Three Years

Time for a summary of our third year of travel in Europe! Although we didn't see too many new counties during year three (England, Russia, and Monaco), we returned to many previously visited countries for more touring and/or skiing:

Germany (Wiesbaden, Rudesheim, Michelstadt, Miltenberg, Mannheim, Weinheim, Stuttgart, Garmisch, Munich, Berchtesgaden, Heidelberg, Koln)
England (London)
Russia (St. Petersburg)
Italy (Venice, Milan, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Sorrento, Capri)
Austria (Lech, Zurs, St. Anton)
France (Chamonix)
Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Spain (Barcelona, Mallorca)
Monaco (Monte Carlo)
U.S.A. (Iowa, Nebraska)

...which brings us to 15 European countries visited in a little less than 3 years!

Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
England
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Monaco
Netherlands
Russia
Spain
Switzerland

It's pretty surreal that three years have come and gone so quickly! When we moved to Germany, we were certain that we would love the travel opportunities and new experiences, but we had no idea that we would work on/complete graduate school, make this many good friends, begin the journey to parenthood, and learn so much about ourselves. In the past three years, we've spent more together (and more time apart) than we ever could have anticipated, and I wonder if there's anything quite like moving to a foreign country with no friends or family to reaffirm the comfort and trust that you find in your significant other.  We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to see this much of Europe, and that many of our friends and family were able to visit us during this time.

Our travels have left us wanting to see more, not just of Europe, but of  the rest of the world. Fitting then that we are moving to Japan in August for another three-year adventure! Although we don't expect to see quite as many different countries in Asia as we have as we have as two free-wheeling travelers in Europe, we still plan to make travel a priority, especially now that we know just how quickly  three years goes by. Stay tuned!

With all of this back-to-back travel, I have found that I have to consciously set aside a moment to take a mental snapshot of  whatever architectural structure, artistic masterpiece, or natural landscape is right in front of my face to guard against going through the motions, getting stuck behind the camera, or otherwise not fully taking in the beauty that is before us. So, as this adventure comes to an end and our next one begins, I am hopeful that we will move forward with the intention to really value the present moment- throughout our travels as well as in our daily lives.