We’ve been home barely 3 months since our time in Germany and we are all ready to leave again.  While we are blessed to have a fair amount of travel in our lives, these two back to back trips are the largest we have taken, with the shortest period of time between.  We feel very lucky to get to see so much of the world.

Just 48 hours ago I completed my Masters of Education – and this trip was planned as the celebration of that hard work.  We didn’t have a real plan when deciding to return to Europe.  In fact, we didn’t actually “decide” to return as much as pounced upon a great flight price and attempt
ed to be spontaneous – or spontaneous for me that is.  When it came to our Germany trip I spent 6 months planning the 2 weeks we had away.  I’ve only have 3 months this time around to plan for the upcoming 3 weeks in Western Europe.  5 Countries.  4 Languages. 10 cities.  It’s going to be amazing.  But, by Alyssa standards, I’m not very planned at all.

I booked hotels.  and I booked train tickets.  And that’s it.  I have lists on paper with general ideas of what I’d like to do.  I’ve read through Rick Steves “Paris”, “Germany”, and “Amsterdam, Brugge & Brussels”.  I downloaded a couple apps to my phone.  I charged my camera batteries.  But what we’re going to actually see and do…I really don’t know.  And this is both frightening and liberating at the same time.

The map above gives you an outline of our plans.  We start in Germany (3 nights), then to Luxembourg (1 night), Paris (7 nights), Belgium (3 nights) and ended in Holland (6 nights).  It’s going to be a wonderful 3 weeks and we can’t wait for all the new things that we will experience for the first time (or second).  Personally, I’m looking forward to Waffles, Crepes, Pannekoeken….so basically breakfast foods.  Also looking forward to touring through Flanders Fields (and other WWI battlefields), biking and cruising the Mosel river, museums and wandering the streets of Paris, seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, and visiting family and eating vla in the Netherlands.  And of course you can expect to hear and see all our adventures here.  T minus 8 days!