USA

After planning and anticipating for so long, it's hard to believe it's finally time to go!

We've had/are having a BIG year - SO much to celebrate and be thankful for: Natalie's return from her year abroad as an exchange student and successful first year at CMU, Nick's graduation from FSU and "real" job at Magna Mirrors, Terri's 50th birthday and retirement, and Terri & Tim's 25th anniversary. I used all of that as leverage to convince my reluctant-traveler husband that we needed celebrate in a BIG way... and used the excuse that we won't have many vacations left with the kids, to convince him to make it a "2 for 1" by putting both Croatia and Thailand together in one trip - both vacations that we really want both kids to be a part of, as Croatia is where Natalie was an exchange student in 2017/2018, and our exchange student Nudi (2015/2016) is from Thailand, and will be joining us while we are there.

The planning has been a bit overwhelming - we are staying 4 different places in Croatia, and 3 different places in Thailand, along with an overnight in Istanbul on our way home - but I think we're as ready as we can be. Between cities and countries we are traveling in many different ways - rental cars, buses, flights,.. and even a boat! Natalie has been a huge help with the Croatia plans, as she's done and been to most of the places we are going, and Nudi's stepdad, Patrick, has been a big help with suggestions for timing and activities in Thailand.

Ready or not....

After almost a year of planning, the time is finally (almost) here! Natalie flies out tonight, from Chicago, through Istanbul, and into Zagreb, Croatia... arriving tomorrow (Monday) evening around 7:30pm.

She is going a week ahead of the rest of us, so that she can spend time with her host families and friends, before she has to play tour guide to us.

Tim, Nick and I will take the same flights as Natalie, next week Sunday. In the meantime, I am finishing up my last (EVER!) week of school, and Tim and Nick are both getting things set at work to be gone.