The other day when I was looking through our pictures from Paris and London from last summer, I found myself getting teary and longing to be back there. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that not a week goes by that we don't reminisce about our trip. Financially last year was a disaster and had we known what was coming our way, we wouldn't have booked that trip in the first place. Thank God we didn't know.
I've mentioned before that I grew up poor. There often wasn't money to pay the bills so there clearly wasn't money for trips. Subsequently, I grew up thinking that travel wasn't important. As a young adult I always felt like it was a waste of money and that I'd rather spend that money on things than experiences. Oh the ignorance of youth. I now realize that the complete opposite is true and while I sat on a sofa and loveseat last year that were clearly in need of replacing, I did so while the memories of a European adventure danced in my head. It was worth it, although to be truthful that slipcovered sectional I've long been dreaming about is my top priority this year.
Right this moment, my only means of escape is looking at these pictures and dreaming of our next travel adventure. Hopefully that will help take my mind off the fact that it is 50° colder than on this same day last year.
Not only did you have that wonderful vacation, but you did it as a family. We take a family Christmas ski trip every year, but chose warm this year. We spent Christmas in Kauai with our adult children. We were all together again last weekend while our kids were in town to run a marathon. I can't tell you how many times that vacation came up in conversation.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I did Europe as a high school graduation gift (from my sister) and it will ALWAYS be a special memory for both of us.
Snow.
ReplyDeleteOn the ground.
At my house.
I feel your pain, girlfriend.
Oh Jen, I know what you mean, this Indiana winter has been a gray mess. I'm dreaming of our trips to the coast in order to stay sane :-) . May not make it back this year but we have the memories. Indiana Springs are extra nice too, if it ever comes. Liking your pix of Paris, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! This time last year hubby and I were in Spain. I love to travel...I long to travel...that's what I want to do full time if we ever win the lottery. :-)
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate! I think about Paris and the small towns and sidewalk cafes every.single.day since September. My parents never traveled either. I was a major European history buff in high school and I got a chance to go on a dream trip in twelfth grade that spurred my love of travel. Never mind that I had to wait over thirty years for my latest trip.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Paris and London too and can't wait to get back. Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post. Oh how many things would be postponed if we knew what lie ahead. Gratefully we cannot see the future. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteVacations are always money well spent. In fact, just yesterday, I was tallying up the $$$ we had spent the previous week on our trip to Florida. I jumped at the sight of the final amount, but quickly reminded myself that long before we were married, my husband and I made the promise that we would enjoy the comforts of a modest home so that we had a extra $$ to travel around the world as a couple and and as a family once our kids arrived. And we have stuck to our promise. In the last year we have had 4 international vacations - twice to Florida, once to NYC and once to the UK. We have no "stuff" to show for all the money we spent - but the memories! Oh the memories! And our children (8,6 and 4) are already seasoned travelers planning to see the "whole world" during their lifetimes.
ReplyDeleteI am with you. I grew up poor, living on a farm that needed day to day tending, and never traveled in my life until I was an adult. It is an experience I re-live again and again...the joy of seeing something wonderful and foreign to my world. Hope you get your sofa...xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for you guys that you got to take that trip. What a great example for the girls to get out there and see the world!
ReplyDeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteIt is such a blessing that you were able to grow up and provide your children (and yourself!) with the life your parents weren't able to give you as a child.
You are right, it was money well spent and sometimes we just need to put on "the blinders" and just go for it, right?! Now you have memories that will carry you through any season in your life.
Hang in there, spring is officially here. The snow will melt, the flowers will bloom and soon you will be blogging about what is new and beautiful in your world!
Thanks for sharing your pretty pictures...I can't wait until you get your slip covered sectional this year :)
Hugs,
Christy
I am a single mom who has the hardest time with this. I want to travel (and especially want my daughter to travel), but have such a hard time justifying the expense of it. I actually think about it a lot. So thanks for your insightful post on the subject. I think it is past time that I add some serious $$ in my budget to travel.
ReplyDeleteRaising 4 children and building our home from scratch, we never had money for vacations, but we improvised by taking shorter day trips and an occasional weekend getaway. We also went camping in the nearby mountains. It was the time spent exploring with family that was important, not the fancy destination. Sometimes the prettiest sights are right in your own backyard, as long as you have that loved one to share it with. xoxo
ReplyDeleteI agree that travel and experiences are so important. Money is very tight for us at the moment with me staying at home to look after the boys but we still try to get away when we can. We've just booked to go to the German Christmas markets the weekend before Christmas because it is such a wonderful experience for the boys to have. We'll be paying for it in bits all year long but it's something exciting to look forward to. We've travelled quite a lot in Europe and like you we talk and talk about the trips we've made (and dream of the ones we're hoping to have). I love your pictures of London and make me realise I miss going there. We're only about 20 miles away from central London but I haven't been for about 3 and a half years! Crazy! That's what having babies does. Must get on the train and go visit soon. Hope your Winter ends soon. Ours is going on way too long as well. We've got more snow forecast for tomorrow/saturday! Yuck! Fiona x
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your post, I flew backwards in time to just being married. My husbands cousin gave us a very old bright green couch. Summer came around and we had the money for either a new couch or a 2 week vacation. We decided on the trip and kept that couch for 5 years!! We never regretted it. We have so many great memories from 35 years of travel. :) Kit
ReplyDeleteIt snowed all danged day here yesterday. It was the pretty, fluffy kind, but I cursed it anyway.
ReplyDeleteI want to see all your photos in person (have you printed them off? haha) and hear all your stories.
That last shot with the flags is SO dreamy!
sigh ...
ReplyDeletexo
elyse
I agree with you that experiences and travel are worth the money. We don't get to travel often either, due to finances, but the few trips we've had were worth every penny. And, like you, I have terrible cabin fever. It's freezing cold and snowy here still, too. Very depressing.
ReplyDeletei am so with you right now. i, too, am having the worst winter of "cabin fever" ever. what is making it so much worse is that my husband is gone all week at work and naturally wants to stay home a bit more than me... I, on the other hand, have been feeling as though i might just explode if i am in this house looking out at the dreary skies just one more minute.
ReplyDeleteand yes, travel. yes! i could not agree more and hope there is a lot more of it in my future. one day i hope to make it to europe!
Travel is a gift to yourself that you will never regret. We don't get to go on "big" trips often (maybe every 5+ years), but when we do, we plan them years in advance and make it a family effort to save for it.
ReplyDeleteHello. I found you through Pinterest and I am so happy I did. I, too, didn't think much of travel, but lately I am aching to visit Italy and Paris. Was it everything you thought it would be? It's a goal that I hope to achieve as soon as it's possible.I read your profile and share many of your favorite movies. I think , like me , you like to peek at the sets ( houses). Have you visited Julia's blog, hookedonhouses.net? She's got some amazing posts on movies/ TV houses. Thanks for a great blog and your home is so lovely!..
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