Sorry for my lack of updates

Sorry for the absence of blog entries! I haven't had adequate WiFi access for quite some time now. I have, however, been journaling each day in painstaking detail so as soon as I have the time I can upload each day all at once. It might be a bit out of order at first as I plan to continue posting each day chronologically from this point out and previous days will just have to be added as time allows. I have yet to find a way of adding pictures to the blog but I will try putting a few on Facebook and will add the rest later. Today is simply a lazy day in France. We decided to take today and shower, do laundry, charge all of our batteries, and plan the next leg of our journey. Tomorrow we will take the train into Germany. From there we will visit Belgium and the Netherlands before finishing up Germany and moving to the next country. I will post our first seven days as soon as I can, but be warned; they are a bit dry, as I have included every detail in my "summaries". So feel free to skim as you please, I shall take no offense if you choose to skip portions of my account. For those of you wondering, we are all doing well and loving every bit of this experience!

Update

Can't post right now but I'll update as soon as possible! I still can't post pictures but we're all having a great time!

London!

In London at last! After flying all day and all night we arrived in London at 7:30 A.M. yesterday. Thank you everyone for the prayers! Yesterday we took the underground through London to our campground and bought pasta to make there. After eating and a quick round of cards we were all ready for bed! We all passed out at 2:30 P.M. and slept the 15 hours until 5:30 the next morning. We enjoyed a cup of tea and a bit of reading and now we're off to explore the city! Everything is so green and beautiful here, the people are so pleasant as well! We're all absolutely loving it. But we learned this morning that we really do have to be prepared for the unexpected as my mom watched a fox reach into her un-zipped tent and steal her shoe! She had put so much thought into these sandals and was convinced she had finally found the perfect pair. But alas, it was all for naught. Besides that peculiar incident all is well here in the U.K. Much love from us all, we'll post again soon.

Departure at Last!

After many set-backs and complications we are finally checked in and preparing to board! Our flight leaves at 7:30 and prayer is always welcome! From this point forwards I will do my best to document our trip in the fullest. I will be journaling our day each night and will upload each entry as WiFi access allows. Thanks for all of the prayers and well-wishes; this trip is going to be life-changing and I cannot wait to see what this adventure holds in store for us.

My mother would also like me to point out that we have been up since 3:00 A.M. this morning. This disclaimer was a prerequisite for posting this picture.

You Can Backpack With Out Looking Like a Backpacker!

When faced with the dilemma of how to pack a month's worth of clothes into a backpack I was initially quite discouraged. This is my first urban backpacking trip so I am new at packing for such a situation. When doing some research on how others had packed for backpacking through some odd the world's most fashionable cities I found very little practical advice. Every post I had seen featured women who had either packed so many clothes and accessories that I'm sure their packs must have weighed at least 50 lbs.; or women who packed solely with frumpy functionality in mind. I thought that there must be a way to pack light, practically,and still somewhat fashionably. I am determined to prove that you can, in fact, have the best of both worlds. When looking for clothes I focused first on versatility. I made sure that every top I am bringing can be worn with any bottom. The scarf can be worn around my neck, in my hair, or around my waist and matches every shirt, dress, and jacket. The shoes can all be worn with any outfit as well. Because we are going in the summer, we don't have to worry about snow or frigid weather. In most places it will be quite hot, but cold rain storms are always a possibility. I also chose fabrics that won't wrinkle after a month shoved in a compression bag. My packing list goes as follows:

-one pair of dark wash jeans
-one pair of denim shorts
-one pair of high-waisted black and grey    striped shorts
-one short black pleated skirt
-one black cotton maxi skirt
-one pair of black leggings
-one pair of sheer black tights
-one black and white striped dress
-one red and white polka dotted blouse
-one floral blouse
-one grey tank top with creme lace             overlay
-one Led Zeppelin tee shirt
-one black v-neck tee shirt
-one white v-neck tee shirt
-one black lace halter top
-one black, hooded, waterproof, tie-waist   windbreaker
-one grey zip-up hoodie
-one teal scarf
-one white bandeau top
-one bikini bottom
-two bikini tops
-one beige bra with detachable straps
-three pairs of black ankle socks
-one pair of black thigh high socks
-five pairs of underwear
-one grey beanie
-one pair of Converse
-one pair of Tom's
-one pair of comfortable wedge sandals
-one pair of sunglasses

I believe I made very mindful choices but I will post a recap entry once we've returned to let you know what I would have packed in retrospect.

Oh, jealousy!

Nathan and Ron have been able to send a few pictures of themselves in England. It is torturous to see their updates!

Passport Fiasco

Now there has been a slight change to our trip itinerary. We were originally going to all fly out together on the 18 of June, but unfortunately my passport was delayed so changes became necessary. We used accumulated airline miles to purchase two of our plane tickets and due to a lack of notice we were unable to change the departure date. The other two, however, we were able to push back a week. My younger brother Nathan and my father Ron left on the 18th for a bonus week in Europe which they will spend in Ireland and Scotland. These two countries were originally not on the itinerary so when my mom and I arrive in London we can explore England together. Well we have certainly all learned our lesson; if you are traveling out of the country get your passport months before you leave!