International Family Reunion

They came, they saw, we celebrated.

One of the challenges that comes with living abroad is the distance it creates between family. I grew up an Army brat and we didn’t always spend holidays or weekends with loved ones, but I still love my family to no end and cherished the reunions then and now. So in September of 2017, high off a recent summer trip back stateside, I set out to organize an international family trip.

I created several sample itineraries before settling on a final one that provided a balance of group activities for us to enjoy over the course of 10 days. We started off with 20 potential guests and in the end we hosted 5 people, a comfortable maximum for our space and car rental options since we had to navigate a large van through the narrow European streets. Our experience traveling reminded us that less is more and while there are a lot of nice historic cities and towns that we could have explored, the goal of a vacation and family time is to relax, bond and enjoy quality time together.

I’m not sure how many more countries we’ll live in or how many other times we’ll have to host friends and family abroad, but my cup runneth over. Leading up to the trip a number of people asked me, “do you have enough room in your house to fit everyone?” or “I bet you’ll be happy when they’re gone.” and I guess I’m just different because to the first question, we make it work. Last summer my family and I stayed in tight quarters while vacationing in Panama City Beach Florida and I’d do it again. To the second question, I wish they could have stayed longer. For people to take time off from their jobs, save up and purchase a flight and bless my home with their presence, it’s a gift and I’m honored. I love my family dearly and always appreciate the time we spend together. While everyone couldn’t make it, and they were missed, I’m grateful that the Fabulous Five came through.

Trip Highlights:

Laughing through a family yoga session
Going to my first ultrasound and having my family in the room to meet Baby O!
Family photoshoot and gender reveal on the beach!
Visiting Tangier Morocco, placing my feet on African soil with my family and eating lunch on the rooftop!
Tio Pepe Sherry tour and tasting
Sight seeing and an intimate flamenco show in Sevilla (some of us cried it was so moving)!
Father’s day brunch at the Galley and BBQ where family threw down in the kitchen and my dad blessed us with his ribs!
Our surprise baby shower (the tears)!
Game nights including “Watch ya Mouth!” which ended unexpectedly but was the closing game and had us in tears!
Relaxing on the beach and splashing around in the ocean (ahh)!
Meals, meals and more meals. The food was great at every restaurant and one of my aunts was the queen of picking great dishes!

At some point, I’ll share an itinerary for a 10-day visit, but for now, I’ll share the photos and relive the memories.