Afterthoughts.

Soo we have been back from Europe for 4 months now. Wow. It's still hard to believe all the amazing places we traveled to this year, 18 countries in all. Now 2009 is about to begin, and while we probably won't embark on any crazy new travel adventures, I'm sure they won't be far from our minds.

Here's some interesting things I've noticed since I've been back. Just little, random, funny things that wouldn't happen or be noticed if not for our trip.

1. When I pack, I tend to feel the urge to swing the suitcase on my back. No joke. I went to Washington about 2 weeks after we returned home from Europe, and every single time I zipped my suitcase, I'd flop it over on the bed with the intention of putting my arm through a backpack strap. Even today, I was shoving stuff in a bag and I had a similar urge. Crazy how habits form.

2. I notice less when people speak another language around me. Previously, if I was standing in line at the grocery store or something and the people behind me were speaking Spanish or French or something, I'd notice immediately. Now, it's more of an afterthought. Like, I know it's there, but I don't focus on it or think about it. I guess I got used to not always knowing what people around me were saying. I tend to eavesdrop less too.

3. I never noticed before how often Europe pops up in our daily lives. I was at the nail salon last week and their calendar picture for December was Neuschwanstein Castle. And Ian and I noticed while playing trivia games how much more cultured we truly are. We now have images and memories and experiences to think of when we hear "Budapest" or "Germany." It makes the world seem less intimidating.

4. The travel itch does NOT go away. We are forcing ourselves to stay put and save money/pay off some debt before traveling again. It's very hard. And we hate it.

5. Driving seems a bit silly. I mean, we drive absolutely everywhere. And Ian and I have quickly and quietly fallen back into the routine of driving. However, I do realize how silly it is to drive on a perfectly beautiful day. I wish things here were more easily accessible by walking.

6. GROCERY BAGS SUCK. Somewhere between the 50 eurocent charge per plastic bag in Italy and the looks of disgust per plastic bag in Ireland, Ian and I realized how ridiculous it is to not bring our own bag to the store. We have since purchased recycled, reusable bags, and get somewhat annoyed when a cashier/bagger attempts to use a bag for the purchase of a pack of gum, or a birthday card. If we forget our reusable bags, we find ourselves often taking items out of the plastic bag and giving it back to the cashier. Sometimes this means we walk out of Target with armfuls of goods, but at least we're saving the world, one plastic bag at a time.

There's a ton more, but I figured I'd blog these ones while they were on my mind (and it just so happened to be 2:30 AM, haha), because our memories of this summer are slowly slipping away from us. I often look at a photograph from the trip and force myself to remember exactly where it was taken, how I was feeling when I took it, and anything else that happened that day. It's times like these where I wish life was like a movie, and we could rewind and replay our memories.

So we're taking a break from traveling for now, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll hear from us in this travelblog again before ya know it.

Thanks for listening to all of you who do, it meant a lot to us that you followed our trip, and your comments made us feel less lonely. We love ya!

---

---