Having arrived extra early to Shakespeare’s Globe in London so that Troy could stand in line for the spot closest to the stage, Huck, Jeni, and I had time to visit the gift shop. We purchased many treasures that afternoon, but perhaps the best was a coffee cup surprise for Troy with these words from As You Like It (the play we were rehearsing when we began dating in 1991 and spoken by the character I was playing): “I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it.” A few hours later we four were wiping happy tears off our faces having experienced the incredibly joyful production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Indeed, we like this place!

And we liked – LOVED! – all the places we got to see over the course of our ten days abroad. This dream-come-true trip with the Tacketts was part college graduation celebration (for Lily from KU and Huck from CMU next May) and our rescheduled 2020 France vacation that wasn’t meant to be. From the adorable Irish with their narrow roads, stone walls, and gorgeous beaches, to the fancy Brits with their landmarks galore, to the beautiful Parisians with their baguettes and fresh flowers, every place brought us delight and laughter – and maybe a little bit of panic when we desperately looked to Huck for translation.

There were some scares. Like that moment at XNA when right before boarding Huck realized their pink flowered suitcase was left back at TSA and had to run and get it. Or in County Cork when Troy accidentally withdrew 600 euro from the ATM. Or in London when Troy’s passport jumped out of his money belt and onto the ground where Huck found it. Or in our Paris airbnb when Troy accidentally activated a deadbolt and locked the entire building in for a bit.

I’m a lucky lady.

Some moments we’ll always cherish:

the Irish lad who fist bumped Jeni saying, “Cutie detected!”
discovering ice cream cones called 99s in Ireland
surviving driving on the other side of the street on roads built for one car (thank you, N8)
the pub next door to our airbnb that provided our Guinness
the glorious long strand beach and castlefreke forest walks
the woman in Cork who took a picture of Jeni, Lily, Huck, & me while shouting, “Smile girls! And boy! Or whatever!”
navigating the London tube strike with success (thank you, N8)
recovering from our amazing 4 mile London sightseeing walk in our airbnb’s hot tub
pimms along the Thames post-Shakespeare
Jeni’s graceful fall/slide down the steps of the Louvre causing fellow tourists to scream and then laugh
chardonnay in mona lisa cups
Troy pleasing people along the Seinne River doing 6-7 during our boat cruise
the birth of Frenchie Tik Tok near the Eiffel Tower (because I’ll do anything to make gen z laugh)
Huck’s ability to speak French so we could order food and navigate the metro (thank you, ms. b)
the incredibly long hours of sunlight
the constant threat of drizzle followed by beautiful sunny skies

Since home is where the heart is, it is of course wonderful to be back on Anne Street. Special thanks to our neighbor Jennifer for keeping our yard beautiful and our dog sitter Sharon for keeping Franny and Zuzu happy and safe. To all those who donated to the Schremmers Are Going to France fund six years ago, thank you! We finally spent your pounds and euro very happily. And to the Tacketts most of all … merci, merci, merci!

Some final words of Shakespeare that sums everything up very nicely: “Are you sure / That we are awake? It seems to me / That yet we sleep, we dream.”