Istanbul Overview, warning: LONG POST

Aug 24th

Well we are CLEARLY on the wrong side of Istanbul because what we saw today on our Bosphorus tour was incredible, and we felt very comfortable. Turns out we are in a part of Itanbul staying where it's very ethnic and less touristy. We had fantastic fresh fish for lunch and saw very wealthy parts of the city. The boat took us to the ritzy homes and more very historical sights, as well as the beautiful bridge that connects Europe from Asia. I wish we would have known where to stay vs trusting our travel agent (she's Greek and from Greece, so maybe she wants us to return to Greece & not Turkey) ha! This country is very unique.  I'd like to return to Turkey now that we know what all it has in store and wish that we had more time to explore. 

Aug 25th

I wanted to save the details of what we saw on our full day tour of Istanbul for our long travel flight home. Not only does it give me something to do to kill the time, it makes me less sad that we're ending our vacation by remembering all of the wonderful sights. We started with The Ancient Hippodrome, the scene of the chariot races with three monuments, the oblisk of Theodosis, the bronze Serpintine column and the column of Constantine. An interesting fact there was that one of the monuments no longer had its bronze panels, and was taken by the Catholics to Rome where they currently reside in a church there due to their value. 

Second, we went to the Sultanahmet Mosque, which was built in the 16th century. It was stunning! Having 6 minarets and magnificent interior blue Iznik tiles, just being in its presence was profound. This is currently a practicing mosque and not a museum, so we were required to take our shoes off at the entrance, cover our legs (arms, shoulders, etc) with scarves/skirts that they lend for the tour if not appropriately dressed already. All of its original candles (over 5,000) still hang and although most of the paint has been touched up on the intricate details inside, there is still an original area that shows its faded original colors. The fact that someone created this is truly unimaginable. 

We then  visited the famous Saint Sophia Museum, which is one of the worlds greatest architectural marvels, built by Constantine the Great in the 4th Century, and then reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th Century. Its the 3rd largest church in the world and the 8th Wonder of the World. The entry doors, or the Kings doors are MASSIVE, and the others are designed in a much smaller scale. One of the designs on the ceiling shows the Emperor of Constantinople kneeling before Jesus' throne, to symbolize Christianity's presence in the mosque. The stories that the art work tells from so many years ago and the idea that this was built before the technology we have today and preserved is amazing. Upon exit, there is a 'wishing hole' that they believe if you can put your thumb in and turn your hand in a complete 360 degree circle that your wish or prayer will come true. Mine went 360 (I happened to also turn my body with my hand, but hey, they never said details on HOW your hand has to make it 360 degrees), ha! We shall see if it comes true. 

We had a great lunch, partnered up with a couple from Australia, who were incredibly interesting. He was the light weight 'Strong Man Champion' for his country and they both were newly weds on their honeymoon who had already visited Croatia & Amsterdam beforeTurkey. They both worked for Coca Cola and we had lots to talk about. We then stopped at the Grand Covered Bazaar with over 4,000 tiny shops and had a personal introduction from a manufacturer of rugs and learned how they make such unique and intricate designs. Most take nearly a year to make, the silk taking close to 16 months on average! Last, we went to the Royal Topkapi Palace, the great palace of the Ottoman Sultan's from the 15th to the 19th centuries. 

(Next days Half day Boat cruise)

Our boat tour covered the old city walls to Golden Horn which is a natural Harbor. We went to the Spice Market, or Egyptian Bazaar and could have spent hours there if we had the chance to! We bought some amazing teas, flavored tobacco for the hookah before loading the boat to the Bosphorus, the water that separates Europe from Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden houses, palaces of marble, fortresses, and a small fishing boat. 

We returned to our hotel for a quick dropping of our bags then headed to our authentic Turkish Bath. I won't provide ALL details of the Turkish bath, although you can probably google most of their details, as I think everyone should add it to their own Bucket List. I wouldn't want to spoil it. We chose a couples one by the the University that was very authentic. It wasn't like a spa at all really, rather a stone chapel shaped building. You arrive and change into a cloth bikini of theirs and put a towl around your waist. Men, towels around waist as well. You then go into a HOT room of hot stone tiles and sit for 40 minutes to steam/detox your body before your scrub and massage. The bath is first, with rotating hot and cold rinses by one of the workers there. They massage you after your full body wash/skin polish but it's very hard and rough. Honestly, I was a bit nervous at first because I had no idea what was coming next, and with it being authentic and non spa like, it wasn't like anything I've done before ( a constant theme of this trip, yay for pushing my boundaries). They then rinse you and wash your hair/scalp massage before you go into a relaxing room and drink an Apple flavored drink, what the country offers you as a guest/ welcoming of sorts that is tradition. It was incredibly relaxing once I let myself relax & my dry, sun scorched skin feels amazing to boot. I was seriously glowing when I woke up this morning. That alone is worth a 12.5 hour flight back to Turkey! :) 

We finished our last night with one of the trips favourite meals at a Steak & Fish house up the street from our hotel. The staff was hilarious and we felt right at home dishing out shenanigans with one another like we were old friends. The food was SPICY and delish; a Turkish guitarist sang songs and the laid back atmosphere had us feeling right at home. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful vacation. 

We had the trip of a lifetime and love both countries for different reasons, as they were both (luckily) so unique in their own ways. As I'm now half way through this long plane ride over the Atlantic (sans movies as the tv's aren't working & no Internet either-beh-Delta schmelta) I sit here and reflect on this year and this trip and all of the many blessings my life holds. Ive surprised myself regarding how much I really enjoy traveling and discovering the unknown. Challenging  ones self and seeing personal growth by proving those negative thoughts and doubts in your mind can be overcome is truly exhilarating. Ive seen and experienced more in this past two weeks than many may in a lifetime, and for that I continue to thank God for. Next project: plan next years new stamp in the passport! Cheers!

xoxo,
Andi

Istanbul, Turkey

Aug 23- Istanbul, Turkey

Holy exhaustion setting in...big time. Spent all day yesterday traveling and got a bite to eat when we arrived at a small pub down from our hotel. Per Euro standard, we  are on small single beds that sleep apart (not ideal for honeymoon), although they might be onto something because I sleep pretty hard. Plus it's so hot here that you have zero desire to cuddle or be close, add exhaustion, and the beds serve their purpose! 

Anyyyywho, we spent all day today touring the city (professional tour guide which is the ONLY way to go) and learned about much of the history if this land and saw a lot of beautiful mosques and buildings. It all was really fascinating as Istanbul is so rich in history. Detailed play by play on those locations later.

Immediate impressions upon arrival of Istanbul; wayyyyy too many people. We drove in from the airport at 10p last night and the entire 20 min drive to our hotel people were lined in droves cooking out and hanging out like their was a festival going on, but it was totally normal to be out at that hour lining the waterfront with their families. To give you an idea of size, there are 20 million people living in Istanbul alone, Columbus, less than 1 million. Being a woman visiting Istanbul, it is pretty intimidating as I am very much the  minority here. Most women are covered entirely or dressed very conservatively, and although I made sure to pack ankle length sundresses, I also make note to pack my scarves when leaving the hotel to cover my shoulders and chest up with as well. Not everyone does, and of course their are plenty of tourists, but I feel like its disrespectful to them for starters, and second off I stand out like a sore thumb & feel uncomfortable, like im on display. It's very very different then anything I'm accustomed to and I'm 100% out of my comfort zone, but sometimes thats good to do. I cannot express how grateful I am to live in the United States. Hardly anyone here speaks any English (in Greece there were mostly French, Germans and Greeks, and we heard very little English but at least most knew enough English when we would need to ask a question). Sidenote: As I lay here typing this, it's 5:30p here and what we could compare to tornado sirens going off back home are prayer/chanting sirens that are signalling that it's time for prayer. Very unique. It makes you think, a city this large & everyone just stopping their day at the sound of these sirens, 5x daily for this. It really is fascinating. 

Tomorrow we do a half day boat tour and will get to enjoy the Turkish Bath before dinner and packing up as we depart at 330a to travel home; it's a long haul. 12.5 hours back over the pond and 2 from NYC. I'm really looking forward to getting back to the U.S at this point after being gone from home a total of 3 weeks. My dogs are going to make me pay for it, I'm sure! :)

Santorini continued...

My. body. hurts. Biggest waste of massage Euro today as only hours later my sandal decides to slide down a staircase, cement might I add, on the side of the mountain whilst entering our dinner venue. Ummm yes. Not my finest moment. Lets just say we didnt eat dinner there. A very nice German in her best attempt to help yelled 'Get ice put on it make better'. I'm  not quite sure how my left hip is going to feel in the morning and I'm not looking forward to it. In all honesty it could have played out much worse, and if not for my 16 years of nearly breaking my neck as a gymnast and 7 more in Cheerleading, I wouldn't have had the cat like fall reflexes to catch myself strategically and not break bones. I did however break ego for a hot minute. 

Aug 21

Last night here in Santorini after a day on a catamaran. We had a great time and it was exactly what the doctor ordered, although now I'm dehydrated a bit and my skin is as sun scorched as it has been since Hawaii trip, 2001.  We saw the red and black beaches and got to do some cliff diving. I thought  it would be impossible to relax as much as we have been but I'm starting to get to the point in the trip that the relaxation is having the opposite effect and making me anxious. Probably because I know just how much work I have ahead of me as I haven't even been home for three weeks now (a week before this trip I was on a work trip in Pa). Putting that out of my mind is becoming harder and harder. I'm looking forward to seeing my fur babies and things like that but will continue to enjoy our vacation of course. Exciting things ahead in Istanbul! In spite of the recent car bomb near Syria that went off & the fact that we hear women are treated quite differently there (tourist or local), there are always risks wherever you live; we'll travel as safely as possible.

Santorini, the Granddaddy of them all!

Sunday, August 19th-Santorini

I should have known after three high speed ferries in the past seven days that (unlike those) when we all unloaded onto the closed vessel of the ship to get off and opened the massive 30 x 50 foot door for the grand reveal/exit that we would be embarking onto the best island of all. < insert gasp> 

I kid you not, I choked back tears of happiness and awe as we wound up the cliffs of Santorini to our hotel overlooking the water to Volcano View Hotel & Villas, and if there's one thing I rarely do publicly, its cry. The island of Santorini is set in a magnificent cliff with a view so grand it's indescribable. Seriously. You all MUST come here before you die; although if you don't, I'm absolutely certain that this is Earth's last stop for us before we get to Heaven. If Heaven is more beautiful than this then everyone should start believing in it because I'm not overreacting when I tell you, it would be hard to get better than here. Blair has traveled all over the world and as he put it, 'I should have never put it past you to pick the absolute #1 Bucket List destination that could ever exist, this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen', and it is. Santorini is unlike Athens, Paros and Naxos simply because you overlook the sea onto volcanoes & islands dated back to B.C, and an endless horizon of water and sunsets that only Bob Ross could paint. I'm dreaming...pinching myself...awaiting my alarm clock to go off in Ohio to then only imagine a Greece/place that is so grand, much like I've done the past 10 years, ever since I fell in love with the idea of Greece. Everything I've imagined this paradise to be has fallen short to its reality. This island & trip has far surpassed my expectations. 

#1 Bucket List, check! A well deserved #1 spot. It's breathtaking.....Oh, and the wine is finally "normal" here :) le sigh....

Monday Aug 20

I hate the part of vacation where you are over the hump in the trip and are turning the corner when time is closer to your travel home than it has been time away. We are home on the 25th after three nights in Istanbul and only have tomorrow left in Santorini. Booo. I guess all good things must come to an end, unfortunately. 

Today we spent gathering goodies for some of our loved ones while shopping in the uptown area. We met a man who owned an art store and also did the pieces himself as well as his father and daughter. We fell in love with much of their work, that of which mom, Vicki and a small token for ourselves was purchased to remember authentic Santoroni. We also found a third generation leather maker who was hand making bags and wallets, etc that we scooped some great leather finds from for Trent. He has been caring for our home & our fur babies while were away & I am certain they are running wild on him. After wine tasting and picking our favourite two bottles, I finally got my spa treatment I've been dying for. It. Was. Wonderful. I went for the full body deep tissue (standard) while Blair went into the steam, sauna and 'heated bed' room. I think masseuses' speak a universal language because regardless of where I receive them their hands ALL drill into the same troubled areas. Most of the time I spend wondering how they do this vs. relaxing...

Although this place is pretty darn close to heaven, there are a few things that we find funny and/or annoying about being in a country unlike ours. We have started a running list: 

1. Smoking was so 10 years ago...everyone still smokes here, even in restaurants & they have no regard for those around them who don't. 

2. Popped collars, also soooo 10 years ago. As well as swim shorts that your little brother could wear (I've seen so many love handles & buttcracks I could cry) -not attractive.

3. Know what the English means on your shirt before you purchase it. ie:

Young Girl carrying balloons wearing a tank that says 'BAD GIRL' or the man walking behind her wearing a beater that says 'ORGASM DONER' with 'Friday' on the back. Or the 6 year old wearing a T shirt saying 'I LOVE MY SELF'. Seriously? 

4. Id rather pay a tip and get served promptly. Here the tip is already included and you LITERALLY dine for hours and hours. 30 mins to get greeted, 30 more to order, 30 until food arrives & so on. Sometimes, we are in a hurry or have a timeline. Also, my husband likes beer....waiting an hour and a half in between coldie #1 & #2, not fun for me. 

I'm sure you were sick of hearing all my ooooohhh'ing & aaaahh'ing for one blog. So, there's  your dose of the Real Deal Holyfield AC ya know

Greetings from Naxos!

Tetanus shot in Blairs arse was a success and only cost us 10 Euro! They say it's never happened before to ANY guest before us (when you see a pic of this bad boy you'll find that very hard to believe) so, we've officially labeled ourselves as the 'Dumb Americans' throughout Contaratos Beach, ha! We are the onlyAmericans this week, we hear, so we are representing well ;) I continue to wonder how they know we are from the US before we even open our mouths .....

The pharmacist said the wound looked very clean, considering the rusty/dirty nail, thanks to my hospital grade Medline Sterillium Hand sanitizer I had with me I could give it a good clean. Thank you sample supply I stocked up on before departing the company. SCORE!

We stopped at a Garra Rufa fish therapy shop for a 'pedicure' which was certainly one of a kind and something worth Googling to look into details of what I mean! There are about 50 tiny fish that immediately gravitate to your feet and nibble (no teeth) at your dry skin, they say it's wonderful for treating those with  Psoriasis, but next to the electric sensation throughout your body and a tingly pulse at your feet, we didn't see any difference in our dry skin to follow. It gave us a good laugh and who doesn't like their feet rubbed anyway? It made for a good 20 minutes to conclude our last night in Paros. 

Aug 17

We have arrived in Naxos and its already very different than Paros. We have a much more modern hotel & room, think city modern meets ski town. Our rooms walls are all stone and ceilings are exposed beams with a garden and ocean view. One of my favorite words and places that can sum up Naxos is MOUNTAINS. The mountain views are my favorite part here immediately. The front desk claims we are the "luckily couple" as this is the best room facing the North (sunset on west) with a fantastic evening breeze, I'll take it! We are here for only two nights where we plan to beach it up & enjoy this massive infinity pool we're laying out at as I type (you ask yourselves how I find the time in paradise or bother to type these blogs instead of enjoy every single second) well, Blair & I only have so many topics to cover & books to read 24 hours daily, 7 days a week for 14 days. Half the reason we get along anyways is that we don't 'pointless talk' and both love to read. Perfect-Thank you iPad! We have already blown through two books throughout 5 days and a bajillion hours of travel, so book suggestions are now welcome for rest of trip & home.

I'm starting to feel like a foodie as I LOVE the food here & am certain I'll be traveling home with a Fupa/food baby in my belly. I can finally understand why people live to eat & not eat to live... Bring it on! Fall is near in Ohio & there are layers of clothes in my near future. I think people find it odd that I take pictures of what they serve esp myfavorite dishes, but you'll soon see why. Ah-mazing.

I've learned a lot about myself during this trip. For example, I don't give myself enough travel credit. I've always felt I am an anxious traveler, someone who would fly into full blown panic attack when it comes to a day +of planes, trains, busses and ferries but the truth is I'm probably just like everyone else. Some ways of travel are preferred over others (not loving the high speed ferries, without Dramamine i feel like I'm on a fair ride) but quite frankly unless I can find a way to re-create Docs time machine, it is what it is. It really is just a matter of trying to live in the present as much as possible or to let your mind daydream about a time when the uncomfortable moment you're in will pass. Oh, and a lot of book reading :) Lazy night in /balcony breezin tonight ....Antio! 

Aug 18th

Now would be a good time to confess that not only am i challenged at Math, Geography is my second weak spot. Lol! I swear i graduated with honors (somehow) from OSU but i was the studier who crammed, took the test & slowly forgot most, unfortunately. Which is another reason why i journal and make detailed note to location & places. Poor Blair fills in most of my recall blanks when i'm telling stories regarding places and names; instead of The Notebook (love story where he reads his wife the story of their life together) he'll have to saddle up with me someday re-reading me the story of ours. When it comes to English, Lit, Languages and creative courses, Im good to go. I point out these flaws as it should be noted that I was looking at a map of Greece this a.m curious of our next two destinations direction to Naxos and saw that this glorious water I've mistaken for The Mediterranean all these years are really The  Sea of Crete & Aegean Sea! Pah! Either or, it's clear straight to the bottom and an incredible shade of teal. 

Last night was a perfect lazy night in on the patio with another stunning sunset. I was able to share the view via FaceTime with my Mom & Sister, hey I'm not stingy, if you have an iPad or iPhone & want to peek at the view, feel free to call :) I really wish all my loved ones were here to see the sights. I'd recommend the same route and places to stay to anyone looking to come this way. It's truly paradise. I'm so blessed to be witnessing all of this beauty & wish I could bottle it up and bring it home to Ohio with me. Which is exactly why I take so many pictures, add a photo book to our 'Notebook' of a story because this visual learner will need that for memory too! Poor poor Blair... Lol! Poor sap had no idea what he was getting into. 

Naxos is sporty and filled with young (as well as older) fit people  and is much more active then Paros. Where it lacks in charm factor from Paros, it fills it's void with breathtaking mountain views, great beaches and wind surfing. We walked the beach last evening (sunset is around 8p here) and people are in the water at all hours. It looks like a scene from Bonnaroo, nude bodies all cuddled up or people rubbing each other as if they're on estacy! Luckily, per noted above, they are all beautifully built ... We must look like siblings vs lovers with our public PG -13 display of affections, ha! We are touchy but let's just say nothing can compete with the French. Maybe we'll step up our game today ;) 

We leave tomorrow at noon for a three hour ferry to Santorini where we'll be staying in a cliff, what that island is known for, for three nights. I've yet to have my spa day, which the Greeks dont really focused on, poor women don't know what they're missing, so I'm hoping Santorini has a different idea/take on this. Otherwise, it gives me much to look forward to with our three day stay in Istanbul; Turkish baths in mass quantities please! Momma needs a rub down. Antio for now; more updates in Santorini! Off to soak up our last day in Naxos...game on French folk! ;) 

Paros! (minus pics, stay tuned)

Aug 13-14th-Athens 

Greetings from Greece! I'm currently  siting on the ferry to Paros after a long travel day yesterday, 10 hour flight from NY that luckily was rather uneventful. It's a bit sad to admit that this is my first trip over the pond, partially because I was always busy in college with a jam packed athletic schedule and also because our family vacations as children weren't ones that ventured out of the US. Hawaii is the furthest I've been until now, or Canada and Mexico. Blair on the other hand has been overseas many times and even lived abroad one summer. It makes it easier to have someone with me who can handle the currency difference, or is well versed in math calculations/ money counting skills. (This is par for the course regardless of where we are really with my  math skills)!! 

We got in yesterday at 9a Athens time and dropped our bags at our hotel. It was small (as everything is over here) but clean and modern with a cute balcony right in the uptown of Athens, within walking distance to beautiful restaurants and streets. We had a fantastic 

Iunch at Thanasis, pita "kabobs" with thick strips of beef, tomatoes and onions. I cannot get enough of the food already, it's delicious. We strolled around like zombies as we were approaching 26 hours of being awake, so after seeing The Parthenon and other stunning  monuments (what happened to architectural designs as magnificent as the Romans built anyways?!) we decided to catnap, and woke up just in time for a perfect evening stroll ; the weather was perfect. We dined at Tipanas outside on their patio and had fresh    roasted vegetables, a risotto dish that was to die for and Mythos'! Yummo! Kathleen warned me if Greece's lack of delicious red wines, and I took one for a test drive at Tipanas and it was terrible. Served chilled and tasting like its been skunked for months; it's only plus was that it was strong! After meandering around a bit longer we ended up at our rooftop hotel bar for dessert (a slice of cheesecake that was BEYOND rich) overlooking The Parthenon all lit up. It was truly breathtaking. 

Paros has been the island I've been looking forward to the most, so I hope it's all that and more. We will be there for the next three days before another ferry to Naxos then ending greece at Santorini before taking our flight to Istanbul. Stay tuned.

Aug 14th-15th-Paros

Well, I was 100% correct. I'm madly in love with Paros. It's everything I've imagined and more. Beautiful all white buildings with teal blue or green shutters, floral arrangements that pop as everything is so white. We have a very authentic hotel with a balcony that overlooks the  Mediterranean. Everyone here is on "holiday", so its very authentic Greece. I can't even begin to give this place justice as I finally fully understand the statement "you have to see it to believe it", we are taking in every moment as it comes. Do you ever have those moments in life where you sit still, content, and just  think to yourself 'I'm happy'? That was today; Day 1 of Paros. You'll understand what I mean when I can finally upload the pictures when home, but even they can't convey how beautiful this place is. We sat drinking Champagne after a fantastic meal le Sud which was ranked #1 in Paros via 'Tripadvisor'. The food was fantastic but the service was NOT. Not to label, but the French in Paros are extremely unfriendly to us, the locals however, couldn't be more wonderful. I said to Blair this evening, "'see that woman up on that terrace? I could live on the same one and be perfectly content in Paros for the rest of my life"... luckily (or unfortunately) he  couldn't see himself there also so we'll eventually be back home. Otherwise, I'm not sure this gypsie soul would be! ha! So, to conclude Day 3 with our daily ritual toast, as I look out our balcony into the clear blue Mediterranean Sea, "to Aunt Mardell".... *clink :)

August 16th

Today is our last day in Paros before our early morning ferry to Naxos and we are going to be sad to leave. Just when we think  this place cant get any more beautiful we stumble onto another extraordinary place to be in awe of.  After our routine of breakfast and a day at the beach & pool we spent the rest of the day/evening yesterday strolling in & out of the  endless shops uptown. The colors in Paros are so unique to the eye as every building here is stark white, so when you see the pics of all the floral pops and bright blue shutters, balconies, pops of green and pink terraces, you'll see just how stunning it is. The color of the Mediterranean is unlike any blue i've ever seen, perhaps due to it's white surroundings as well. We met the first town Boxer today (who was also white) with one green eye and one hazel/blue eye, which made me laugh as it reminded me of Paige (same eye combo). Her name was Carla & she was 8, just like Casanova. It made me miss him even more than I already do, but it was good to get some love from the boxer fam nonetheless. Yesterday was a HUGE celebration in Greece where people travel from allover to Paros to celebrate The Blessed Mother. We came upon a church and sat outside (along with about 50 other people who couldn't even fit into the church) and listened to the 'sermon'. It was a lot of singing (sounding similar to a Catholic service in regards to the chanting, just singing instead) not much of a sermon & of course was in Greek, but was really pretty. We expected it to be really crowded yesterday as well as many things shut down for the holiday, but luckily that wasn't the case. We stopped at a pizza spot, Pizzarella, with a nice breeze out on the terrace which had two young Greek girls who really made great suggestions for us & were really hospitable. We then went to a music bar with the best view thus far, it was straight out of a magazine. As I type this, blair stepped on a rusty nail on our patio and we're leaving to get him a tetanus shot! Lol... Let's hope this is our only bump in the road! 

Travel woes

So I'm sitting here stuck in D.C airport after my flight got cancelled lastnight & is now 4.5 hours delayed because the flight crew is now held up in Baltimore due to weather. Sighhh. Luckily I'm loaded up with PLENTY to do as I'm en route to training in PA, but more importantly we leave Sunday for our dream vaca to Greece & Turkey for two weeks so I can't complain too much. I'm not a huge fan of being stuck on a germ tube airplane period, let alone for 10.5 hours from NYC-Athens so this delay today helps to prepare me for the lack of control I have while traveling, today as well as over the pond; it's a work in progress for me :)

Blogging from my iPhone because my iPad isn't bringing up wireless signal makes me giggle... I mean how can one really hate traveling when next to books, mags, iPad books & mags (nook, newsstand), I have HBOGo, movies, work to catch up on and every other entertainment/distraction tool known to man. Oh, and xanex if things really take a turn for the worse! Ha! I have to say as pathetic as it is, I'm going to miss my fur babies the most. Which is EXACTLY why we are making ourselves book this dream trip now, before life continues to pile up or kids come onto the scene, etc. as it would continue to be just that... A dream.

My grandmother's deceased sister, Aunt Mardell and I used to daydream together about Greece, for whatever reason we've always felt fondly about going, our #1 on our Bucket List. We'd talk about floating all day in the Meditteranean and cliff diving, riding mopeds around the islands and dining in restaurants tucked away in cliffs in Santorini. Aunt Mardell never got to go to Greece as she was hit pretty hard with breast cancer almost four years ago & although she beat the cancer the chemo took her life in the end. I know she's in a far better place now than Greece but I can't wait to take her with me in spirit. I have a feeling her & I will connect over there on multiple occasions; I know she'll be there ready to lead me to all of her favorite spots she's already discovered. She'll be there in spirit! She's motivated me (and Blair) to jump already and to stop delaying this adventure any longer... 6 days away! Eeeekkkk! :)

If not now, then when?

Xo,
Andi