Home Sweet Home

Since we've gotten married, Nick and I have visited the Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Holland, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Aruba, Curaçao, Bolivia, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and Scotland...17 countries in 6 years!  I'd say that we are on a good roll!  I have always loved traveling and thought that I would grow up to be an airline hostess or photographer for National Geographic or pretty much anything where I would live overseas or travel (I actually had a lot of my own plans for when I grew up, but God had different plans for me...I'm so thankful!).  We live in Florence, SC now and although it isn't the most interesting or adventurous place to live, we have grown to love it!  We have our family close by, a beautiful home and lots of good friends.  The more I travel, the more I appreciate my own home:). However, we still plan to keep traveling...of course (take a look at our bucket list).  There are so many places around the world that I want to see and so many friends that I want to visit!

So, here we are again...sitting in another airport getting ready to board another plane.  We flew from Edinburgh to Dublin last night and stayed in a Holiday Inn near the airport, since our flight from Dublin all the way back to Florence isn't until today.

Europeans are so economical and live so simply.  Everything is built in a way to save the most resources (we really could do well by copying some of their ideas).  Our hotel room double-bed was the perfect size for two 10-year-old girls.  The TV was a 10 inch from 1987.  Every outlet has little on/off switches to turn the electric on only when in use.  The lights and heating in the hotel room only turn on once you insert your room key and leave it in this little box by your door.  The elevator only works if you insert your room key and then press the up/down button.  The shower is set on a certain heat so you only turn on/off the water and don't waste any as you change the temperatures.  The bathroom door doubles back and also becomes the toilet room door, instead of having two doors.  

I really do love the simplicity.  Most people here live in homes only big enough for their actual needs.  They have enough closet and drawer space for the amount of clothes they need (not near as big as American closets).  Their refrigerators are just big enough for a few days necessities (about 1/3 the size of an American fridge).  Washers hold very small loads and clothes are dried by hanging them over the radiators that heat the homes.  The cars (as I have covered before) are for hobbits, but perfect for the tiny winding roads and parking spaces.  I could go on and on...I'm so impressed!  Nothing in excess.  Nothing is wasted.  Everything has a purpose and a place.  So simple.  I love it.  Nick and I would love to live in Europe one day.

But, let's be honest.  Right now, I can't wait to get picked up by my parents in an SUV or truck at the Florence airport, sleep in our queen sized bed, wash AND dry a huge load of dirty clothes, enjoy our six acres of land and I really really really could use a juicy hamburger and hot fries!!!!

So goodbye Dublin and hello USA!!!

Oh yea...at the end of each of our trips, Nick and I decide where we want to go next.  Then we start planning and saving.  But, for some reason, this is the first time we can't decide where to next!  Nick says somewhere in the Mediterranean to visit friends in Greece.  I say an East Coast road trip or drive the Appalachain trail.  We also have friends in Tazmania and Germany that have invited us to come.  Where should we go?!?!?!?  Any suggestions?