Daddy's Home...from EUROPE!

It's just after 9:00 p.m. and the house is quiet except for the clicking of keys on my laptop and the semi-obnoxious hum of the dishwasher.

My husband is usually up with me for a while after the girls go down, but it's been different this week. His body is still operating six hours ahead of time and thinks it's like 3:00 a.m. I suppose 12 days in Europe will do that to an American!

That's right, for the first time in his life, Adrian crossed the Atlantic Ocean and explored a new continent. He has long wanted an adventure like this, and we've often talked about doing it together, but this time his wife was not the woman along for the journey. Two of his sisters were his travel buddies.

Adrian and his sister Leona at the airport in Madrid, ready to explore!

Of course I was a little jealous, but for multiple reasons it would have worked out for me to go along. And I suppose it was fair, since I already had my first European excursion with four friends nearly 12 years ago (wait...has it really been that long?).

How and why did this trip-of-a-lifetime come about, you ask?
Let me break it down for you.

1. Adrian's younger sister is stationed in Spain - Angela is just 2 months younger than me, we grew up close friends, and she joined the Air Force at a young age. She's traveled a great deal, and for the past couple of years she's been living in southern Spain. Adrian's parents and the youngest two of his sisters (he has four little sisters) have already been for a visit. Angie will be reassigned elsewhere this year, so the time for him to go visit was limited.
2. Daddy needed a break - After being cooped up in different houses with almost no social life for the last five years, Adrian was kind of desperate for a break. A true get-away. He deserved it and was willing to risk it since his health seems to be improving with no seizures in more than 10 months now!
3. Mommy's work is going well - My job has been going well the last few months, not super-amazing but I'm selling enough homes to afford him this opportunity.
4. His closest sister was able to join in the fun - Another person who works incredibly hard and deserved a break was Adrian's sister Leona, who is the closest in age to him. This too was her first trip oversees...what an adventure!
5. Bottom Line - The door of opportunity opened and they stepped through it with barely a month's preparation. That's how we try to approach life, seize the moment and don't let great experiences pass us by just because it may not be like we planned.

Adrian and Leona each crammed 12 days worth of belongings in a backpack and flew over to Madrid, Spain on January 19. Angie then guided them through landmarks in Rome, Italy; Barceolona, Spain, and the British owned island of Gibraltar south of Spain. They walked miles and miles through cities rich in history and enjoyed delicious food and a fresh perspective on life as they were briefly immersed in different cultures.

Here are just a few of the 500 pictures he took on the trip. You'll have to come by and see the photo albums to get the full experience.

It really was the trip of a lifetime. Though, now that Adrian has had a taste of it, he's more eager than ever to return and try out Milan and Venice and the Greek islands with his wife at his side :) I like that. Let's hope the housing market continues on it's upward climb!

Yes, I worked hard while he was gone and shuffled our girls between both of our mothers. Oh yeah, and I got to enjoy the bitter cold and snow of this Delaware winter.  But while the girls and I missed him immensely, it was all worth it to hear his stories and see a renewed vigor for life.

Plus, he brought us back some great gifts including adorable little flamenco dresses for his little princesses. What a great Daddy!

Now, if only the return wasn't so tough...He's been surprised at how long it's taking for his body to adjust to the jet lag. And yes, I did breathe a big sigh of relief when I knew his plane had landed safely back in the U.S. and no seizures had tainted this trip.

Keep an expectant look-out for opportunity in your life, sometimes the risk really is worth the reward.