Where was I when everyone else went to Europe?

Okay, that does it. I've come to the conclusion that I am the only person in the US who has not been to England or Europe or Japan or even Hawaii. What's up with that? I regularly read the blog of Nathan, Jonathan's freshman year roommate. Nathan is in England right now as part of Whitworth College's British Isles Study Program. That alone makes me so jealous I can hardly stand it. Along with Nathan are several other Whitworth students, of course. Some of them blog as well. One girl has been to England twice before! Even Nathan's parents have been to England! Nathan's sister just returned from the Czech Republic, and Nathan's friend, Shaun, is in Japan.

So, what's wrong with me? When I was in college, going to Europe was out of the question. The cost of air fare was completely out of reach. I don't recall vast numbers of fellow students winging their way to Europe. Then again, there were all those kids backpacking around Europe, traveling by train, staying in youth hostels, and returning to taunt the less fortunate with tales of their escapades abroad. Oh yeah, I forgot... my then husband's sister spent a semester in Greece her senior year of high school too. In the ultimate betrayal, shortly after college, my own brother went to Italy wtih our ex-stepbrother, found our grandfather's family home, found our Italian cousins in that home, hung out with them for several days, trekked around Switzerland, went to Morocco, and returned to regale me with his adventures, while I stayed here in the US, working, working, working. He even went back across the Atlantic to India and Switzerland after he was married. And, to add insult to injury, he recently returned from Hawaii with his oldest son. My kid sister has been to Italy and Paris recently with a friend and I am sure she was in Europe once before when she was in the Air Force. My own father has been to England on a couple of occasions when he was in the Air National Guard. He used to arrange to do his active duty there so my stepmom, who is British, wanted to visit her sisters. My very best friend has been to Europe. She lived in England for a year while her father taught at some university. My other best friend is going to Hawaii for his honeymoon in less than a month. Oh... and two coworkers took European vacations this year - one to England and Paris, one to Italy. Gina has been stuck in the Western US and Canada her entire life. That is so sad.

My travels? Outside the US, I've been to Tijuana, British Columbia (Victoria, Creston, Nelson) Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, Jasper, and the towns in between) and that's about it. The farthest east I've been is Nappanee, Indiana, and that was to check out library software. I didn't get to sightsee or anything, just drive from Chicago to Nappanee and back. I was in Chicago for a couple of days but didn't even go downtown to see the sights like Navy Pier. I was alone and it was just too weird. I did drive from Chicago to my sister's house in Spooner, WI and spend a few days with her. Then back to Chicago, back on the plane, back to Sandpoint. I've visited or lived in pretty much every state west of Colorado, but that's the extent of my travels. Pathetic, isn't it? Well, that just has to change! The plan is for the three of us, Jonathan, Tom, and me, to go to the UK as soon as Whitworth gets out in May 2006. I also really think Jonathan needs to find a way to do a study abroad. Whitworth has several opportunities for students to go to Europe, Central America, and various other places for class credit. I know once I visit anywhere in Europe, I am going to want to go back more and more often. I am sure Jonathan and Tom will feel likewise, so I think the plan now is to save for a trip abroad at least every two years. If Jonathan can go with fellow students in one of the study abroad opportunities, all the better. I just don't want him sitting at his computer one day wondering "why on earth didn't I make sure I went to Europe before the kids, mortgage, and job tied me down?"

All you kids who are in Europe or Japan or wherever right now... you'd better post a lot because I am living vicariously through your blogs! I hope you all realize really how lucky you are and cherish this experience.