll take in a couple plays in London’s West End (and possibly Wimbledon), and we’ll visit Tuscan hill towns outside of Florence. We’ll also see the major sights such as Normandy, Neueschwanstein (fairy-tale castle), the Swiss Alps, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, etc. Finally, we plan on spending time in the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye, closing out our trip in London. All in all, it’s a slightly more ambitious itinerary than that of 2005. We’ll keep you posted. I promise.