Home, Sweet Home

Extensive traveling does two things: (1) allows you to see and appreciate other cultures and (2) allows you to yearn for and appreciate your own. I have such an intense fascination for learning that I was {almost} overwhelmed with going abroad. The history is unparalleled, and the nuances in lifestyle genuinely piqued my interest. In Prague, I fell in love with the wall graffiti. In Germany, it was the endless bike paths. Paris amazed me with the Arc de Triomph. As for London, I am still boggled why they chose to drive on the left side of the road, but their public transportation system more than makes up for it {plus, I have a small obsession with their style}. One of the other things that I loved about Europe was their abundance of fresh fruit stands. It's no wonder they are all so thin. They eat fruit like Americans eat Snickers bars and gas station hot dogs. 

While traveling, I quickly learned the priorities of my regular life's guilty pleasures. Aside from the standard yearning for my family and friends, my body craved some American specialties {most of which are comparable to Snickers and gas station hot dogs when it comes to caloric intake}:

1. Powerade Zero {orange}
2. Skyline Chili {4-way with beans}
3. Qdoba {naked vegetarian burrito with queso & guacamole}
4. Brookside Chocolate-Covered Pomegranate
5. Pizza {from one of the many locally owned shops in Louisville}
6. The Bachelorette {shhh, I know, I've been watching it since college}
7. My bed {for obvious reasons}
8. My closet {I made it 18 days on 4 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 skirts, 7 tops, and ONE purse}
9. My cell phone {wifi is awesome, but life without 4G gets a little ridiculous}
10. MY PUPS {oh. em. gee.}

Now that I've been able to get my grubby little hands on these goodies, I can {more deeply} sit back and appreciate the arduous adventure that has now come to a close. It is so easy to look at other countries and imagine an alternate universe, but the learning happens when one can recognize how similar we really are {as human beings}. Ultimately, we are all connected, and we grow when we see how other people of our same age, job or social status interact with their geography. Traveling only made me realize that Ponyboy knew his stuff oh-so-long ago: “It seemed funny that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset" (The Outsiders).

Prague's Graffiti // "Before I die I want to ________."

Germany's Bike Paths // view from one of my morning runs

France's Arc de Triomph // Paris

London's Hipster-Prep Style // Gap skimmer jeans {sold out, but loving these} + black tee {similar here}, Polo Ralph Lauren cardigan {similar here}, Inga Creations tusk necklace + leather wrap bracelet, Michael Kors jet set watch & Jessica Simpson captoe flats.

The Pups // they have staked claim on my side of the bed

Proud to be an American

Traveling abroad has sealed within me a deep appreciation for my country. With every bite of imitation American cuisine and every un-air conditioned store I walk into, I yearn for the good ol' U-S-of-A. Don't get me wrong, Europe is beautiful {stunning, really!}, and I have uttered on more than one occasion, "Wow, I could live here!" The quaint architecture, the beautiful town squares and the epic vineyard-views are enough to make any girl squeal with delight. Plus, for a runner like me, I am overcome with joy to find miles upon miles of bike paths at every city we visit. Yes, in fact, I could live here.

A couple days ago, however, I felt such an allegiance to my country, I could not imagine living anywhere else. On our bus trip from Germany to Paris, we stopped in Luxembourg to visit the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. It started as a plot of land rented by US General Patton before "The Battle of the Bulge" during WWII. It became home to thirteen-thousand soldiers who lost their lives in the war. Many of those bodies were shipped back to the United States, but the space still houses 5,000 heroes in a sea of white marble crosses. The names of the soldiers are engraved on the backs of the crosses, facing their home country, and General Patton's grave sits at the front of the memorial, facing his troops. I found myself crying for a throng of people whom I had never known, and yet it was like we were all related. We shared the same blood: American. This doesn't seem to hold the same value as it did for those who lived through such a tragedy, and I don't know if it ever will, but I do know that I was sobered by the experience. I wished I could bottle the emotion and share it with my national comrades who {naturally} want to ascribe to Republican or Democrat, pro-life or pro-choice, black or white. These men died for one label, and we are remiss to ignore such a powerful common denominator. Unfortunately, life happens and we are forced {too often} to make a choice that divides our oneness.

When we arrived in Paris, I was reminded of a powerful tool that serves to unite all of us by our common denominator: sports. Through the work of {what could only be} Divine intervention, we were privy to the finish of the 100th riding of the Tour de France. Flags littered the air and chants resonated on every street corner. My husband quickly found a group of Americans, and for a small moment in time, we were home. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Entering the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial

White Marble Crosses

Group of Americans camped out at the Tour de France

100th riding of the Tour de France {entering the Arc de Triomphe}

Some old red, white & blue // Citizens of Humanity Avedon velvet pants, Gap striped tee, Vans satin boat shoes, Inga Creations leather wrap bracelet & Michael Kors Hamilton Bag + Jet Set Watch

I've Got Friends in {Foreign} Places

If you have never traveled internationally, I have one word for you: Go. I am not a world traveler by any means {and I mean ANY}, but the more I experience other cultures, the more I realize how very different and how very the same we really are. While I hate the vagueness of that previous statement {and I would tell all of my high school students the same}, it is beyond true. No matter the country, no matter the people, and no matter the language, we all yearn for community. I'm a firm believer in the fact that we were created this way; God lives in a community within Himself as the Trinity, and I believe we exist in that same community: connecting to ourselves, to Him and to those around us.

Prague is a beautiful city, but its beauty is reliant on our ability to connect to it. When Jordan and I set out on this expedition, we wanted a foreign experience within an informal set of guidelines, so we settled on a cruise through Europe, but we book ended the cruise with additional days in Prague, Paris & London to give us ample time {and freedom} to explore. On our four-hour layover in New York, we met an American who had married a Czech lady and lived in both New York and Prague. We gave him our hotel info and crossed our fingers that he would call and offer to show us around the countryside. Fortunately for us, it worked. After Jordan and I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out the Czech subway system, we bought two tickets to get us outside of the city. Our new friend, Peter, picked us up in his little blue VW Golf-like car, and we set off on our adventure. Peter took us to see castles, golf courses, and the best part, his home {as an added bonus, I proceeded to get car sick weaving through all the back roads, which have no lines and are extremely narrow}. We met his family {including his 2.5 year old daughter who was bilingual, and therefore, smarter than me} and we spent the second part of the afternoon walking around their small village and talking in the village's pubs. Then, we boarded the city train and made our way back to our hotel.

Just when we thought the day couldn't get any better, we started to stroll the city streets in search of pizza {yes, I know, but there are just some things this girl can't live without, and pizza is one of them}. We found an amazing spot on the second story of {yet another} amazing building, overlooking one of the squares. Ironically enough, we didn't end up getting pizza {to default of our waiter who spoke very broken English and misunderstood our order}, but yet again, we made great friends. Traveling to foreign countries where no one understands what you are saying is beyond frustrating, but it creates an immediate, intimate bond between you and other Americans {which can hardly be felt when going about our daily routines in the actual country}. From across the room, I heard a faint, "Can we get a box for this?", I glanced at her black canvas Keds, and I just knew we were in familiar territory. After much-needed English conversation, we stumbled into a pub with her and her boyfriend, sipped on cider and Czech beer, and for that moment, it was like we had known each other our whole lives {despite the fact that they lived 3,000 miles away from us in the United States}. We were, at that moment, four friends traveling together and fraternizing with our German, Irish and Swedish counterparts who were, in fact, doing the same. It's amazing how the simple act of meeting someone with whom you share a national pride, language and culture can create such a deeper appreciation within you for those very things. And, what's even more amazing is how connected you can feel to your country when you are so many thousands of miles away. Here's to making more {foreign} friends in the days to come. Cheers!

Beautiful Prague Architecure

One of the Town Squares

Gelato {yummy!}

Village Bridge

Our New Friends {minus photographer, Jordan} //
Nike Windrunner jacket & Tory Burch aviator sunglasses

Prague Train Station

Celebrating Independence

I love July 4th. I love it for the sheer fact that we are celebrating America's independence, but I also like to take time to appreciate my personal independence. God has given me a lot to be thankful for this year, but all of those thanksgivings have come through some serious trial & error {not something I'm USUALLY thankful for}. I mean, getting married in and of itself is a seriously TRYING time, people {phew!}. I finally feel at peace with areas of my life that used to bother me so greatly, however, and for that, I am extremely thankful. I can only control myself. I can only control myself. As a teacher, this is a hard mantra to admit. I dropped one of my former players off at college on Sunday {I coach a varsity girls' basketball team}, and I was flooded with a plethora of memories. One, I realized that I had probably never thanked my mom enough for actually putting up with me while moving into my dorm. Two, time flies, and it only means something if you're learning through the process. I'm thankful for learning, and I'm thankful for the freedom to learn in such an amazing country.

Plus, I LOVE red, white & blue {no matter the day and no matter the occasion}.

Boat Attire // 5th Culture bow tank {old}, Urban Outfitters shorts {old, but loving these}, Rebecca Minkoff mini Mac in navy, Vans satin boat shoes & J. Crew anchor bracelet {old, but check eBay}

Churchill Downs Night Racing Attire // Corilynn striped skirt, Cynthia Rowley blouse {TJMaxx}, Jessica Simpson Calie Pumps, & Michael Kors Hamilton Bag + Jet Set Watch

Hope everyone had an amazing 4th of July weekend. Go America!