Purgatory on a Plane - Baby Vomit, Toilet Sweater, Urine Jacket, and More

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I generally try to keep it pretty grounded. And when we're traveling, for every wonderfully memorable moment we have, there is a "How-Did-I-Get-Myself-Into-This?" moment to balance it out. Yin and Yang.

Saturday's return flight to Europe was one of the latter. In retrospect, it's so bad that it's funny. Alex threw up all himself and me, soaking his jeans and my own. I realized I hadn't packed any clothes for him, despite me knowing that he had been sick... much less for myself. When I took him in the tiny in-flight bathroom to put the lucky single pair of replacement pants on him - Lukas' little jogging pants - his sweater (which was my only replacement top for him) fell in the toilet. As if that weren't enough, my jacket then fell into the urine puddle on the floor. Later, while I was trying to get some sleep (an hour of the 9-hour nighttime flight), my dress caught on something and tore (remember, I have no pants under it at this point, because they're soaked with throw up). And my glasses broke. No joke.

Like I said, that particular leg of our 1-month journey was so bad it was funny. But, almost perversely, we'll do it all again in a heartbeat. Because the truth is that traveling is so very worth it. More often than not, the memorable moments outweigh the bad, exacerbating our unquenchable thirst, and our ever-wandering nature.

To Share Florida is to Love Florida

The drooping spanish moss, the seemingly melancholy shade of those stunning Florida-sunsets... Everything seemed to be screaming, "Why would you want to go anywhere -- just STAY awhile!"

Though I've been inexcusably absent from the blogosphere, we've made up for it in the amount that we've seen and done over the past two weeks. We met Mickey Mouse and Goofy, went on an African-style safari Disney's Animal Kingdom, hugged the real-life-Grinch at Universal Studios, and watched a volcano rupture at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. We also sampled some fine Southern "swamp cabbage" (aka "Heart of Palm"), introduced Lukas to clogging & rodeos, ate dinner in the midst of an indoor-thunderstorm at the Rainforest Café, sipped on tropical drinks beside the dolphins at Sebastian Inlet, revisited the town where Tobi and I were married and Lukas was born and even played with some of his little Floridian friends. Perhaps most importantly, we were fortunate enough to be able to spend lots of quality time with Aunties, Uncles, sisters, Grandma (or the boys' Great Gramother), and "Ga-Ga" (the name the boys have chosen for my mom). From watching the sun rise and set and ocean tides roll in and out -- to witnessing osprey swooping, owls prowling, racoons scavenging, armadillos scantering, and deer grazing -- every moment has been truly memorable, and we've been so blessed.

I love Florida, and - thanks to these three incredible weeks here - I know that our boys share my love for this special place, a place that I will always call home.

Wingin' It (With Family) In West Orlando

When you live away from home, and begin the process of planning a return trip, you have all of these grand ideas of what you could see and do while you're there. Then you arrive, and most plans fall to pieces. Though we have spent some time dining out at some fun Central Florida restaurants (Gabriel's sub shop, Bonefish Grill, and Carrerra's Italian Eatery) and sipping wine on cool, crisp wine beneath the stars in my Aunt's Jacuzzi, we've also found ourselves at the doctor with my Grandmother, and - the following day - taking her to a nearby retirement home for ballroom dancing.

Vacation? I think not. But we're so fortunate to be able to be here for my family (thank you to Jackie, Kevin, Tyler, and Jackson, for your wonderful hospitality this week!) -- albeit for a very short time. Here are some photos of latest adventures. If you're somewhere cold, perhaps you can enjoy Florida vicariously!

Greetings from the Sunshine State, where - this week - the sun has made an appearance for 6 out of 7 fabulous days!

~Liz

North Florida's Best Kept Secrets

I lived in Florida for more than twenty years growing up, and I had plenty of preconceived notions of the place that I called home. Yet, I never noticed the beautiful red blooms of the "nosie trees" in the Spring. I never visited the beaches in North Florida. And I had no idea that there were a great deal of incredible old Plantations open to visitors.

Plantations are places where many attrocities took place in the time of slavery. But, like concentration camps, if we divert our attention, thinking only happy thoughts, we will only see half of the picture. We will never know a place for what it is, until we look at where it has come from. Examining the roots - and core - of a tree give us a much better idea of what it has been through over the years. The same is true of places.

The Kingsley Plantation of North Florida was run by a free black woman and her slave-driving husband. And in addition to it's sad, but rich history, it's beautiful beyond words. It's a little piece of old Florida, set on the Timucuan Preserve, amidst many miles of wetlands and acres and acres of gorgeous old oak trees. It's so pristine that it looks as though it could have been the setting for an old tarzan movie.

Needless to say, I was in heaven. We toured remnants of century-old coquina slave quarters, completed the park's Junior Ranger program, and lost all control in their souvenir/book shop.

And that was just a tiny part of our day. We spent some time on Jacksonville's sandy white beaches, ate crab legs at Joe's crab shack, and got super silly on the deck of Joe's Crab Shack as we joined dozens of strangers in a little line dance. What a fun day!

Thanks to my Aunt Beth, Uncle Jim, and cousins Austin and Kathryn for a wonderful weekend, none of which would have been possible without my sister Jessie (who picked us up from the airport and brought us up to Jacksonville). We loved every minute of it. From bouncing around on your oversized trampoline, to swinging in your hamock and walking through your neighborhood (yes, neighborhood!) wetlands. So, so much fun.

On Becoming a Junior Ranger (in Aztec, New Mexico)

"As a Junior Ranger, I pledge to explore, learn about, and protect all national parks, today and in the future."

This was the pledge that Lukas took at the Aztec Ruins National Monument with Ranger Connie yesterday afternoon. He was so proud of himself, and one of the first things to come out of his mouth was, "Wait until Grandma and Grandpa see this! They're going to love it!"

At just four years old, his interest in the ruins surprised me a bit, but his refusal to walk away from the far outdated introductory film really threw me for a loop!

Though both kids loved the "Great Kiva", their favorite part was the 700 yard trail that led us through the West Ruin, an excavated great house that once boasted more than 400 interconnected rooms built around an open plaza. Many rooms contain the original pine, spruce and aspen beams hauled from distant mountains (without horses!) and its massive sandstone walls tower over 30 feet!

According to Outdoor.com, the Aztec community was concentrated on and below a terrace overlooking the Animas River. Built and used over a 200-year period, it is "the largest ancestral Pueblo community in the Animas River valley.

And, as for Lukas, this may have been his first Junior Ranger experience, but it certainly won't be his last. Kudos to the National Parks Service for coming up with a exciting new way for children to get involved and learn about their environment! To learn more about the initiative, visit the NPS website. You're kids will thank you! :)

I'll end with a quote from Lukas' Junior Ranger worksheet, where they asked children to "tell an adult one way you can help take care of places like Aztec Ruins".

Lukas solution? To "find special people that can use sticky glue to fix it for the Indians."
And that, dear readers, was your sneak peak inside the mind of a wandering four-year-old.

Friendship on the Farm - A True Story of Life on the "Boerderij"

For months she racked her brain, searching for something meaningful to write about the place. Two and a half years had passed since she called Oudelande home, and she had met a great many kind people, and seen countless incredible places and things along the way.

The house had inspired her a great many times. Though it was not old for Dutch standards, it certainly was grand, and what it lacked in age it made up for in character, largely in the form of it's rambling old brick barn, its roof characteristically thatched, air thick with the scent of horses.

But the time would come for her to leave the house, this she knew. And there would certainly be tears.

When a mere week remained, they stood at the countertop in silence, each with a knife in hand; rabbit juices dripping from their fingers. Meticulously, they cut deeper into the hare (which he had hunted in neighboring fields), and as she considered which meat to use for the stew and which to save for the dog, he puzzled at the size - and contents - of the dog's pile. Looking out to the grazing pastures and berry bushes, she thought of the task at hand, and how farm life had changed her. They'd almost certainly miss eachother, but what sense did it make to talk about it?

By all accounts, their friendship was an unlikely one. She was half his age, lazy by his standards, and made no effort to speak his language. He was twice her age, fed her dog too many hunting scraps, and appeared at the house nearly every day, invited or not.

But they shared a love for the house (not to mention her dog, who accompanied him on daily walks through the orchards). And it was the house of his childhood -- indeed, she envied him for that. He told stories of the house in the Second World War, stories of riding his father's huge Belgian work horses bare-back, and stories of the house in the flood of 1953.

Every day they exchanged smiles through the old, oversized windows of the farm house. And she grew quite fond of him. The reasons were many - she missed her Grandfather and had never really had a father - but that was all irrelevant.

Years were reduced to months, months to days, and days to hours. Goodbyes were always painfully emotional, and she dreaded leaving.

He saw that she was sad and hated it, just as he would the sadness in his own daughter's eyes. She tried to tell herself that she was so very lucky to have had time on the farm, a life in that house, and a landlord that would become a dear friend. And she was.

So she sat on the bathroom floor, awkwardly, writing about the emotions that had begun to overcome her, and once again they passed, like the ebb and flow of the tide. At last, she could focus on the task at hand -- packing all that had accumulated - all that had made her life so comfortable - over the past two years. Her final day in Zeeland lay ahead of her; she'd need all of her strength just to get through it.

She mused that perhaps Donna Hedges said it best when she wrote, "Having a place to go - is a home. Having someone to love - is a family."

"Yes, he's family" she reasoned, "and family is forever."

Adventures in Oudelande

With us gearing up for our move to Germany, it's no wonder that the radius of our recent adventures here in The Netherlands has shrunk considerably. But the spirit of exploration is like an unquenchable thirst, and you need not travel far to discover your own personal fata morgana.

There have been a couple days this week where we've woken up to the sound of distant fohorns, and although it's been quite misty, Monday was a perfect day for ice skating with friends and, yesterday, the sun came out just long enough for us to take our very last bike ride through the Zeeland countryside. Our bikes will be packed up on a semi-truck Monday and transported down to Germany but, like us, they'll probably long to explore the picturesque Zeeland countryside... and, with a little luck, we'll all be back soon enough.

Adventures at "home"; sometimes they make the fondest memories.

Passports with Purpose Winner

The Passports with Purpose initiative came to a close in December, and I'm happy to announce Dave Fox, of Seattle, Washington (founder of http://www.traveljournaling.com/) as the winner of the Wanderlust Int'l Subscription (congrats, Dave - this is my all-time favorite travel publication and I know you'll love it!). Dave will also receive a copy of Wanderlust's "Visions of Wanderlust 3".

This year's fundraiser was so successful that the goal was doubled after a few short days to accomodate the huge influx of generous donations. By it's end, $26,000 was raised, and all proceeds will go towards the construction of a school in Cambodia (to be completed in June), with the additional funds providing the kids that attend with a school nurse, clean water, and at least one complete meal a day.

I'm proud to have been involved in this cause and would love to be present at the ribbon cutting ceremony this summer. Since my husband promised me one trip this year without kids... maybe it'll actually happen! For now, thanks again to everyone who contribtuted. If you're one of the people who helped us meet this goal, consider sending a post card with your photo to Passports with Purpose, P.O. Box 16102, Seattle WA 98116. Why? The plan is to bring along pictures from every person who donated, helping the students connect with those involved. Post cards will be laminated so that the students can enjoy them, and may be used in slideshows or videos about the project well.

And if you didn't participate in 2009, consider getting involved this year, either through blogging or donations. Until then, thanks again, and I wish you all the best for 2010!

~Liz

The Land of Efteling and "Oud en Nieuw"

The period between Christmas and New Years here in The Netherlands can be quiet and peaceful, giving one time for reflection. It can also be crowded and chaotic, especially when a day of good weather, school holidays, and the brief seasonal opening of the Efteling Theme Park fall on one particular day.

Though it took us 45 minutes more to get into the actual park, a merry feeling permeated it, and paths were adorned with lights and trimmed in snow and icicles (both real and fake). Street performers danced for us when we wound up their oversized music-box, and Cirque du Soleil-like acrobats dangled precociously from the towering thatched-roof ceiling of the "House of the Five Senses". We walked through the "Sprookjesbos", feeling as though we were a part of the fairytales themselves, and sipped on hot "Chocomel". It was a special day indeed, especially considering that it may well be the only children's park in the world were one might smell marijuana (or what one imagines marijuana to smell like [she writes, smirking] ) drifting from a passerby.

But now it's just another milestone of 2009, and as we prepare to embark on the grand adventure of 2010, I want to wish you the same that I wish for our family: a year of joy -- brought on by wise decisions - and experiences - that will enrich your life.

In The Netherlands New Year's is known as "Oud en Nieuw". So here's to hoping that this "Nieuwjaar" be another incredible year of "Life. Adventure. Together."... wherever it might lead us.

A (Much Anticipated) Zeeland Christmas

It may have well been the season's most memorable gift. In a stroke of Yuletide magic, on the Eve - and two days - of Christmas, our usual full-winter flu granted us a short respite. And though the thick blanket of snow thinned considerably with each passing day, this Christmas was still a memorable one.

For one, the boys are thrilled that my sister is visiting, as are Tobi and I. Plus, with her she brought gifts from the States - none of which we could have possibly lived without. ;)

Having made the decision to leave our our ornaments packed up in their respective boxes in Germany, most of our decorations were borrowed. Our tree may have been a bit bare, but it was grown right here in Oudelande... so it fits perfectly right here in our little farm house.

And what did we do? Honestly? I came down at 5am to wrap some gifts, fill stockings, and clean up (to prevent our mess from being captured on photos for eternity). Why? Because around here, everything is done at the absolute last minute. Two hours later I heard the pitter patter of little footsteps, and shortly thereafter we began with our Christmas stockings. The plan was to check out what Santa brought, then get dressed and head over to the church to see our friends perform. Had we known that they lock the doors at exactly 10 am, we wouldn't have arrived at 10:01. I kid you not, they were LOCKED!

And what a sight we were. The silly foreigners, standing at the old church, banging on the doors, only to sadly return to the car in the wind and rain... as we contemplated our tardiness and the fact that we likely missed our last opportunity to see the town's Christmas pageant.

It would have been easy to be grumpy all day. Instead, I took the dog on a walk in spite of the dismal weather; letting my wind-battered ears burn as punishment for my momentary lapse in judgement. I ordered myself to make the best of the situation and not ruin Christmas for my visiting sister or kids. I could have just opened the incredibly cute Christmas card from my family back home. That would have cheered me up quickly!!!

But really, what it boils down to is this: Once upon a time, I was a traveler that needed everything to go exactly as planned for good times to be had. With kids that never happens. You make lemonade from lemons, or let the lemons rot, and - along with them - your whole travel experience. It's all about choices. I chose to be late, and now it was time to re-assess what was important, and how I wanted the rest of the day to unfold. Doesn't get any simpler than that!

So we opened presents. We had coffee and cake with friends. We presented Peter (the man who grew up on our farm) with a photo album full of dozens of images from our two and a half years on this incredible little farm. We went on a walk through the orchards at sunset. We made a fire. And we ate ostrich stew.


Our second Christmas Day (there are two here in The Netherlands) was the more traditional of the two. Our friends Carrie and Jason came over for dinner and we had turkey and ham (courtesy of Tobi), roasted butternut squash and cranberry sauce from scratch (made by my sister), sweet potato casserole (my creation), and homemade chocolate chip cookies (which Carrie brought along with her, made from imported chocolate chips!). Somehow it felt like we were "home", as we shared in typical American dishes, and traded stories of past and future travels.

On an interesting sidenote, earlier this month a letter of mine appeared in the town's newspaper. In it, I shared with the people of Oudelande how fond we have grown of this place. So we managed to get locked out of the church on Christmas Day. That doesn't change the fact that this has been a very special Christmas for us, here on the "boerderij". A (belated) "Vrolijke Kerst" to you, whether you're here in Zeeland, or somewhere else on this great planet!

A Scary Bavarian Tradition - Celebrating Perchten

It takes a lot to shock me. Years of exposure have desensitized me, be it from:
...time spent nude in European saunas
...the crime, drugs, guns and death penalty of the United States
...the extreme poverty and gruesome crimes of South Africa
...the mind-boggling traffic fines of The Netherlands, perhaps best described as making you want to hurt someone - preferrably the unreasonable, unwaivering, money-hungry ape that issued the citation - badly
...and last, but not least, the many miles of nothingness one encounters when stranded pregnant on Australia's "Plenty Highway" (which neither offered "Plenty" or a "Highway").

Having said that, I think it is only fair to tell you that my first exposure to the Bavarian celebration of "Perchten" FREAKED - ME - OUT. Don't misunderstand me. It can be very unnerving to negotiate your way around a German sauna with foreign objects dangling precariously from their foreign owners. But this was different. The masks. the music. The weirdo that sandwiched me between him and a brick wall.

Yes, part of me said, "Hey, how cool that traditions like this exist in such a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere." while the other part of me said, "Wow, this is the perfect holiday for creeps and sexual predators. Where else can you casually molest total strangers without them being able to see your face or object?" Because, after all, it's all in the name of scaring off the "evil spirits". So I guess the phillosophy is "Let's dress in the scariest costumes imaginable, make a lot of noise, and try our very best to scare the bejeebies out of anyone we pass, to keep evil at bay." I suppose these sorts of celebrations led to our American Halloween. But, then again, I did always tend to forgo the "tricks" in favor of the "treats" ("Trick or treat!").

See for yourself. Come along... be my virtual guest at this Perchten celebration in the Bavarian town of Kirchsseon (via the below video).

Thank you to our friends Christiane and Volker for sharing this scary, and yet very cool, little piece of Bavaria with me. I love that Lukas and I were most likely the only foreigners joining in the festivities that night (and thankfully Alex was fast asleep)! :)




Oh, and a gentle reminder for those of you who haven't yet entered for the chance to win one of many cool prizes through Passports with Purpose, there's only five days left! So far we've raised over $19,000, meaning the new school WILL be built, and all additional monies raised go towards creating drinkable water and a vegetable garden for the children. Water and food... things that we give our children every day and perhaps take for granted.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this image of Bavaria in the snow. This was taken on a picturesque country road just south of Munich on Sunday afternoon. As fun as it was for us, it was also Alexander's first real exposure to snow, and he loved it! It evoked images of Narnia and it gave our spontaneous Sunday adventure a frosty winter touch.

The Adventurer's Pot of Gold

Last night I tossed and turned quite a bit, and the thought occured to me that we haven't been taking enough "spontaneous adventures" lately here at our "home base" in The Netherlands. Sure, we have our usual winter flu and the weather's been bad, but all of that kind of melts away when you're wearing an explorer's hat.

Whether or not we have time for full-fledged adventures, if there's extra time, there's adventure time! With this in mind, more often than not I try to get beyond my innate last-minuteness, and give myself a 10-15 minute cushion to get somewhere. Instead of rushing, feeling guilty, and risking astronomical speeding fines, I notice the colors along the way, the changing seasons, and the occasional rainbow.

And what a special treat rainbows are! Today I discovered that just circling around to admire them in all their splendour; finding your way back to that perfect spot on the side of the road for a kodak moment, well in my book that's adventure enough. Who needs a pot of gold?

And if you do need a pot of gold, maybe you'll find it on the list of Passports with Purpose prizes (scroll down for a list of prizes). All contributions go towards building a school for children in Cambodia. Forget the "lucky charms"... this is a tangible treasure in the making!

PASSPORTS WITH PURPOSE PRIZES

Books/Music

Periscope Book Light in a Book Cover plus a novel.
$75 Lonely Planet Gift Certificate
A One Year International subscription to Wanderlust!

Cameras

FLIP Mino 60 Minute Video Camcorder
Flip Ultra Video Camcorder
Casio Exilim EX-S5 10 Mega Pixel Digital Camera
Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera
Fuji Instax Mini and film
$100 Gift Certificate to B&H Photo and Video

Destinations

2 Night Stay at NYC's Roosevelt Hotel in a Suite With Room for the Whole Family
Two night stay at Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans
Three Nights at an Aqua Hotel in Waikiki
Five Nights at Los Suenos Resort in Costa Rica
2-night Stay at the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver, B.C.
One night at Seattle's Inn at the Market
Lunch and Walking Tour of San Francisco
$100 Gift Card
Hyatt Gold Passport 50,000 bonus points
Four Seasons Seattle - One night + Breakfast
$100 Gift Certificate to BedandBreakfast.com
Resort package for Coconut Bay, St Lucia
Great Alaskan TourSaver book filled with 2-for-1 travel coupons
Tranquility Bay resort package in Belize

General Gear

Kuru shoes
Briggs & Riley Large Shopping Tote
Tom Bihn Synapse Backpack
Briggs & Riley Baseline 20” Carry-On Expandable Wide-Body Upright
$100 OtterBox Gift Certificate
Road trip with Rover: Dog car safety package PacSafe
Kelty Backpack
A PHOTTIX® CLEON II Remote Trigger and 3-in-1 Cleaning Kit
Alpha Sherpa Back Pack
Sierra Designs Lightning XT 4 Tent
Horny Toad Men's and Women's Jacket
Klean Kanteen grab bag
ERGObaby HandsFree System
Maclaren Quest Stroller
iPod Touch

Other

$100 Gift Certificate to Buckheadlife Restaurant Group
$100 Gift Certificate to Tots on-the-Go
$150 in gift cards from Shutterfly.com
Portable DVD Player w/2 7" Widescreens
$250 voucher for use on Travellerspoint's budget accommodation area. ´
Prism Portable Digital TV
Tifosi sunglasses
Ko'Aloha Soprano Ukulele
Personal Photo Shoot in Puget Sound Region
$100 Amazon Gift Card
$200 gift certificate for Viator.com tours & activities
Tahitian Pearl
$100 Gift Certificate for Children's Travel Activities
$150 Gift Certificate to Restaurant.com
Nintendo DS Lite
Free Tuition to Matador U's online travel writing program
Southwest Airlines $75 e-gift card
Gift Certificate to PosterBrain

Feeling lucky? Click HERE to donate!

Passports with Purpose

It's that time of year again. Passports with Purpose has chosen a new charity and has begun their fundraising efforts. This year's goal is to raise $13,000 to fund the construction of a new school in Cambodia. To that end, I'm happy to announce that - together with my favorite travel magazine, UK-Based Wanderlust - I'll be giving away a 1-year air-mail subscription to their fabulous publication, PLUS a copy of their latest book, "Visions of Wanderlust 3". The total vaule is about 103 USD (or 62 GBP).

If this doesn't tickle your fancy, you can see what other participating bloggers have up for grabs, or read more about the American Assistance for Cambodia (AAfC) initiative.

Together, we can make a difference... and who knows, maybe you'll win something along the way! Please check back soon for more details, or enter your email address in the field below to receive updates to your email.

Wishing you, and yours, safe and happy travels this holiday season!
Liz

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Charity, and The Somewhat Bitter Truth About Life Abroad

We smile a lot. We photograph everything. We write about our journeys. But do those photos and musings really reflect how we feel as expatriates in a "strange" country? How honest are they?

Here's what we may write:
Being overseas at Thanksgiving is fabulous. We love sharing our traditions with the locals, and are adopting a few new ones along the way!

Meanwhile, here's what we're actually thinking:
Man, I really miss my family at this time of year, and wish I could go home but can't afford it. Yet, while being away is killing me, I'll have to do my best to share traditions with my child/children in an environment that's not at all conducive to American traditions. (In fact, it kind of feels like an uphill battle at times to celebrate something that less than 1% of the population is interested in. So forced!).

So why put on a front? Are we misleading readers? There are three reasons:
1) 75% of the time we probably are loving our life, so it's not all lies.
2) When we're not enjoying life abroad, we figure, "Who wants to read about my depression?" and "How popular would my blog be if all I did was write negatively about this country?" and,
3) Writing positively actually improves your outlook and well-being. Kind of like smiling can make you feel better, even if you're in a real funk. So sometimes you write about the sun shining, even if it only happened for 15 minutes three hours ago. It was there. You saw it. And chances are you'll see it again.

I guess what I'm saying is, the holidays may not be quite as "happy" as they appear, because the bitter truth of the matter is that living "abroad" is (often) much less glamorous than one expects it to be.

But just what can you do about it? Well, this holiday season, why not do a different kind of "good" deed? Reach out to your neighborhood "foreigner" and do your best to make them feel at home. At times it may be uncomfortable and awkward, but chances are they're homesick and longing for a bit of family, and you might just make their stay one of the most memorable time of their life (and learn something about their culture along the way!).

Wonder how I know this? The answer is, it's happened to us. And perhaps that's what's really meant by 'charity begins at home'. Honestly, I know of no better tradition or lesson to share with my children.