We’re back in Denver for a few days on what is, essentially, an extended layover. I’ve fallen very far behind on the places we’ve visited since we left Mykonos. It felt like we got on an out-of-control escalator after we left Mykonos, and I never found the time to get caught up.

Our initial vision for our month was to find a place in Europe and use it as a base. We imagined going out on day trips and coming back to the local bakery and markets to pick up groceries for dinner. We imagined an immersive, slow-paced month. We would get to really know whatever village we landed in and truly experience local life.

But then we started adding in the non-negotiable stops. Aix-en-Provence and Madrid, because the entire point was to visit cousins. Paris, because Amelia has been begging to go to Paris since the first time she saw a drawing of the Eiffel Tower. Paris Disneyland because, well… why not? And a week on a Greek sailboat because two weeks would be much better but only one week was possible…

And before we knew it, we had a month full of planes, trains and automobiles. We rode the metro, we rode in slow trains and high-speed trains. We hailed taxis and used ride-hailing apps. We drove ATVs and golf carts. And we walked… a lot of walking. After Mykonos, we never spent more than three nights in any one place and we were always dashing.

It was fun, and it was exhausting. And it certainly didn’t leave much time for writing thoughtful blog posts or sharing pictures. I may not be able to catch up with writing about our adventures, but today I’ll add some pictures for a glimpse into the fun.

Tomorrow we head back to Guam, and we’re looking forward to being back in our home and settling into our life. We have our school year to start and our boat to enjoy, and our life to resume.