It is time to reflect on our vacations to Spain, France, and New York. We went to Europe in May and then to New York in August. I feel very grateful to have experienced these places. I had never considered visiting Spain before we bought the tickets, but I am so glad we went. It is a BEAUTIFUL country with kind people. France has been a dream trip for me since 7th grade so making it a reality was huge for me. New York was an adventure and I loved finally getting to visit the East coast of my own country.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been dealing with some anxiety for the last year and a half, so traveling across the world was somewhat hard for me to do. I started therapy in March and went regularly until we left for Spain in May. Therapy helped me to learn new ways of thinking and offered me tools for conquering the issues that were always coming up in my mind. Flying on airplanes and staying in unfamiliar places were hurdles for me and I still had fears about doing those things, but I did it and I enjoyed it. Well, I didn't enjoy the flights. I enjoyed our stay in Europe and learned to trust people, which is something I've really struggled doing in recent years. Since I'm on the subject of anxiety I will say that the more planes I've had to get on this year, the easier it has gotten. I have learned to relax and think in new ways, and I don't assume I am going to die all the time anymore. I have been taking back control over my thoughts. I am doing this for me. But I also don't want to be a wife that is always being stressful on airplanes. I don't want to freak out Ryan. Honestly when I'm on a plane and I feel like letting my brain run wild, thinking of how that affects Ryan's experience helps me to calm down and use the tools I have to feel and do better.
Anyway, the people of Spain were very friendly and very beautiful. So were the people of France. So many people say that French people are rude to Americans, but that was not my experience. I truly believe that if you go into a situation assuming that people are good-natured and not out to get you, you will see that it is usually the case. I chose to speak as much Spanish and French as I was capable of, and maybe that helped too. I tried connecting as much as I could with my surroundings.
My favorite Airbnb that we had was in Paris. It was down the street from the Moulin Rouge and was a CLOSET inside an apartment building. The view outside our window was of classic Parisian architecture. There were gray walls creating a courtyard down below, where flowers were in bloom all around. We watched Ratatouille at night to see if Pixar's rendition of Paris was correct. It was- except the movie left out all the trash on the streets and all the people. In the movie, there were usually one or two people walking along the cobblestone streets. AS IF! Paris is crowded af.
Going to the top of the Tour Eiffel was one of my favorite experiences. I had never actually planned to do that because elevators are terrifying and being inside a tall tower with heaps of people doesn't seem like a good time. But it turned out to be incredible. I loved every second of it. My original plan for going to France was to just wander around aimlessly, but Ryan made sure we actually went and did things. For that I am grateful.
Here is my video of the trip.
We went to New York City for our two year anniversary this August. We were lucky to be able to stay with Ryan's friend in Manhattan. It was another dream come true. Museums, Broadway, the Hudson boat tour, Timesquare, Central Park, bakeries, new people, and new memories.
What I love about New York is that it is exactly what people make it out to be. There is no pretense there.
This is a low resolution clip of our bike ride around Central Park. One of the highlights of our anniversary trip.
Wicked was truly a dream come true for me. It was an incredible show. We also got to see The Phantom of the Opera.
I didn't like Timesquare very much. Not until it was late at night and it was raining. There was something magical about it then.
We went to a Yankees game! Ryan always wants to see a baseball game when we visit a new state.
When I think of New York, I think of Sesame Street. The movement of the statue on the fountain reminded me of Sesame Street.
The Museum of Modern Art and The MET were incredible, but The American Museum of Natural History was my personal favorite. Sure, everything we saw were models and not the real bones of dinosaurs or ancient beings, but I had so much fun there. First of all, we walked in the wrong door and somehow found ourselves in an exhibit without having tickets (totally by accident I swear). And then I got to bask in the wonder of learning about neanderthals and our gazillion year old planet. It was just an excellent morning in an air-conditioned building full of history and amazing discoveries.
This pastrami sandwich had been pre-meditated for months before we actually got to New York. Ryan saw Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan eating it on an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Honestly, I think this sandwich may have been the reason we went on this trip. Ryan just HAD to try it. He loved it. It's just a fact that if a sandwich costs almost $30 it
means it's a good one. This kosher restaurant was a fun experience.
Our night on the Hudson was one for the books.
Again, I am grateful. I know I am lucky to be able to go to new places and do things just for the fun of it. Now I am dreaming of the day I can head back to where I served a mission in Chicago and visit Ryan's mission in Georgia. I also reguarly day dream about going back to the Oregon coast. There is so much exploring to be done.