Learning to Move Through the World

When Jill chose to marry me, she chose a guy born to live in Eastern Washington. She used to tell me how she had envisioned her future married life in the big city, surrounded by people, food, and layers of culture, (which doesn’t exactly mirror our Eastern Washington lifestyle). However, she loved our town, our community, and the way we were choosing to raise our kids, and she set people and relationships at the top. As I look back on the four months that have passed since we said goodbye to her, it is the people in each of our lives who have helped carry us forward. This journey has been marked by so many of you loving us in profound ways, and it’s a reminder to me that we are not alone. Writing is a salve for me, and I expect this blog will be as much a therapy for me as an opportunity for you to see some of the world through our eyes. Thanks for coming along.

As the kids and I began discussing what the holidays would look like without Jill, we chose to go on a trip for Thanksgiving. We wanted to do something that she would love, and went through the list of options, finally settling on a cruise (Ellanora’s request) in the Mediterranean.

Day 1 – Our flight left Seattle at 2 PM on Thursday, November 20. It was a 10 hour flight from Seattle to Frankfurt, Germany, a 2-hour layover, then 2 more hours from Frankfurt to Barcelona, Spain. The Seattle airport was a breeze, and after lunch, we boarded our flight over Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the North Atlantic, and into Germany. We watched movies and napped, and Joel woke us up at one point so we could see the Northern Lights above Greenland. Absolutely stunning. Ellanora snapped some pictures of the sunrise over Northern Europe, and by the time we landed in Frankfurt, we were ready to stretch our legs (with plenty of yawns!).

Leaving Frankfurt left us a bit puzzled when it came to food. It was 11 AM in Frankfurt and 2 AM at home. The boys grabbed some snacks and we boarded our flight. Unfortunately Ellanora’s stomach wasn’t feeling great. Luckily we had a gallon ziplock bag handy, and I was able to deposit that now “used” bag in the trash when we landed in Barcelona.

Before grabbing our luggage from baggage claim we figured we should get some lunch, knowing it would be a bit before dinner. Joel grabbed a Caesar salad…an authentic Caesar salad. He figured he could just pick the anchovies out. When he opened his salad, the smell was overwhelming, and I thought he might fall out of his chair. Needless to say, he couldn’t eat the salad, but Grayson, never to back down from an opportunity, decided he wanted to eat the anchovies…I haven’t laughed that hard in months. All four of us could not contain ourselves as he attempted to eat them, gagging his way through the experience.

Leaving the airport it was a quick trip to our hotel in the Gothic district of Barcelona. The boys and I showered, and Ellanora walked in, laid down, and was out in seconds.

After letting Ellanora sleep for a few hours, we headed out for dinner and some exploring. The Gothic district is old narrow streets, filled with people and shops. It’s like the movies. We grabbed a Barcelona staple (hot chocolate and churros). The hot chocolate is thick (almost like hot pudding) and you dip the churro into the chocolate…it’s delicious.

We enjoyed our treat while exploring, and came across a church built in the 1300’s holding a service as we walked by. We ended up at El Nacional for a Mediterranean seafood dinner that left us all in more tears of laughter. We’ve got a long way to go to appreciate some of those flavors…but we tried them, and we’ll keep trying new things!

We were in our beds asleep by 8:30 last night, and up at 3 this morning. It’s a 9 hour difference between home and Spain, and it’ll take a few days before we’re adjusted to this time change.

Today will be another opportunity to try more food, exploration and laughter. Monday we board our cruise which will take us to Tunisia (Africa), Sicily, Rome, and Savona (all in Italy), then Marseille (France).

It feels good to be with my kids and laugh together. I haven’t felt this much peace in a long time. Every experience has been flavored with comments from each of us about what Jill would say or how she would react. She’s on this journey with us.

To receive emails each time I update, subscribe to this blog below!