Have I expressed how excited we are?

The Jones are excited! If fact, I am so excited, I am loosing sleep!

About a year ago, we sat at our dining room table with our girls.  With frequent flyer miles adding up in the United airlines account, and hotel points adding up from frequent travels, we said to the girls, “Where do you want to go next year?”

As our girls get older, Stephen and I have felt this desire to share the gift of travel with our kids.  We have put aside many other things in our lives to show them the world.

In our dinner conversation, Africa came up.  Dominican Republic came up. Thailand, South America, and Egypt (glad we did not go in this direction).  It was about a two-week process to figure out what to do with these resources.  Of course we would have to consider the costs of food, and recreation and in- country travel.

After much debate and conversation, both Stephen and I realized we wanted to do something different than our usual overseas travel.  Since we spend a lot of time in underdeveloped countries, we felt like another type of experience would be nice.

It was decided.  France and Italy.

Each month we have put money aside.  With all your helpful hints, we went on a spending freeze, saving considerably.  Now the time has arrived.

In nine days we leave for Paris, then we will travel down to Naples, drive out to Positano.  Visit sites such as Pompeii. Drive up to Rome and finish our spring break by visiting sites of the early church, the Sistine Chapel and Ancient Rome.  Hello gelato, here we come!

I can’t wait to be with my family… on an airplane.  I can’t wait to have this time together and share art, food, sites and experiences, plus we get to celebrate Isabel’s 12th birthday in Paris (how cool is that!!).

It is good to have these experiences as a family.  With the laughs, the fights, the stress of travel, whether it be camping under the Dakota stars, New York City, Nairobi, Kenya, or a trip to the Zoo, sharing experiences as a family keeps you close.

If you have been to these locations, bring on your best travel tips!  Where should the Jones visit? Restaurants? Sites?  Ways to save money in European travel?  BRING  IT ON!