My Envy

With spring break upon us, I've been bombarded by Facebook posts of something I envy. What is that you ask?? VACATIONS. I'm so insanely jealous of you people who are on vacations to places that include a mountain, beach, and/or theme park. I haven't been to a beach since 2009. I haven't been to Europe since 2010 (I know- shock, horror), and I havent been on an overnight "getaway" since Thanksgiving 2011. People seriously dont believe me when I tell them the stats. Well maybe the Europe stat...

For me, travel has been a huge part of my life since college. I always knew I wanted to travel as much as I could in Europe because of my interest in medieval history. I studied abroad at the University of Wales in Swansea my junior year in the fall of 2000. UT had an undergrad program so there were a group of 30 of who traveled together, including a few of my best friends. We had an absolute blast. We traveled to Rome, Florence, Paris, Switzerland, Ireland, and all over Great Britain. We lived in the freshman dorms (co-ed) and pretty much relived our freshman year of college. I made friends who I still keep in contact with thanks to FB mostly. I actually scrounged up all my money and went back for Spring Break 2001. This began my obsession for international travel and the discovery of York, England as my current favorite place on earth.

After graduating in 2002, I took a year off before law school. In the fall, I got a work visa and found a job and flat in London. I worked the entire fall at a website that sold items similar to Time Life. Lots of "Fawlty Towers" and Tom Jones compilations. Nate and I had been dating since February and I somehow convinced him to visit over fall break. He did and was absolutely miserable. 3 days is clearly not enough to get over jet lag. Plus he is the consummate American guy who would rather tour the Grand Canyon than the Tower of London.

I enjoyed my time but was pretty lonely because I couldn't find my niche of friends. I was the southern sorority girl surrounded by liberal hipsters from up north. It was an excellent experience for forcing me out of my comfort zone. I had to navigate London daily and manage my somewhat meager paycheck. The sounds and smells of the Tube will always take me back. It most definitely made me appreciate American personal space and my car!! I'm not an urban dweller. I didn't enjoy buying my groceries and walking a half mile in the rain home. Thankfully I had two very sweet roommates. An Indian girl from Texas wait-listed by Columbia Medical School and desperately trying to add another degree from London School of Economics to get UN wait-listed and another girl from Australia. My roommate from Australia had an awesome social life and partied with The Flood. Yep. Pretty awesome with my musical taste.

In law school, I spent most of my time traveling between Birmingham and Nashville. Nate was in Knoxville then Nashville for the 3 years I was at Samford. My summers were spent doing clerkships for the local circuit and 2 different downtown firms.  I stayed domestic for awhile- Destin, Las Vegas, LA.  Over Christmas break of 2005, Nate proposed on a cruise to the Bahamas. (No, NOT carnival) We got married in August of 2006 after a stressful summer studying for the bar.

We went to St. Lucia and stayed at this neat little resort called Ti Kaye. It had private cottages with hammocks on the porch and no TVs or internet. It was perfect sans the issue of big bites and my city girl necessity of adequate air conditioning. The island is GORGEOUS.

Our private cottage

In the tropical rain forest

In front of the Pitons

As we landed in Atlanta, I turned my phone and heard the voice of my boss telling me what time to report to orientation. I unpacked from the honeymoon and drove down to ATL to start my new career. I spent a year connected to a Blackberry terrified of doing something wrong and living my life in 6 minute increments. I think I took off a day and half for Thanksgiving and was sent an uber passive aggressive email for that. Exotic travels included Dyersburg and Decatur County, TN. We had a short Memorial Day trip (also chided upon) to Cedar Point in Ohio to fulfill roller coaster dreams. (It's fulfilled. I thought I was going to die on 2 of the rides. Like hyperventilating on the ride!)

After deciding to work in government, I took quick advantage of my generous holidays and planned a trip to London for May 2008. We went to London, Bath, Wells, Salisbury, Oxford and then back to London.

Stonehenge (near Salisbury)

A mug strangely resembling an old boss

Bath, England

*The mission to have a baby started around here...*

Nate won out in 2009 and we went to Punta Cana, DR to an all exclusive adults only resort called the Iberostar Grand Bavaro. This place was da bomb. We went when it first opened so it was half full and brand new. I have never had so much to eat in my life! We had our own butler and anything and everything was included. If you are ever contemplating a trip to the DR, stay at this resort!!

They had a donut frying station. Nuff said

What I wouldn't do for this right now?!!!

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From our suite

Additional dessert at midnight? Why not

*Still no baby and blissfully unaware of diagnosis

Dont you love government time off and holidays?! We got to go to the beach AGAIN like 2 months later. (For the record, this is my last time to see the ocean since 2009)

Our 2nd anniversary

Sorry. Not trying to be vain. Just had to post a pre-triplet stomach picture!! ;)

*Got diagnosis after this trip, boo :(

Fast forward to April 2010, we went to Germany as a "get your mind off of baby" trip and pre IVF start.  Nate finally got his taste for Europe because I took him somewhere that focuses on beer and sausages!! We traveled Bavaria through Munich, Fussen, and Garmisch-Partirkirchen where we skiied on Easter. Then we traveled up the Romantic Road to Rothenberg (possibly my new favorite city in the world). We finished our trip off in Baden Baden.

At the Hofbrauhaus!!

Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen

Beer Garden. Notice more beer

Skiing on the Zugspitze, 4/1/10. I HATE skiing and this was a terrifying experience. Bunny slopes don't exist in the Alps

Beautiful medieval Rothenberg

At Das Kriminalmuseum in Rothenberg. A/k/a my heaven because I'm weird and love this history.

Finally off to St. Louis in July 2010 for a trip to end all trips, at least for a few years.

Smelling some sort of wood at the Budwesier factory tour. Not really sure whats going on!

Aww, the clydesdales

My buddy at the St. Louis zoo.

It's so funny to look at that picture on the days before our life changed so much!! It was a zillion degrees and my ovaries were hurting like crazy from what I thought were 2 follicles on the right (woo-hoo, big time). The next day, Dr. A would retrieve 3 eggs.

So, in sum, we had some crazy adventures before now that I'm thankful for. But I think we're going to try extra hard to make something happen soon even if it's 2 nights in Gatlinburg!!