Close Now!

It’s summer and that means it’s time to start blogging! This summer it’s time for another great adventure and so we are heading to Europe. Like so many things in life this adventure had a funny beginning. It all started with Downton Abbey!

For all other fans out there you may remember that the only ad to play during the entire season of Downton Abbey was pitching Viking Riverboat Cruises. One night in February, immediately following the show, the phone rang. Bop-Bop and Mama (my parents) were on the line asking if we had ever considered taking a River Cruise. Knowing they too were fans of the show, I knew immediately what had sparked the question!

I will choose now to skip the agonizing details of cost, the fact that we still have two children at university, had planned a home renovation, already HAD a cruise booked and leaving in under a month…and will instead choose to tell the part of the story where David pointed out that life was too short to make decisions based solely on finance. That telling my 83 year old father that we would save for a couple of years and then go with them was a plan with too much potential regret. Bless that man – smartest thing I ever did was marry him all those years ago! Before I had much time to think, we were booked aboard the Avalon Luminary for The Blue Danube Discovery from Budapest to Prague.

The flights offered by Avalon were ridiculously expensive and inconvenient so we decided to accept the challenge of finding a better way to get to Budapest in time for our cruise to begin. Direct flights were not an option and running for connections with my parents was not at all an attractive option! Now for any of you who know David, as well as being smart about putting things in perspective, he is also never happier than while conducting research. For weeks, interrupted only by our spring cruise of the Caribbean with our fantastically fun friends, he monitored airline schedules, followed seat sales and discovered all combinations and permutations that would deliver us to Hungary. And that is how we are now very much looking forward to our short stay in Finland!

During the short time since this cruising plan materialized I have received a major promotion (that I had not applied for) and will be serving as Principal at Sacred Heart Elementary School in September. I finished my time as Vice-Principal at Bishop Scalabrini (only significant since I may not have planned such an adventure had I realized – proof once again that God is in charge and knows what is best!). And although I have completed a binder – enter Exhibit A with an identical copy for Mom and Dad – come on fellow travelers, no vacation is complete without one,

it is only now, on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the throes of camping bliss, that I have settle and calmed down enough to clean out my email box, develop my transition plan for September, learn One Note – which will apparently be invaluable in September – and established my blog for our adventure that starts is just one week!!

To all the folks who followed my blogs in past years and have asked to be included “next time” – welcome back! I’m thrilled to bring you along on our adventure. To those whose blogs/emails/online pictures I have followed – thank you for sharing your travels at a time when I wasn’t able to break free. I am so very thankful that you allowed me vicarious travel with you. I am thrilled to return the favor! To those who have come across this by chance or because I have incorrectly assumed you would be interested (all my children except Mary-Kate) – please feel free to delete the message. I hope you all have as great a summer adventure as I anticipate!