And, Now it Begins

Tuesday is the beginning of the longest holiday I will have ever taken.  It will remain to be seen if I get homesick or not - my bet is NOT!  And, for the first time since 2001 when we took a one-week trip to Washington, DC, my sister and I will be travelling together.  She will be with me for nearly 6 weeks and that should prove "interesting", as they say. We have only been in Europe together once back in 1992 with Mom and her cousin. This is what we looked like then!  A lot has changed since then.

When Mom passed away in January, Kath and I wanted to figure out a good way to honour her memory.  Our initial thought was to take an Alaska cruise (Dad had worked on merchant ships going there during the war) but neither of us thought that appropriate - Mom was nervous on the water.  So, instead, we decided to go to the UK and visit some of the places she loved.  Next, we added Ireland to the itinerary - a place where Mom never got to but had always wanted to see (our names aren't Maureen and Kathleen for nothing!)  So, after lots of planning and tons of discussion, we have a plan and it is now time to test it!  Later in the trip, Kath will head home and I will head to the south of France for what I am sure will be some much needed rest after our major road trip!

I head to London first and, next Monday, Kath will meet me at Heathrow and our road trip will begin.  Before that though, I have some partying to do in London with my two gay friends and a couple of girlfriends from Canada.  Let the good times roll!