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An American in Budapest

The hardest part about living overseas...

Family.

When family passes from this world.

When family joins this world.

Weddings

Births

Deaths

Accidents

Joys

Kids growing

These are the hard things to miss when you're far far away from your family.  

Do we fly home?  

How fast can we get home?  

What is the price of a ticket?  

Does the cost matter?  

When do we go?  

What will we miss?  

But it's part of the choice.  

We know that we will be here for our families no matter what.

Even living far far away.  

And I keep in my mind, everyone is only a plane ride away.  

The hardest part about living overseas is being far away when it's important to be close by.

Today I'm thankful that I can be home when I need to be.

In honor of...

Marcelle Porter
Grandmama
Mama
Wife
Friend
Loved her family
Bragged about her kids
Artist
Strong
Will be missed.

Love to our Gma who is no longer with us on this earth, but is definitely with us in heart and spirit.

Another good thing about cold weather

... it makes warmer holidays all the more amazing!

We cruised through the Mediterranean last week.  A much needed holiday from the craziness they call education.  I can't say I'm a huge fan of the cruise experience, but I loved waking up from a comfortable bed each morning to see a new city or country.  

We, the crew of 6, started in Rome.  Aside from Italians possibly being louder than Americans, I could easily live in Rome.  It forever remains an awesome city to hang out in, eat gelato in, people watch in, eat in, see a lot of old stuff in, eat some more in, and just wander the streets for hours in.

Next we ventured onto Salerno, Italy.  We didn't see a good beach, but it was warm and definitely Italian.  If you're looking for a real small-town-Italian experience, Salerno could be the place for you.

Then we hopped on the boat for a day and a night to get to Tunis, Tunisia.  This was my favorite port by far.  It was Sub-Sahara Africa meets Europe.  Great infrastructure.  A medina to wander, look, and shop (felt like Stone Town, Zanzibar a bit).  Chaotic traffic.  Roman ruins.  Blue and white Mediterranean homes (like Santorini, Greece).  Ocean, beach, warm.  I think I could live in Tunis, despite a few unused tanks scattered throughout the city.  All was calm from their recent revolution while we were there and the people were very friendly.

Next stop was Ibiza, Spain.  Great old town to explore.  Medieval buildings still in tact.  

Palma de Mallorca was another great spot.  Definitely worth a trip.  On the to-do list for my next visit... check out the beaches.

Marseille, France followed.  An industrial city amongst fisherman.  Liked the feel and old town. 

Genoa, Italy was the last port.  This was the only port I had visited prior to the trip, but we still found new sites to explore, including a Medieval piazza that looks the same today (for the most part) as it did hundreds of years ago.  Let's face it, some cities are worth many visits.  I think Genoa is one of them.

At the end of the trip the crew of 6 are all still friends.  (Travel is a sure way to weed out true friendship.)  And we ventured back to Budapest to freezing temperatures and snow!  Cold weather makes me appreciate the last bit of sun my pale skin got.

Note: If you want to find an AMAZING deal on a cruise, check out www.vacationstogo.com.  Their deals convinced us to go!

The Good Thing About Cold Weather

The windows stay shut.
The city dirt and dust stay outside.
My floors stay cleaner.
Less mopping to do.