July 28, 2013 - Holly's Post

Anne’s daughter here!

I’m just off the phone from having a planning session for our trip together.  A trip to go and see the place of my mother’s early formative teen years (13 - 16 years of age), where her perspective was broadening beyond her family, extending to include best-est girl friends, a boyfriend and trips to the edge of life,  I am ecstatic!

July 31 to August 15 is Mom and Daughter time.  It will be the time when we continue to get to know each other more as people.  To meet old friends and new. To share stories.  To create stories.  To see sites that will change our perspectives...forever.  August 16 to 23, on my own, is Me time.  I have no plans for that time which adds to the excitement.  

This will be my second trip to Europe.  In 1990 my sister and I visited our paternal grandparents (Harry and Gwyneth Sansom) in Spain for three weeks. That was 23 years ago!  Whoa!  I lost a decade as it still feels like 13 years ago.  This won’t be my last trip though!  

Our first week will be fairly full.  We’ll be visiting with Mom’s friends and seeing the places you see in her photos she posted here.  Our second week winds down and we settle into Luxembourg City.  I am hoping (I know you’re reading this, Mom) that we can jaunt down to Paris for a day and a night.  It’s only two hours away and my cousin Lisa has offered to be our resource.  She lived in Paris not too long ago.  Thank you, Lisa!  

The plane and train tickets are purchased.  The itinerary finalized.  Today, I rip apart my closet and have a serious discussion with myself about what to wear and then pack it.  Tomorrow, I call Mom on her 73rd birthday and scramble to tie up the loose ends here so I can relax while over there.  Tuesday, its a drive up to Nanaimo to catch the ferry to Vancouver, a bus to the airport and then....off I go!  Wednesday, I wake up and land in Frankfurt to then catch the train to Luxembourg City via Koblenz where I get to give my Mom a slightly belated birthday hug.

Fun!

Stay tuned friends and family!  There will be regular posts and pictures of Mom with her friends as they are today.  I’ll sneak in a few of me too!