Our flight to London started at O’Hare International Airport where we took a short flight to Minneapolis. From there we boarded a plane bound for London Heathrow Airport. As we found our seats, Henry started up a conversation with a couple in the next bank of seats. They had a young child, maybe a year old, who was standing on the tray table. I overheard this exchange:
“So did you guys come from Chicago, too?” Henry asked.
“No,” they replied, “We live here in the cities.”
“Oh, well we started out today in Wisconsin, drove to Chicago, and then flew here to Indianapolis,” Henry informed them.
“Minneapolis,” they corrected.
“Right. And now we’re flying over to London.”
“Are you going there for a vacation?” they asked.
“Yeah, well sort of.” Henry paused, looking for the right words to explain our trip. “We’re travelers,” he added.
I was taken aback by how profound, yet simple, that statement was.
It’s challenging to uproot your kids around Christmas. It is the time of year usually reserved for comfortable, familiar settings, gatherings with family and loved ones, and, of course, presents. It’s not easy to consider giving that up, let alone asking your kids to give it up as well.
To make it worthwhile, you have to appreciate what you can gain from sacrificing all of these traditional comforts. We (Sarah and I) decided to pursue this dream so we could experience something new, learn something from another culture, and ultimately feel more a part of the world around us.
In short, we are doing it because we’re travelers.
Hope you have had time to recoup your lost sleep and that you are happy as clams in England!!! Love and Merry Christmas to you all, Mom
What a wonderful new tradition. Years ago we went to London hoping to
do Christmas a la Charles Dickens. We didn’t do our research and unfortunately couldn’t find any open restaurants on Christmas day. We ended up eating at what I believe may have been a senior citizen center. I trust you’ve done better planning and will have a marvelous holiday. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all of you!
Julie
Yes, we tried to get reservations at that Senior Citizen Center, but sadly they were fully booked. We plan on dumpster diving behind the Westminster Marriott for our Christmas Dinner. Strangely that would be a fairly Dickensian Christmas!
Yes but a little too Dickensian I’m afraid! Shame about the Senior Center being booked; the pudding was lovely…
Great Post…. Travel on!!!
“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain
“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” -Buddha
keep moving forward. looking back is for much later. like old age, at which I am nearly an expert. Travel on and enjoy merry olde England
Dad