Wa, wa, wa. . . The Party is Over

Today is the last day of our soiree with Europe.  After 37 days on the ground, and a total trip time of 59 days, we are heading back to Chicago (including the last 8 days of this travel time back to Chicago on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2).  We will have spent 22 days on the water in addition to our “ground time”, and we can say it went fast and slow, all at the same time.

Jordan and I have chatted about the pros and cons, our top ten lists, disappointments as well as favorites.  At some point, we will articulate those thoughts and hope they will not only help others who travel, but also guide us in refining our own game plan.  All in all, we have had the trip of a lifetime and this has not been lost on us.  We are indeed grateful and fortunate to have had such an experience.

Today was a tough call between traveling to Mont Blanc (who would not want to see this?) and staying close to “home” in order to pick up a few last items, walk the streets of Lausanne and pack up. Not an easy task with a number of gift purchases having been made along the way.  We opted to stay close by, knowing the lure of Mont Blanc will bring us back here again.

Our final day here was a delight.  The weather was glorious; sunny, clear and moderate in temperature.  We browsed and shopped for things for those we love (Christmas is not too far off!), had a simple lunch of fondue in a local joint and did not feel rushed or pressured.  We just got to “be” which was refreshing after some of the chaos and time constraints we have experienced during some of our travels.

With eight days left before we return to the U.S, this is not the end of the trip, but we certainly feel a bit of melancholy as this chapter closes.  We, of course, eagerly anticipate getting back to our kids.  Jordan and I have traversed a lot of ground here in Europe, as well as two ocean (or sea) voyages (one more to go) without a single regret.  Sure, there are some things we would change, but all of our experiences have provided food for thought.  We have more to write, more to consider and people to remember.  Stay tuned, this is not our blog’s swan song.