Travel days

Doing dishes. Not so fun.

Posted by Leo. Travel days are the hardest days of our trip. Whenever we move places its always early in the morning so everyone gets up early. All of my family is used to sleeping in, especially me and Griffin. My mom wakes up cranky. She is always making us pack faster and faster. The pressure is high because if I slow down, complain, or give up I'll get yelled at. We try to stay away from Mom but that's impossible because she is everywhere.


I have a hard time staying on track and focusing on packing and cleaning. Many of the things I’m told to do are about cleaning the bathroom. I hate that job because it smells bad sometimes. My parents told me that I needed to get over my “fear” of cleaning them. I really don’t like getting my hands dirty. For example, when I do the dishes I hate touching the ones that still have food or ketchup on them. Last night we had Indian food and the dishes smelled bad and were really dirty.

Awe and wonder in the digital age

Posted by Elizabeth. I love my children. I really do. But their attachment to the digital world may be a problem. This morning I realized a major flaw in this plugged in lifestyle. They have seen and "experienced" absolutely everything. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and the great big Internet bring sights to their little screens that are fantastic and worldly and breathtaking.

Which leaves little room for real-life wonder and awe. 

In Rome we saw the Sistine Chapel. In Paris, the Mona Lisa. And in Turkey the ruins of Ephesis and the white steaming pools of Pamukkale. Pretty cool? Yes. Awe inspiring? Not so much. Maybe it's just teenage enui or maybe it's hard to compete with monster-like aliens wielding machetes as they leap over the Great Wall of China. Hopefully someday I'll figure out a way to top that. 

What it's really like to live out of a suitcase

Posted by Elizabeth. Yes I've worn the same two pairs of pants and one dress for 76 days in a row. And sometimes I can't find my toothbrush so I use one of the kid's. Here are a few ways living out of our suitcases for six months has made life interesting.

 

1. We own four really awesome collapsible water bottles but one of the lids can't be found in the bottom of the suitcase (I won't name names) and REI doesn't seem to have stores in Europe. 
2. If we can't find clean socks we just raid another suitcase. 
3. Beth packed salt thinking we would need it?! and it spilled all over the bottom of her suitcase. Nice. 
4. Leo packed one shirt and two pairs of shorts but didn't forget the three brand new pairs of Nike sports shoes and a pair of soccer cleats. I'm not sure he actually has a toothbrush. 
5. Griffin has somehow packed a full wardrobe in his bag including a sports jacket, multiple dress pants, four or five pair of shoes, a bow tie and two scarfs. Did I mention I have two pairs of pants?
6. Teenagers require a significant supply of products. For their hair, their skin, body odor, you name it. Beth has a toothbrush and may have brought a bar of soap. I guess it all evens out. 
7. We have an entire bag full of cords and chargers and adapters and card readers and USB thingies and god knows what else. We could supply a small Best Buy with that bag. 

I actually love living simply and may just keep up the three outfit life. Somehow I think the rest of the family will be glad to have their closets back.