Annnnnd we're back

I woke up in Highland this morning, which was a little bit unusual since I woke up in Amsterdam the two mornings before that, and Brussels the two mornings before that. And as much as I absolutely love being home, walking around barefoot, drinking tap water with ice, and throwing things away in the trash cans that I can find all over, I miss Europe already. At least the weather is nice here and everyone speaks English!

We woke up Wednesday morning at 5:30 AM Amsterdam time, which is 10:30 PM on Tuesday night central time. We had a layover in Dublin, and then landed at O'Hare a little before 5 PM yesterday. By the time Kalee and I got back to Highland a little before midnight last night, we had been up for 25 hours. What a record! You'd think I would have slept until noon today, but ohhhh no. My body have to either hate me or just be incredibly confused. I was awake at 6 AM. My bet is that I fall asleep before it gets dark tonight.

I'm figuring the jet lag will kick in in about 3 days. We'll see.

The average age on our plane home yesterday from Dublin was apporximately 10. There were more children under the age of 6 on that plane than there are at family weddings here in southern Illinois. And then there was some group of 8th graders that didn't seem to understand that they couldn't just loiter in the aisles of the plane. If that one kid had blocked my view of the movie screen one more time, he was going to receive a Birkenstock to the head. I'm just saying. Don't mess with three girls who have been traveling for a loooong time and just want to watch a good movie on their way home. And for the love of God, if the fasten seat belt light is on, please sit down!

Looking back, I can honestly say it was the trip and experience of a lifetime. If it wasn't for the almost 400 pictures I took and the phone call from my bank yesterday to make sure my debit card wasn't stolen, I'd say it was just all an amazing dream. Now I feel like a certified expert on how to backpack Europe - what to see, what to skip, how to save money, where to buy the best PBJ, and what to pack that you'd never think of (aka a corkscrew). I'll save all of my worldly knowledge for those of you who really want to know though. Thanks for reading and posting comments as we traveled; it made us feel connected with everyone at home, and it was always nice to know people were thinking of us! If you want to see some pictures or hear a few stories, you know how to find me!

PS: I somehow got addicted to Nutella over there. That stuff is amazing. Peanut butter consistency, but tastes like chocolate? Perfect thing to put on your toast in the morning.