The Summer of 2019

My big Summer plans were to travel with my family to Italy and France. We wanted to wait until Bobby was a little older (currently 2 1/2) to travel. I really looked forward to this trip since it had been a few years since I was in Italy and my family had never been to the South of France. My family flew home from Nice and I continued onto Paris where they had their first heat wave of the Summer. I am way overdue to edit and share our Summer trip which will probably happen sometime early Fall.

Traveling with a group of 7 including 2 small kids had its challenges. But we made some great memories and seeing Italy and France through the eyes of two small kids was such a unique experience. Emma even wanted to help me photograph. I continued to work during the 2 weeks we were gone shooting for The Print Shop.

I didn’t intentionally step back from posting on the blog during my trip but I knew I wanted to be present with my family and soak up this time. We had really long days and ended up going to bed around midnight (kids included). My sister and I would go out for early walks in the morning before the rest of the family woke up and the rest of the day was a busy blur until bedtime.

After Paris, it was time to go home to sleep and catch up on life. I had just enough time to get readjusted to the time difference before I was off on another adventure.

I had a great time exploring the streets of Amsterdam eating way too many french fries and riding a bike for the first time in years which ended in a flat tire.

Amsterdam was short but sweet and I was home again to sleep, unpack and visit with friends. I barely had enough time to do laundry before I was off on another adventure.

Australia was always on my list but I honestly never thought I could make it though the long flight. I am a terrible sleeper and the thought of being awake for so many hours just wasn’t something I wanted to do. My trip was so last minute that I didn’t have time to think about the long flight. I actually slept almost 14 of the 17 hour flight from Houston to Sydney. (still not sure how that happened) I was jet lagged pretty much until the last day before returning home but that is what Australian coffee is for.

The hike from Cogee to Bondi was one of my highlights of the trip and the Summer. I have a lot more to share from Australia soon.

The Summer of 2019 has been one big adventure and I am so grateful for every chance to travel and see the world. I have taken a big step back from social media and the blog which a few people have casually mentioned to me. I promise all is good in my world. Being present and spending time with friends and family has been my big focus this Summer. I highly recommend unplugging for a bit.

Thank you for your patience as I enjoy the last bit of my slow Summer. I promise to be back with stories and photos soon.

August is just about to begin. I have no big plans for any major travel. I am looking forward to spending time in Chicago and soaking up the sun before Summer is over.

What has been your favorite part of Summer?