The 90 days we spent in Europe this summer was an education beyond what we expected.  Here are our short list of “take aways ” from this summer’s experience.

•  Norway is in our view the most beautiful country in the world.  We haven’t traveled to all countries obviously, but from the places we have been, Norway wins hands down.  Bergen and Alesund were great bases for seeing the Fjords of Norway, and the train ride from Oslo to Bergen was simply amazing!

• The Baltic countries are inspiring: they have endured the most horrifying events over their history, but have emerged as members of the European Union and are thriving! Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – you provided us with a reminder on why travel is important as an education. You are amazing countries with incredible resiliency.  The birds escaping in this photo taken in Riga, Latvia, is to me symbolic of the Baltics escaping their past and moving onward to freedom.
  

•  Copenhagen?  You stole our hearts.  No wonder you are ranked as the “happiest people in the world!  You get it.  Hygge – we are incorporating some of the things I observed in Denmark into my life here in Austin.  Never too old to learn new ways of doing things.

• What an amazing way to see the U.S. from a different point of view.  Visiting other countries provides perspective, other viewpoints, and a chance to see how other countries have dealt with the same problems we’re having: some do it better, some worse.  Clay and I both understand that our lives somehow have changed, and for the better I might add.  You truly never see your home country the way others see it, but when got off the plane in NYC, we both looked at America from a slightly different perspective. We love you America – warts and all.  You still will forever be our first and mostly likely last love.

The big trip of 2017 is a wrap, but the education encourages us to go again in 2018, to see what other lessons are are awaiting us.   There is so much to learn.  We can’t wait!