I know I am talking too much about this trip and not about anything else. Well, it’s just that I have been living the mundane life of a housewife that our recent trip was the most exciting thing that has happened to me. So I am apologizing for a few months worth of posts about nothing else but that trip (hopefully I find something else to talk about soon).
Anyway, looking back at that amazing (and exhausting 10 days), I do have some things I wished I had done differently. Here are my top 5 lessons learned that I am hoping never to repeat again. Maybe I realized them already when I went on my euro-trip in 2009 but forgot about it since I didn’t get to travel again until 2011. If I did, how I wished I had paid more attention to myself back then.
5. I should’ve bought that item I really really wanted to buy the first time I saw it.
I wanted that book from the museum at George Pompidou but didn’t buy because I thought I’d just come back for it before we leave but I didn’t get the chance to. And that pair of Dr Marten boots I saw on a Saturday that I thought I’d come back for the next day not knowing that Sunday is rest day for most of Paris. So many missed opportunities… We did buy one poster at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, but the Chubby Hubby left it on the train from to Belgium and we couldn’t get it back. Boo freaking Hoo!
4. I wished I joined a tour of the Louvre.
The Louvre is a massive place. There were so many things I wanted to see that I didn’t get to see because it would have taken an entire day. And I know there are things I didn’t get to see that I should’ve gone to see. If I had joined a tour, I could’ve seen the important things and got a comprehensive overview of the entire place in two or three hours. But at least I got to see the Mona Lisa.
3. We could use more family pictures
Yup, I only have that one picture of the four of us at the Eiffel tower. I volunteered to take a picture of a couple at the Eiffel and they in turn took our picture. There was also one on my phone when a passerby volunteered to take a picture of us. Just two family pictures in 10 days. Wow.
2. 2 cities was enough for 10 days.
Traveling with two kids 2 and below was the biggest adventure we had on this trip. Just hauling them both from one place to another was exhausting. We visited three cities and didn’t get to do enough in each city because we got too tired and the chubby hubby wanted to take things slow. If we were still a little younger, and there were no kids, we could have added a city and maximized our sight seeing. But with our added baggage (aka booger and bear) taking it slow and just seeing two cities would have been the best thing. We wouldn’t be in a hurry all the time and we wouldn’t be too tired.
1. Never compromise your must-see list.
So many places, so little time. I had a list of must visit places for each city. I wished I had followed them all.
Oh well, there will always be next time… Unless the chubby hubby has given up on traveling. I hope not.
stuffbyrhey.wordpress.com 
Hi Rhey, you can share every moment of your trip with us even if it is all you will do for the next decade, because we get to learn from them. i specially like your photo of your family under the tower, i remember how it was an epic fail for Bob and i to get it right. but then, yours is so heartfelt. with your posts, i also remember how it was to travel with 2 kids, how it was more a chore and i tried to enjoy it. but now looking back, since those 2 kids are now grown up, i am thankful that God allowed us the privilege of being able to let them see some part of the world and be grateful for them. have a blessed week ahead, Rhey 🙂
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yeah it was more of a chore. I started thinking about how nice it would be to travel without them, but then again, they won’t be kids for long and soon they will be doing their own thing without us. so I am very grateful for being able to spend so much time with the kids.
Thanks for your encouragement. It is always refreshing to hear from other bloggers and how they can relate to your experiences. You have a blessed week too April!
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I used to include a lot of cities in one go but as I grew more matured (read: older), I realized that by doing so – I am merely passing by these places and not really experiencing it which is the actual joys of traveling. So I agree, don’t cram your itinerary next time. 🙂
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i hope next time will come soon. hehehe
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I love your recount of the whole adventure, Rhey. This is something you could talk about for days, for anyone’s care. It’s a memory of a lifetime. And I hope one day, you all go back together and this time, no more crying babies in tow, but 2 smart artsy-fartsy teeners appreciating art and nature with their parents. 🙂
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