We say Goodbye, but You say Hello.

The next day we woke up around 7am, took a 2 hour bus to Zurich for a 2 hour flight to London, where we flew for 11 hours and arrived in Los Angeles, United States of America. In European time, we traveled from 7am-6am; 23 hours. 

So be nice to your long lost ones who are probably really jet lagged at the moment. Don't try to get all the information out of them as they are exhausted, but do make them tell you all about their adventures. Ask us lots of questions but be patient, as we still have a lot to process but talking about our time can only be for the good even if we may get overwhelmed. Perhaps, that is why I wrote this blog because our bodies can only handle so much - and we went through a lot in a month. 

But oh so worth it!

I would like to take this time and thank 

0- G-man    1-Dash    2-Sondra   3-Tim   4-Rachel   5-Kelly   6-Sarah   7-Bridget   8-Margo   9-Mano   10-Me       11-Taylor   12-Jason   13-Kelsey   14-Jordan   15-Laura   16-Rebekah   17-Lucas   18-Stephany    19-Elisabeth    20-Chris    21-Jimmy    22-Kaylan    23-Ryan     24-Johnathon     25-Millie

(26-Mary     27-Amy)

Each and everyone of you has made this trip spectacular for me as well as for each other I know. Without anyone of you, it would not have been the same. 

And thank you all for your prayers, as God clearly answered them and walked with us every step of the way protecting and opening our eyes. 

Goodbye, Auf wiedersehen, Cheers, Ciao, etc. 

"I Want to Thank You very Kindly for this Good Good (Food/Day/Trip)"

The title of this post is the lyrics to the song we all sang in a capella to before we ate dinner, during our hike, and then to thank G-man and Millie for everything they did for us - and now to you parents for allowing us all to have these amazing experiences all through Europe.

But I am not done with Switzerland yet!

So I last mentioned the day that we walked in the rain to the waterfall. I don't think you got the picture that fully that we walked in the rain. So much so, that many of us found out our jackets really are not waterproof. But oh, being cold and wet just made Swiss hot chocolate even more wonderful. It was the perfect day to try out sweet potato red curry soup with sun dried tomato, mushroom, and chicken pie. The cafe I ate at, advertised Paragliding, Canyoning, Skydiving, White Water rafting, etc. a lot there.... plus when hearing of Amy's, G-man's, and Millie's experience of paragliding...all helped to fill us with desire to go experience Switzerland in a new way other than walking on solid ground. The way things worked out only two people, Chris and Kelsey, went Paragliding amongst the Alps. Their experience was great, so check out their facebook!
That same day we all took a gondola up past Briig (where a bunch climbed up to the other day) and to the Shilthorn (where a James Bond was filmed and a revolving restaurant sits). Yeah the restaurant was cool, but we spent our whole morning having a snow ball fight. It was anywhere from -1 to -6 degrees celcius (below freezing). Early on the clouds covered all the mountains. But later - when Dash, Mano, Chris, Stephany, Jimmy, Jason, and I went down on the actual mountain to play in the snow (one of my funniest memories on the trip) - the clouds started to open up. Words can not describe what our eyes saw. It was better than any imitation Disney could create. If you think about what Awesome means in all its worth - that would be a good word to describe it. But it is crazy how much the clouds can block out the  massive mountains as if the never existed. So much so that is was always so shocking there "would be a rent in the veil of mist, and then, as though framed in an open window, would appear a dazzling whiteness". As Hinds' Feet on High Places records,

 "For a moment one of the vanished peaks would gleam through the opening as if to say, 'Be of good courage, we are all here, even though you cannot see us'

The Shepherd said to Much-Afraid, ' When you continue your journey there may be much mist and cloud. Perhaps it may even seem as though everything you have seen here of the High Places was just a dream, or the work of your own imagination. 

But you have seen reality and the mist which seems to swallow it up is the illusion.

Believe steadfastly in what you have seen. 

Always go forward along the path of obedience as far as you know it until I intervene, even if it seems to be leading you where you fear I could never mean you to go.'

Later that day we were let loose to hike on our own (don't worry parents - we were in groups of at least 3). Jason, Jimmy, Stephany, Dash, and I ended up going on our own path (as opposed to the recommended Flower Path), where we met more of our cow friends as well as an older man in the tradition Swiss clothes (that one would imagine a Yooderler wear...like in the Grinch), with one dangling earing, sitting on a bench that over looks the town and mountains. As we tried having a conversation with him despite the gap of our languages, it ended up with him Picking up his 10 foot Alphorn instrument and played for us. It was beautiful. I was expecting it to be of a low pitch in which my heart would vibrate with it, but instead it was of a high pitch with a lovely melody - as if playing a lullaby to the town below. Other hikers gathered around so we left. After meeting and talking with other passing hikers, we ended up sitting on a bridge just enjoying each other's company - and laughing continuously as Dash blames our silly mindset on the altitude. 

Over all Switzerland was just a lovely place. A little peace of Heaven. If one can not see God's magnificence in their own lives right now, taking a hike in the Alps will open your eyes to  how narrow minded and short sighted we really are. 

Cow Whispering

     After 8 train rides and 1 gondala we have landed at our final stop at Murren, Switzerland.
If 8 train rides seem a little ridiculous, you are right but we never planned it to be like that. And in case you were wondering how riding a gondola could take us up the Alps, do not be confused with the romantic boat gondola on the rivers of Florence. It is actually a ski lift that can hold all 27 of us and more with glass walls as it flies us across valleys and waterfalls to reach our stopping point in the midst of the Alps. We have become great friends w/ the gondolas as that is the only way to get around in the Alps besides walking (which we did plenty of as well). The view was "drop dead gorgeous" as Millie expressed not realizing she was holding hands with those who were afraid of heights. Luckily her expression was not too accurate in the literal sense.

I am sure you realize by now that our trip is actually over and already know all about our adventures now that your daughter/son/friend is home (except for my parents as I am still not home yet). But I am still going to finish off where we finished the trip, so feel free to keep reading in case my story is a little bit different than others oral account.  But I am sorry for all of you who have been eagerly waiting to hear of our adventures without any reward for the past week. I guess you could say Switzerland was just that amazing I could not write to you.


So let me begin.
Our hotel was on a mountain that was surrounded by Mountains even higher. Mountains covered with snow. Our view from our rooms was exhilarating as one could gather by all our expresses when we first arrived, and one by one people stepped out onto their porch with using the same expression as "O MY GOD" (in the good sense). It was a sight to see with all of our heads poking over our little balcony's laughing and calling out to each other from excitement of our view.

Our first night started the same routine we would do every night while we were there. 6:30pm dinner at the hotel, in which they would serve us all the same meal with a soup, meat dish of some kind, and then desert. For not having an option for food, it was not all that bad and for the most part everyone ate everything off the plates. Even those who are more picky than others (we won't mention the trading of foods around or the hiding the spinach in the tarter sauce.....). We would end dinner every time at 8:10 than play some cards or rest in the lounge before we all met at 8:30pm for testimony's that would go until 10:30ish.   One may think we young college students would complain about having our night taken away from us, but really there was nothing else to do after 5pm in the small town we were in.

Our first day we went hiking on the North Face trail where Dr. Afman and Tim Bumps secret talents were unveiled when our path was blocked by a few cattle. Tim Bump started playing with the cow, in which we all thought the cow was angrily head butting him (as we were running away naively  according to the other cow experts in our group - in which I slipped on a lovely green cow pie...but it is okay because everyone had stepped on cow poop by the end of the hike anyways). So G-man stepped up to the cow and started whispering to the cattle, while we all walked past...I holding hands with Mary, G-man's wife, who was holding onto Millie, who was holding onto Lucas and etc. Tim just continued playing with the cows.
The rest of the path was perhaps not as exciting as dodging "stupid" cows, but it was just amazing! Wild flowers were everywhere (though no Edelweiss), which many ended up as bouquets or decorations in the girls hair. The beautiful, fragrant flowers covered the entire mountain side. It was as if "All had their faces and golden crowns turned down the mountains as if looking at valleys, multitudes upon multitudes of them, which no man could number, like a "great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12), all stooping forward to watch what was going on in the world below"(Hinds' Feet on High Places - it is the book I am reading for our PEA credit). We sang How Great Though Art in several different spots along the mountain side which could not have been any more appropriate, and filling me with such joy and praise as we all joined in unity - giving glory to the God who created everything our eyes could take in and more.
Later we had lunch at a restaurant on our path - that was owned by former California residents - and got $20 hamburgers. But the price was more for the scenery than the food. Then our group split up, those who went back to the town and those who continued up the steep path to Braig. And it was steep. But the view was just outstanding as the mountain sides continued to grow the more we climbed up. Beka, Elisabeth and I returned back down the mountain after an hour of intense incline. If we continued just 15 minutes more we would have hit snow and experienced Dash's first encounter with snow. But alas we had a great walk down surrounded in peace and tranquility and good conversation. The rest of the group that continued up - Ryan, Stephany

The next day we all hiked down the mountain + a gondola in the rain to see the most powerful waterfall I have seen up close, that was inside a mountain. It was more than amazing. The crevices and pathways that the water formed filled me with fear and I was safe on dry land (for the most part). In the book that I am reading, it is about one's journey of wretchedness and fear to glory and joy - from our selfish, natural lives to loving and being loved as God hopes and intended us to be. Though right now following the Lord may seem full of suffering or pointless - in the end where we will be filled with such glory and peace in the High Places, it makes every hard step worth it. That is where true love comes from, where self-giving is fueled. And that is where the books analogy (which takes place in Switzerland) of the Falls of Love - relates to one's own life and passion to follow our One True Love -  applies with this very own waterfall I have mentioned.

  "It is beautiful and terrible beyond anything which I ever saw. 

Terrible...it is the leap which they have to make, the awful height from which they must cast themselves down to the depths beneath, there to be broken on the rocks. I can hardly bear to watch it."

"Look closer. Let your eye follow just one part of the water from the moment when it leaps over the edge until it reaches the bottom".

"Once over the edge, the waters were like winged things, alive with joy, so utterly abandoned to the ecstasy of giving themselves that she could almost have supposed that she was looking at a host of angels floating down on rainbow wings, singing with rapture as they went.

"It looks as though they think it is the loveliest movement in all the world, as though to cast oneself down is to abandon oneself to ecstasy and joy indescribable."

On reaching the rocks below, all the waters flowed together in a glorious host, forming an exuberant, rushing, torrent which swirled triumphantly around and over the rocks. 

Laughing and shouting at the top of their voices, they hurried still lower and lower down through the meadows to the next precipice and the next glorious crisis of their self-giving.

"Self-giving is its life. It has only one desire, to go down and down and give itself with no reserve or holding back of any kind. you can see that as it obeys that glorious urge the obstacles which look so terrifying are perfectly harmless, and indeed only add to the joy and glory of the movement"(186-187).

"Brought like herself by the King to the Kingdom of Live and to the High Places so that they could now pour out their lives in gladdest abandonment, leaping down with Him to the sorrowful, desolate places below, to share with others the life which they had received. 

She herself was only one drop among the glad, exultant throng of Self-givers, the followers of the King of Love, united with Him and with one another, each one equally blessed and beloved as herself." (253)

David...David...David...David

No David is not a charming Italian man that I met in Rome, but the 17 foot statue formed by the Michelangelo was everything I dreamed and more. Where did we come across this magnificent art form of the image of man, which was a great representative of the Image of God through His power that was revealed via in it, it was in Florence.

We have arrived in Florence. On the train from Rome, we met our next tour guides, Zack Irvine and Joshua who are Westmont graduates.We had a great time getting to know them and talking about Spring Sing. The day we arrived and dropped our stuff in the convent we were staying in, we toured the city learning about the history of Duomo  and saw Paradise Doors that took 40 years to make. We later climbed up these steep stairs up to the Piazza of Michalangelo. We all ended up there the next to watch the sun set and listen to this duet band...which our group may or may not have started the electric slide alongside them. Needless to say it was a good night to a good day of lots of shopping around the Leather Market. Everyone's bags have abruptly gotten bigger when we left for Switzerland.

It was a lovely time in Florence, Italy.

Is the Pope Catholic?

Bonjorno! Surprise friends, this monastery has the internet! It is quite expensive but thank God in everything.

So I left you off in Austria. Before we entered Rome in our dreadful, smelly, hot, small sleeping cars we had a great time singing "My Favorite Things" around the horse fountain in Salzburgh and frolicking in the field below the real Monastery that the Sound of Music took place. The Gazzebo was just as beautiful as in the movie, but we couldn't enter it because it is now locked from everyone hurting themselves by jumping from bench to bench. If you could have just seen us all riding along in our cruise bikes through the country of Austria with the mountains in the background, you wouldn't be able to resist smiling in peacefulness.

So we arrived in Rome, and immediately met our new tour guide and roamed around the Vatican with the Sistine Chapel and  St. Peter's. I wish I could explain to you all the meanings and beauty that is within these structures that goes beyond the eye, but alas I do not have enough time to mention everything! But let me tell you, being able to witness both the Sistine Chapel, especially seeing the Last Judgement and participating in mass in St. Peter's during  Pentecost Sunday with the Pope, was quite extraordinary.
Did I just say I say I took mass with the Pope?
Yes, yes I did. In fact Mano, Chris, Rachel, Margo, and Dash all got free tickets and got to sit 2\3 back from the front in St. Peter's. I saw the Pope pass by like 15 feet away, but Margo got a video of the Pope coming directly in front of her to bless a baby. Literally right in front of her in all his gold splendor and humility. It was glorious. Listening to the boys and men choir and the two huge organs while seeing the sun light coming down onto the alter and joining in the chant in Latin, was a humbling and graceful experience to partake with people from all over the world.

The next day we ventured into the Roman Forums, where one would think it is filled with ruins, but according to our tour guide is filled with meaning and continuity. Again, the things we learned from Romans were lessons that only experience can find, and I do not have the time to try and enlighten you. But I hope in the near future to come back and fix that.
We also saw the contrast within the Roman culture (and ourselves) - in engineering marvel and man's potential for evil.

Later we took a night walk around Rome, had an amazing gelatto, threw coins over our shoulder in the Trivey Fountain hoping for love, and are planning to continue our romanticised travels tonight.
I won't even mention our academic time in the University of Rome, by the Olympic stadium, practice track, and the beach volleyball tournament- where we learned all about the new technology and research concerning bio mechanics. Plus an extreme tightly, packed bus ride, in which most Europeans don't wear deodorant...

Chao from those blessed from the Pope

Just Sit Back and Relax

Well I think the professors preferred that I don't leave the trip on terms of being too intense from Berlin, and so for the past few days all we have been doing is enjoying the lovely scenery and eating lots of gelato ice cream in Prague and Austria.
The past two places we have stayed at were the cutest darling little places I have stayed at.
In Prague, we stayed at Casa de Italia (yes Italy in Prague, though we will be staying in Italy as well, but that is okay). I think you could say it was a hostel, but the finest hostel you could imagine. Each room had its own personality with a little kitchen area. My room had a kitchen, with a love seat, a loft with another couch and an antique sewing machine, a bathroom that had a tiny shower with a sink in it and then another shower spout in the bathroom with below my knees next to the toilet. We did not take two showers at once. Our bedroom area had another loft with a double bed, and then a bunk bed. Under the loft was another couch. Everything was made out of wood and it just so cute! I loved it all. It was also a great atmosphere for girl talk as my roommates Elisabeth and Kelsey had a good debriefing time with Berlin, and then had a fun time eating snacks with the rest of the girls....while all the boys could hear us talking from across the courtyard.

The day we arrived in Prague we toured the city for about 7 hours with Gabriel. He of course expressed all the history he could possibly fit in, but as he said the history isn't too extensive because it actually is a rather new country.  It was a beautiful city. Jason, Jimmy, Chris, Dash, Sarah, and Stephany had dinner at the Cafe de Louve. A nice but reasonable price french restaurant where we had a range of salmon and rabbit.
After walking around some good shops, we all ended up on the Charle's Bridge during sunset where the castle is in sight and all lit up. Very romantic, if you were looking for that type of thing.
However, around Prague were beggars, but they would be on their knees bending over with head down and arms over their head while holding out a hat. It was the saddest sight that would just stab your heart more than anything.

The next day we left for another city in Prague called Cesky Krumlov, which Gabriel claims is the most Romantic city in Europe. Very beautiful and light hearted. I spent most of the day with Sarah, Elisabeth, Beka and Stephany exploring the castle and skipping down the formal gardens. The pet bear at the castle was very fascinating, and we made sure we checked out all the antique stores in the area. We got lunch at this "collective hole in the wall" cafe (according to Elisabeth) with the dandiest objects and decorations. So cozy yet artsy. And great panini.

We then continued on our trip towards Austria!! A total of 5 hours of driving in our private coach bus. I remember waking up one time to this huge grayish, white cliffs across from a glassy smooth lake surrounded  by green pastures and cute farm houses and lodges. It was so beautiful I almost teared up.
I may just be so bold to say that Austria is my favorite so far.
We have been staying in Halllstatt, Austria for these past two nights (this is the second night). We are staying in a building that is over 400 years old. And I love it! I am staying on the 3rd floor where every wooden floor creaks. I have a room all to myself, and not going to lie but it is great. I open my door with my skeleton key and these white lace curtains are blowing in the wind from my glass door that opens to my porch that over looks the glacier lake that is surrounded by mountains, with a white castle directly across from us. I fell asleep to the sound of rain. But that was after I sat outside on my porch journaling while the girls all piled onto Millie's and her daughter's (who joined us on the trip) bed and sang along while watching Sound of Music, to get us ready for the day we take our bike tour around the Vantramp property on Friday! I later joined them, how could I not!  Early this morning Ryan and I went kayaking on the lake in the fog in the cold air. But oh, it was so worth it. Everything was still and we were the only ones making a ripple on the lake. Granted that the kayaks may not have been fully functional as it was impossible to paddle straight for more than 3 strokes. But that is okay.  I then finished off the morning with a lovely
This afternoon we all rode this cart thing up the mountain to the oldest salt mine in the world. What a unique experience. The best part, as I am sure all would say, was sliding down the slides that take you to a lower level under the ground. The last slide was 65ft long and Prof. Afman and his wife (who also joined us) reached 34.7 km/hr.
After lunch John, Chris, Millie's daughter Amy, and I went hiking to this massive, powerful waterfall. It was magnificent. We walked through the local neighborhoods which were what you would picture old houses in the middle of mountain forests. Each house had at least 3 piles of stored fire wood. We passed by horses, and fields of flowers, and just beautiful scenery. On the way back we saw the weirdest looking sheep...maybe goats...but with long strangling tails, which started to head bump each other pretty hard.
In the mean time the rest of the group just relaxed by the lake kayaking, swimming (in the cold refreshing water), shopping in the cute stores, reading, or sleeping.
For dinner the whole group basically all ended up at the same resurant (1 out of 3 choices). The food may not be the greatest thing, but it doesn't need to be because they got Hallstatte Austria! Basically the most beautful place I have seen thus far.


Tomorrow we are off for Salzburg, Austria, where Sound of Music took place. Yes we are taking a bike ride around there and will be singing Do Re Me Fa So La Te Do without a doubt. We then will be leaving straight from there and traveling on an overnight train to Rome, Italy!
Do not be surprised if you do not hear from me in a long time. In bother Rome and Florance we will be staying at Convents. Then we are off to Switzerland in the Alps, and who knows what the internet situation is up there. But perhaps I will be able to find an internet cafe in the city before I shun out the world for the night.


But take joy all of you back in America staying intact with reality and takign care of the practical situations, for your loved ones who are just having a blast wondering around little bits of heaven for a month just spending (your) money, will be home in less than 2 weeks now. We have reached the half point and we have all made it alive thus far with no lost passports or any complications. Praise the Lord!

How to Conquer Death

Before I begin, I would just like to apologize for any misspellings or grammatical errors, as 1) I am a kinesiologist student and not an English major and 2) I have constantly been rushed in my wrighting. But as those of you who know me have already learned to do, just go with the flow.

Speaking  of going with the flow, our group is superb at that. Not only does Gabrielle keep us constantly on our feet taking us to who knows where ad we just follow with eagerness, but also considering that one time when our train from Holland to Berlin had a broken air system and we rode for 4 hours without complaining (some even tried to identify slightly with Corrie Ten Boom and the other holocaust victims who had to travel the same journey only in much worse and stuffier train conditions. But then when we finally moved to a different car of the train that was slightly cooler, the train stopped and confusion filled the train. Next thing we know Afman is pointing to get off the train while Mano is leaping over the seats yelling GET OFF THE TRAIN, everyone with out a flinch grabbed their stuff and got off the train I think in less than 10 seconds. Don't worry parents there was no fire. We just found out that we had to switch trains (probably because of the lack of air). But don't let me scare you, we were in good hands and resulted in lots of laughter in the end.

But now to the serious stuff. The very day we entered Berlin, Gabrielle hit us with the Bradenburgh Gate and the history of the Berlin Wall with East and West Germany. Gabrielle ended our tour of the day, by anticipating how Berlin is actually a city of resurrection and is quite beautiful. But that was just a taste of Berlin. But not until we had a taste of Gelato ice cream, of course. (I love seeing the terror or shock on the servers faces when our whole group first walks in - but then softens quickly when they find out that Prof. Affman will be paying for the whole bill. (which is of course our own money, but at the present time it always feels like a little treat.)

The next day, we started right off touring the sights of Berlin, including: Museum Island (which no other group of Westmont, not just Kines mayterm, has seen so up close an personal to the walls of museums decorated with bullet holes from the war); the Berliner Dom (First Church), Humboldt University (where Einstein tought and Karl Marx went), memorials including the Holocaust Memorial (which is a memorial of 2,400 some cement pillars that get taller and bigger towards the middle of the area, but yet are still not perfectly mathematically placed, but walking into it gives one (and not just me) a sense of the unknown, lost, alone yet a sense of being watched, consumed, and loss of identity among other vast emotions. My sister informed me that this was her favorite memorial of all memorials, and though it is a sad and depressing memorial I understand what she means. Obviously we have no clue of what it was like to be a victim of World War II, but that memorial gave a stronger sense than any movie or book you can read. We also, went the place where Hitler hid in his barracks while Russia was storming into Germany and where his body was found with his wife. I could not get over just how neocenrtic Hitler was!
Our trip in Berlin had made it just so clear how much love and relationships with other human beings bring about the real intentions we were meant to be. I am not sure if that last sentence makes sense, but being a human and flourishing in the ways that we were created brings out only more purity and richness in others and yourself. We are meant to love and converse and sacrifice for others. If not we will never be able to experience the true happiness and joy that comes from the Lord.

It was at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp that this truth was drilled into us by our very own tour guide. I could not believe I was standing in the very place where millions of people were killed. I never imagined I would have the experience to visit such a place. In a sense I wish I never did, but I am glad I did. I am glad that we got to be faced with the truth that their is evil in this world, that there is nothing in this world that we can put our trust in. Nothing of ourselves that will get us through deception or trouble times and come out right. In fact, the only way we can overcome the trials and misery is by not being persuaded and conformed by 1) boredom 2) power 3) youth 4) gender separation 5) organization 6) alcohol 7) dehumanization etc...(which can produce evil), is through finding joy and being committed to your family, friends, and God. It is those who did not give up, but took what they had and found God and held onto.

It is getting really late and I know I did not do what we have learned justice at all, and I so hope i will be able to come back and edit this post, but as of right now all the stories and tears I experienced will have to stay in my head. Yesterday, we saw so much suffering, yet hope, that it was so hard to process everything, and I pray that I will not forget what we saw that day.
But one thing I do know, though how hard it is to say, is that from the terror that Hitler brought onto the world, we have learned great measures of what evil is capable of, and how important it is for us, individually and nationally, to continually search our hearts and motives and what our actions are leading us towards. I good and faithful is our God that He can overcome all Evil and use it for His good!


I will now just quickly mention that afterwards, we went to our tour guides flat and had a precious Vesper worship session all together. Like I said it was precious. We then went to a Mediterranean dinner, where it was a great test to see just how much we really do love each other, as we were crunched together with our shoes off and all being sweaty and smelly from the very very hot day.
It was a long day but a good day.


Quickly, for our last day of Berlin, we listened to a lecture by a well respected Professor, Doctor Gudrun Doll-Tepper concerning the Adaptive Physical Activity internationally, at the Freie University of Berlin. We then past  by the Berlin Wall where graffiti was recreated capturing powerful messages, and ended up at Body Worlds. We then got our own dinner and then listened to our tour guides personal story, which was beautiful to hear the hand of God in his life even when God was not in his life.

By the end of our stay in Berlin, I had enough of going with the flow. Going with the flow was to intense and emotional for me. At this point I don't see how I will be able to keep myself together if every counrty from now on is going to be so filled with passionate history of both richness and wickedness.





To fill you in about our last day in Haarlem, it was the perfect day to have a birthday. The bike ride to the North Sea was such bliss. And Ryan and I did not go to sleep that night not feeling loved. The lovely pink flowers, and Ryan's Dutch socks, plus our fantastic pastries, and dinner, was wonderful. Could not ask for anything else.

Well, goodnight all.
If you read down through all of this....
...good job. I wish I could give you a prize, but alas, I will be in Austria. But I do hope it was not to boring or confusing.

Take note that you are all dearly missed and loved by your own loved ones.