Martijn said I should also start writing about the nice stuff of the trip, else it might seem we don’t enjoy. I replied with confidence that people have a brain and can understand the humor. Or not? You know better.
The thing is that I don’t like it when people always choose to highlight the best, shiniest, happiest and most amazing of everything. Too much glitter for my taste, bliah. And I also believe these American inspired descriptions of ‘holidays’ and ‘new houses’ and ‘motherhood experiences’ are not even half true. Like everything needs to be always good, we are supposed to feel blessed day and night for all we have and not complain ever about anything. Hmmm.
Martijn is sometimes so positive about things that it gets hilarious. I think it’s an amazing skill to always be so happy and relaxed, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t have this gift. Martijn found the beer ‘very tasty’ in a wedding that was terrible and we were both saying how much we want to go home. Once in Amsterdam I asked: ‘What is the weather like outside?’ Answer: ‘Blue sky’. Pause, I thought ‘sounds good’. Martijn continues: ‘… between the clouds’. Jeeez!
So, we are enjoying very much. We are not in a nirvana state day and night, let alone with perfect Instagram hair and amazing photos. We enjoy more like normal average people, that almost missed a very expensive boat ride, let windows fly away from the camper and left home forgetting all lonely planet guidebooks. Well (reading the last sentence again), probably we are slightly worse than normal average people.
Here comes the list with the top amazing things of this trip:
1. The camper experience. It is truly fantastic. If you like camping with a tent, you will find yourself upgraded to a new comfort level. You miss nothing and yet you are in nature, in contact with people, you can hear the sea waves (like I do now) and leave whenever you want to the next destination.
2. The intensity of us 4 being all day together. No creche, no one to babysit, no job distraction. We are 100% together. I cannot think of any other circumstances this could happen.
3. The unknown. We have no idea where we go next and despite few minor disapointments, this gives you the feeling of unlimited freedom and flexibility.
4. The places we visit. Don’t forget we have two small kids, so our options are anyway limited. But given this limitation we have seen quite some incredible places. And campings. And every time you think you saw the best of this trip, a new ‘best’ is around the corner.
5. Being outdoors so much. You are in some way ‘indoors’, but very few milimeters separate you from the outside world. And you need to ‘go out’ for most activities. With the result that you are 80% outdoors, exposed to heat, wind, bad and good smells, sounds from the nature.
PS: Eva asked me if we have managed to take some rest. I think ‘rest’ is not exactly the right description of this trip, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. We are intensely busy with the kids and every time we leave a place and arrive to a new one, a lot needs to happen. But we are much ‘fuller’ and ‘happier’ than a month ago and I feel that with the same amount of effort we take much more in return. Plus seeing Gioia and Alex so happy is truly unique.