Well, mom and I just returned from our great 2018 adventure. We set sail
on Oceana cruise lines from Venice, Italy to Athens, Greece; stopping in
Dubrovnik Croatia, Kotor Montenegro, Santorini, Mykonos, and lastly Rhodes
Greece. In total we spent 13 days away on our trip- kind of a lot, and towards
the end we were missing you three like crazy, but after being home for an hour
it kind of felt like we had never left.
I have no idea why, but traveling is one of my favorite things. Ever
since I was young I had a sense of wonder about the world, and not always
faraway places- even exploring my neighborhood or the mountain preserve was one
of my favorite past times. Luckily my career has provided plenty of support for
getting out and about, and now financially we are able to do some of these
further flung trips as well, though even if our means were less there are still
a multitude of options. We did a cruise back in 2015 and really enjoyed it,
this one was great as well- I think we may sail the high seas a lot in
retirement! We are looking to plan a 2020 Disney cruise and bring you all
along, I am thinking Alaska as I have always wanted to see it and getting
somewhere cool in the summer sounds great.
Venice was our first stop, chances are it could be underwater by the time
you all grow up- so if you ever want to see it you better get there early in
life. It’s incredible that people decided to settle there, evidently, they were
looking to hide out from barbarian tribes and then decades later they had a
flourishing city built on trade. The Venetian empire eventually spread all the
way to the places we visited in Greece, and beyond, a powerful economy makes
for powerful armies. Venice itself is incredibly charming, with the uniqueness
of the canals and narrow streets winding through the mazelike town. One of the
highlights for me was St Marks Basilica, for more reasons than the name…. We
did a tour that entered at night and we were seated underneath the central dome
of the Basilica. The lights were slowly turned on to reveal a gold mosaic
covering the ceiling which was also adorned with paintings and sculptures.
Next up before Greece was Croatia and Montenegro. Croatia is quite
beautiful and lately has been gaining in popularity due to its scenic coastline
and also its prominent role in a popular show called Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik
was a walled seaport that sits below an imposing mountain, the water is crystal
clear and a light turquoise color which is quite striking. We took a boat ride
down the coastline and then strolled through the busy town. These older towns
surrounded by walls are not large- due to the immense cost and effort to build
the walls around them. The streets are narrow for the most part and paved with
cobblestone. To Americans like us the charm is incredible, we are not used to
anything older than 100 years in most cases. A reoccurring thought that came to
me was how so many of the places we have visited seemed to have had their
pinnacle- in many cases hundreds, or thousands of years ago, and nowadays live
off the memory of the glory years. People come to see what was, not what is.
Montenegro was a welcome break from the summer heat. Shortly after
exiting the boat in the bay of Kotor we boarded a bus for a drive up a nerve fraying
switchback filled mountain road. Once we finally reached the top we were
rewarded with amazing views of the bay and mountains that rose across the
horizon. We stopped at a small restaurant perched at on the mountain for a cold
beer and light sandwich- you know come to think of it, it may have been a warm
beer. We spend the rest of the day touring the old capital and then the old
city which was equally charming as Dubrovnik in my opinion. We took shelter
from a sudden downpour in a small shop, the owner of which kept urging us to
stay when I would move to leave. At first I thought we would annoy him by just
hanging out waiting for the rain to pass, but he was happy to have us. It was a
good thing too because we found a really cool copper clock with roman numerals
and the astrological signs- similar to one in a square we saw in Venice. Before
we left he presented us with a bible printed in both English and Montenegrin,
he flipped to John 3:16, I felt very sure it was not blind chance we ended up
in his shop during the downpour. One thing I may long remember is pulling out
of the bay of Kotor, sitting on our balcony shielded from a downpour watching
as the coast drifted away. The air was so cool and fresh, we just reminisced on
the beauty of the day and how lovely everything was, just one of those small
moments that last.
After a day at sea we rounded out some Greek islands, Santorini, Mykanos
and Rhodes. Santorini was barren but beautiful, white washed homes perched on
the slopes of plunging mountains that led to a sapphire sea. We walked some of
the streets and then rented the worlds crappiest car, a “smart” car. Clever bit
of advertising that was- most overpriced underbuilt POC ever put together. We
had lunch in Megalochori, and then drove to Vichada Beach. The beach has some
beautiful and striking white rock formations behind it, the sand is black and
volcanic- as the island itself was once a giant volcano that blew out to form
is crescent shape. It was our first time swimming in the Aegean Sea, which was
lovely as the black sand seemed to warm up the water to a perfect temperature.
The highlight of Rhodes for me was the old medieval town. It was
surrounded by high walls and a moat and had never been taken by force. All the
nations of Europe had stationed Knights there and because the city was never
sacked it still remained as it did hundreds of years ago. Walking along the
narrow streets you just had to wonder about all of those who had come before,
what their lives and concerns were, who they had loved and what they had spent
their life pursuing. I found a bronze hand knocker much to my delight, I had
seen them on many doors around Greece. We were well off the beaten path when we
found the shop on a deserted street. The old woman inside was so kind and
showed us pictures of the craftsman who made it and his initials in the hand.
The knocker currently sits at my desk at home, but hopefully soon I will find
somewhere to hang it.
Mykanos was the last stop, an island currently known for the charm of
Mykanos town, as well as the party atmosphere at its beaches where many people
much younger than I celebrate into the early hours of the morning- never really
was my scene. We spent most of the day on the island of Delos. The island was
once home to a thriving city that is now all ruins, barely any of it has been
excavated, but what has is truly impressive. Once again I found myself
marveling at all the things these people had accomplished so long ago, they had
mosaics decorating their multi story homes, theaters and trading, there was
advertising for a number of commercial concerns, artistry and industry- they
lived thousands of years ago but in so many ways were just like us. The bible
says there is nothing new under the sun, my travels and experiences have proved
it true. Arriving back in Mykanos we strolled through the streets to the bus
stop and boarded one for Platis Gialos where we rented some beach chairs and
swam again in the Aegean sea. This beach was somewhat less beautiful to me as
the surroundings were not wild but commercial, but it was sandy with lovely
water and it proved an excellent way to spend an afternoon.
After so many days and stops we finally arrived to our last port of call,
Athens. By this time we were both missing you all quite a bit, but had some
remaining days to explore. Athens is not in my estimation a beautiful city, the
architecture is from the 60’s-80’s and bland, and everything seems to be
covered in graffiti. However, that said it is a nice city, full of history,
warm people, and a great climate and culture. We explored the Acropolis with
its many temples, journeyed outside the city to the temple of Poseidon perched
above the sea at the southernmost point of Attica, and wandered through
sprawling museums rich with centuries of history. I think the Acropolis and the
trip to Sounio where the temple of Poseidon rests were my favorite parts.
The one thing that tied it all together for me was being there with your
mother. As I grow older she becomes more and more my favorite person, the one I
am most at ease around and with. When I see or experience something wonderful I
want her to be there too. I want all of you to have that as well someday. As I have
been writing lately life is not worth living if you live it alone, and the
greatest part of life is love. Do what you love with the ones you love. Showing
love to those that don’t deserve it, and better yet being there in love for the
ones who desperately need it.
There will always be a piece of me watching the sunset in Sounio, the last
rays of orange reflecting across the blue waves to the white marble etched and
placed by hand thousands of years ago, part of me is with those stones now. As
long as I live I will have a table in Athens watching children play and old
couples gather for dinner as I share a bottle of wine, a light Semillon with
your mother, reflecting on our journey together. One cannot increase time, but
one can use it well, to store up treasures where no one and nothing can take
them. Even if someday I forget myself, those things will always be a part of me
now, as you will always be a part of me, no matter what may come.
I want to take a small moment to remind that life can be short, and will
never be fair, but will always have beauty- even if we cannot see it. This past
week a beautiful little girl named Oakley Poth passed away from Leukemia, she
was not quite 3 years old. Her family wrote that they know she is in heaven
with our Father now, there will be no more pain or tears, and we will all be
with her soon. The pain is for those who remain, and who miss her every day. I
write this to remind you that the things that seem hard in life are often
trivial, we must be grateful for even our worst days that we get to spend with one
another. I know Oakleys family would give anything to have her for one more
moment, one more cuddle or kiss or laugh. We must live life knowing it will
end, as to make the most of it before it does.
Quinn- you are still my blue-eyed monster. You are so beautiful, and can
be so sweet- and then there is the two-year-old part of you that melts down
into a red-hot rage and deep deep sorrow when things don’t go your way! You love
when we dance as a family, usually to Taylor Swift that Cora puts on. Cora
copies your dance moves and you get a big kick out of it. You have most of us
at your beckon call, you love babies and push them often in your stroller
around the house. You are also a big fan of Daniel Tiger and I think this past
weekend you fell a bit in love with Cash Bishop- you kept calling his name and
would smile whenever you saw him, you two played together nonstop at his cabin
in Payson. “Cashy” is how you called him. You are my sweet muffin, or Quinsters
or Quinny as I call you, I love you so much.
Cora, lately you are a somewhat sad reminder of how quickly life can pass
by. All of a sudden, my little girl seems like a little woman. We cut your hair
short- partially because Bella cut hers short, partially because you took scissors
to your hair on your own accord more than once and sort of butchered it.…. lets
say you were less than eager to share the truth about what happened. Ill play
with your brother and sister and you’ll ask me to do the same things to you,
trouble is I cant easily toss you overhead or spin you around in circles
without throwing my back out! You were the only one that had us all to
yourselves for 3 years though, so you had plenty of playtime. You make me proud
every day, you are so smart, and I love how silly you are in your heart, how
much joy you have. One thing we have been working on is gratitude, I want to
make sure I raise you to know your life is not someone elses fault, and its up
to you to decide how to live joyfully no matter what comes, that only you can
chose the direction of your life. I really don’t want to fail you in that. One
other note is you are playing volleyball like crazy- practice 3 days in a row
and then a game day- if it becomes too much we will cancel the school
volleyball to give you some rest- but energy never seems to be lacking with
you! I love you so much- forever my Cora lovey.
