It’s hard to believe we’ve closed another year already. Our time still has the capacity to simultaneously race by in the blink of an eye and slow to the pace of a snail, stretching out to an eternity.
2018 was rich in experiences, rife with emotions and full of change and opportunity. The time is a push-pull between courting and embracing change and fighting to stay the same.
With every new experience we see how fortunate we are and yet we find ourselves longing for what was left behind.
While time races by for Manolo & I, we know that the measure of time for the kids is wholly different, moments of happiness flying by, light as air. Moments of unhappiness dragging on, held back by the sheer weight of it all.
Ideally what each of us will be able to do, in the face of a bright, shiny new year, is to identify those parts of ourselves which resonate, which ring true. Those parts we wish to bring along, to continue to feed and grow, those parts which feed our becoming.
And that we can gracefully let go of those parts of ourselves which no longer feed us. We can thank them for all they’ve taught us, all they helped us weather through, and let them go.
The New Year will promise more change, more opportunity, more experiences. We will ideally greet them with our best selves and with a readiness to let them further shape our becoming.
When we are our absolute luckiest, our friends are here to share these experiences. Sharing this Christmas and New Years with our besties from home made our hearts feel whole again. It sets our New Year off to the very best start possible, grounded in the knowledge that our friendships span even the greatest distances.
We welcomed them with a surprise on Christmas Eve, celebrated Christmas together in our home and then set out for an epic 1,700km road trip. Stops along the way included:
Füssen , Germany – home of the Neuschwanstein Castle – rumored to be the Disney inspiration castle. Also home to a reptile zoo which horrified Cath but allowed us to deposit the kids while we grocery shopped and day-drank. A risky combination but the outcoming snacks are so fun!
Munich, Germany, for a quick and crowded view of the city.
Regensburg, Germany, a delightful gem along the Danube.
Prague, Czech Republic, along with a few hundred thousand other tourists. For those of you who also know and love my dear friend Cath, you can appreciate how much she enjoyed the pedestrian grid-lock which is the result of impossibly massive crowds of people. This was our furthest destination and where we rang in 2019.
Nuremberg, Germany, another Bavarian town with a very rich history. A stopping point to break up the drive. We’ve lost our good long-distance road-trip skills since moving to teeny-tiny Switzerland.
Freiburg, Germany, for a lovely visit with Cath’s brother and family who live there.
Enjoy some of the images I captured along the way which give a tiny glimpse of the beauty we saw and the shenanigans we got up to.
Pre-surprise. At the airport with no idea that their best pals were arriving. They were stunned into silence upon their arrival.Christmas morning smiles with the best present a boy could ask for – his best buddy.Sleepy girls, such an early morning. No time for jet-lag or sleeping in for poor Kenzie.Cath, quite horrified that the Swiss make mashed potatoes from a pouch. But oh, they are good!A Christmas Day stroll in Winterthur.When in Switzerland, one must sip from the fountains.Enjoying some afternoon sunshine in our forest.Christmas dinner all together!Boxing Day we hit the road for the start of an epic road-trip. The Alps in Austria.The girls in Fussen.Happy siblings at the castle in Fussen. The pretty Fussen castle – Hohes Schloss.The castle everyone arrives to see. The famous Neuschwanstein Castle.Waiting our turn to go inside.Up close at the castle.Bavarian babes.Cool castle kids.How many times where these four asked to pose? Such good sports. Our handsome driver and itinerary planner. A master at the travel logistics, I’ve fully handed over all holiday planning to him.All good road trips include a super sore neck.Quick stop in Munich to say we did. Pretty windows welcomed us in Regensburg. Such a lovely town.The Regensburg tree.Adorable little hotel in Regensburg – The Luis Hotel. Highly recommend. The boys enjoying the stylish abode.Pretty holiday decor. Parker at the Luis.Lots of time for cards between these two.A chilly evening stroll along the Danube.Bikes and shop windows.A quick stop at the cathedral in Regensburg.Incredible stained glass.After a few more hours drive we finally arrived in the Czech Republic.Out in the evening to see the lights in Prague.Taking in the local delicacy – when in Prague…Candy stores promised fun for the kids and a constant source of bribing good behaviour.Candy for the grown-ups too.How many Bragg Creek kids have celebrated NYE in Prague?We were high-rollers here. Big bucks!The incredible tree at the main square. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Prague’s famous astronomical clock. We climbed it’s tower in the morning for a spectacular view.Morning coffee-shops were plentiful, thank goodness. The famous rotating Kafka Head – moments from our hotel. The view over Prague’s main square from the clock tower.Such an incredible city.It goes on and on and on. You need many days to see it all. Cool art installations just outside out AirbnbA cozy cave for lunch.Happy.Cave buddies.These two…we caught a glimpse of the trouble ahead when they travel on their own in a few years.How can I ever thank her for sharing these memories with me?We sure hope they’ll remember every moment. The faces are getting tired…so many photos!Post pizza re-energized.The epic Hamley’s toy store. These four spent a few hours here. More Prague delicacies – this time with ice cream inside!More Kafka art.Art – near the Picasso museum.The Charles Bridge – the photo doesn’t do justice to how crowded it was. SO MANY PEOPLE!!!The narrowest street in Prague.Many cool & creepy marionette shops. It’s a bit of a thing in Prague.The kids at the John Lennon tribute wall.Gorgeous wall painting.On our way up to the Prague castle – the largest castle complex in the world. It was AMAZING!The view on the way to the castle.Beautiful old streets and old cars offering a tour.These girls shared countless moments.So much to see! So little time!The beautiful view back over the city from the hill up to the castle.Strangely, there are Starbucks EVERYWHERE in Prague, including right at the castle! We didn’t ever partake but many do.A handsome and serious Czech palace guard.We were just in time to catch the changing of the guards ceremony.Outside the palace.Back into town on NYE.The city looked like a movie set. Speaking of movies…Manolo found us an Airbnb with a Marvel comic theme!Getting our game faces ready for NYE.Happy New Year from Prague! We were told to stay indoors that evening. The fireworks are DIY style and safety is questionable. We’re glad we stayed in.
This video shows the DIY fireworks that went on all around us for hours. Well past 2 am this was still happening. This is the view from our balcony.
Welcoming 2019 with a flat-white with my buddy.Drinks for these buddies too.Farewell Prague – hope to come back one day.Next stop, Nuremberg. It had a Charles Dickens kind of feel. Dark and dreary.But a warm glow all around. The boys got a special night out with the moms.Hanging on the executioners bridge. Not literally…Boys with beef. So yummy. Pretty great view too.I do love a good Christmas tree…Up at the castle.Lastly, a home base in Freiburg with Cath’s brother. Such a lovely family and warm hospitality.A greek feast on our first night out.Serious gamers, these two.Uncle Mike taught the kids how to make pasta from scratch. Helena found her Italian roots and took to the task like a pro.Worth the effort. So delicious!A pre-farewell as the Garcias head back to Winterthur to get back to school and work. We’ll welcome our friends back here tomorrow for the final, and teary goodbye.
Incredible memories made with this special family. We are forever grateful for friendships that span oceans and time.
