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But today I wanted to share with you guys some of the unexpected things we got to do on that trip that I always dreamed of doing but never thought would actually happen :)
So maybe you are wondering about the stories behind each one of these items and if so I would love to share...1. On our last day in Latvia, we didn't need to leave for the airport until noonish so we packed up, checked out of the hotel, stored our luggage and walked to Double Coffee for brunch. (As a side story, Luke ordered a cheese burger that was in fact just a hunk of breaded and fried cheese between two buns...lol!)
When we got back to the hotel to grab our luggage and request a cab pick-up, we just lounged in the lobby. We were some of the last Witnesses left in the city after the Special Convention because most people had checked out on Mon and Tues. So we mingled a bit with the handful of others who were doing the same as us.
This is where we get offered these random little cookie balls. I do not know how to describe them or what they were called but they were basically a little pastries shaped like whole walnuts. We start joking with the young guy, Nikita, who offered them to us about accepting unwrapped food from strangers. Of course we knew he was a Witness too because of the convention badges we all wore but had no recollection of seeing him before. This is where I start feeling guilty about my ever awful observation skills (this has happened to me more times than I can count) because he had seen us the whole time and we actually arrived in Latvia on the same flight. I realized this now after going through photos for the scrapbook.
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| He's the guy with the human sized duffel bag |
As we talked and killed time, it turned out he needed to be at the airport before us. So when our cab arrived we offered for him to join us. This worked out in our favor because despite having grown up in America, he's native Russian and was a fluent speaker. This of course shocked us when he and the cab driver started chatting like old friends.
At the airport my anal preparation/mom skills came in handy because not only did he have no info on his flight but his phone was dead and he had no charger or power outlet adapter. So we were able to help him out while we killed time before our respective flights. In the end, it was a super coincidence that he is a Bethelite that works in the same department as my cousin and that was who was picking him up from the airport in NY :)
2. While we were still in NH, we made plans to drive up the Kangamagus Highway to show Luke the scenic views of NH. When we set off with my friends, Jesse & Lani, Jessie asked if I had anything planned specifically. All that came to mind was eating dinner in North Conway and seeing what happens. So that's when Jesse mentions "The Cave." Apparently it's this actual speakeasy from the prohibition era in the basement of the Mount Washington Hotel. Well Jesse had always wanted to go but they keep weird hours and were always closed when he tried. So I called the hotel, got transferred a few times and was able to get the hours of operation for that night.
So we finished the day off there. The hotel itself is incredible and we felt so under dressed. They had hosted a 50's themed company party that night and the guests had moved down to the Cave as well where there was a live band and old-timey atmosphere. And since Lani and I had no clue what to order, we just told the bartender what we liked and he created specialty drinks for us :) It was such a fun time and something I never would have thought to do on my own.
3. Before we went to Latvia, we had hopped to do this one on the trip but never received our itinerary from the Branch so we weren't sure if it would happen. Fortunately we were selected for the excursion to Jurmala which is the coastal community outside Riga. My planning research told us it was basically the French Rivera of the Baltics.
Well we almost missed out on going since I set out alarm clocks wrong and we woke up 9 minutes before the bus was scheduled to leave. It was a good thing I had laid our stuff out and showered the night before so we were able to brush our teeth, dress, and get down to the bus within 6 minutes.
Jurmala is such a beautiful town and we loved just walking around enjoying the breezy weather. While we had planned to actually swim in the sea, it turned out it was way too cold for our Texan blood, so both of us just waded into the water to say we have ;)
4. Growing up in NH for 11 years, I went to the Bunker Hill Monument countless times. One time I almost even climbed it but I was 8 and thought better of it. Well on our day in Boston, we decided it was the perfect time to do it. At only 294 steps, it doesn't sound too bad. Well I highly underestimated my fitness level. About 27 steps in, I was exhausted and several times thought I was going to die.
To add insult to injury there was an 80yo man who runs the Boston Marathon every year and climbs Bunker Hill 9 times everyday as part of his workout routine. He did it 6 times up and down in the time it took us to complete our 1.
Once we finally made it to the top, I was so relieved. Although I was pretty sure I was going to fall to my death on the way back down. Because of where it is located, the view isn't all that worth it but at least I can now glow in the pride that after 17 years I finally climbed it.
5. As an art lover, I have always wanted to go to the Louvre to see the masterpieces. So when we had the opportunity to book a flight with a long layover is Paris, even if it was just 12 hrs, I knew I had to jump at this opportunity. I did my research and learned that the museum closes every Tuesday, so it was a good thing we were going to be there on Wednesday. I also heard about the awful long lines that can last all day. So I paid the bit extra to pre-order our tickets and have them mailed to me. It also worked out that we would be getting to Paris at 7am so we would have plenty of time to get there right when it opened.
The Paris subway system is the easiest I have ever been on. It was a breeze to get into the city and since we still had time to kill we were even able to have breakfast in a cafe like everyone told us we "JUST HAD TO DO". By the time we got to the museum it was barely opening and after a few photo opps outside we were able to walk right in with no line.
My research also meant we had printed copies of the Masterpieces tour and the Da Vinci Code tour. We were able to do both within a couple hours and while we only saw a tiny fraction of the museum, I got to see what I had always dreamed of seeing in person. Plus the fact that there was no A/C and that more people were arriving every minute motivated us not to linger. But sitting outside in the courtyard was very nice.
It was also great to get to see the Eiffel Tower in person. We opted not to go to the top even though we had the time and just got some ice cream and relaxed at the bottom enjoying the view. We both agree it would be nice to do Paris at a more leisure pace again someday but my next big France must-do is going to Monet's water gardens in Giverny.
6. This one was something I never had an intention of doing but it turned out to be a pleasant well-timed surprise. Although they are cheap $20 shoes that could be bought here too, it's fun to say that they came from Paris and that they literally traveled the world with me. I still wear them all the time today and every time they bring back fond memories from our trip.
It wasn't until we had checked into the airport at Boston, that I realized the one pair of walking shoes I had brought were falling apart. There was literally a quarter size hole int he side of sole and it was getting worse with every step. So after all our running around in Paris I was desperate and fortunately we came across a mall that featured an H&M. So both Luke and I were able to snag some shoes to get us through the rest of the trip.
7. The hippy inside me has not-so-secretly always been fascinated by the concept of the hostel. It seems like such a fun backpacker way to travel. But the worst-case-scenario-anticipator side of me knows what a dangerous place they can be. Come on, horror movies have been created based on the premise of them.
So I had no intention of staying at a hostel when planning our trip. But our overnight layover in Amsterdam meant we had to stay somewhere. I was a little sticker shocked when looking for a hotel to book for the night and settled on the Hotel Hortus because it's location was good for what we wanted to do. I prepared Luke (although he claims I didn't) for the shared bathroom but I figured that was fine since it was just one night and we wouldn't need to shower.
The actuality of our Amsterdam experience was far different than anticipated. In addition to having the most expensive meal we've ever eaten ($108 USD and I had the vegetarian option) our "hotel" experience was less than what that word implies by American standards.
Ignoring the fact that the receptionist was certifiably insane and claimed she was a modern-day prophet of God, the hallways featured motion lights that shut off when empty just like in the movie When a Stranger Calls. Plus our room was on the second floor via the steepest staircase I've ever seen in my life and the hallway reeked of so much pot that the smell could knock you over.
Oh and those motion lights were in the bathroom too on a 20 second timer which Luke did not warn me about so I was pretty sure I was going to get murdered in there before I realized I needed to wave my arms back and forth like a maniac to trip the sensor. Needless to say in the moment, Amsterdam was our only regret of the whole trip but at least now we can laugh about the experience.
I hope you enjoyed these highlights and thanks for patiently waiting for them for so long ;)
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