The Big Return

*There has been a lot of talk over the past week as to when E would finally return home. When I left her in Italy, she was speculating late August / mid September as she still had many miles to cover. Just a few weeks ago, she narrowed her return date down to the third week in August. It wasn't three days later that she upped the date to the beginning of August, then the last Wednesday in July, and now ... the (un) official return date is Wednesday, July 22. For now, I am calling this the (un)official date as the plane ticket has not been booked, but the exact flight has been selected and all details are in the works of being ironed out. Needless to say, I am ecstatic!

*As you know, I have not done much posting about E or for her. The family's expectations of this trip were completely unknown. For me, I felt as though she would feel removed from family highlights, world happenings, and reality tv updates so I thought I could lend a helping hand. Once she arrived in Dublin and began her journey, she quickly realized that she did not care too much about who got kicked off of American Idol, things that were going on at home (except knowing that her family and friends were healthy) or any of the little day to day things that consume our news broadcasts. She enjoyed being removed from everything except those things she chose to investigate on her own time. Her cell phone was set up with the International plan so she could call home (for a small fee) when she chose, send e-mails when she had the time, and text message at all hours of the day (even at 4:30 a.m. EST because she began to ignore the time different between Europe and the US). Needless to say, my updates have not been necessary (and the brutal truth is that I think E just plain forgot that my blog existed or that I cared about her travels).

*It is funny to hear how her thought process has changed over the course of her trip. The family has been suggesting all along that she returns with a safety net of money so she can get back on her feet. About one month ago she told me that she planned to return home with absolutely no money left because she could get a few jobs and rebuild the funds. She talked of only staying in the States until she received her work visa so she could return to Europe to be an Au Pair. She talked about how much better Europe is (which, there are some things about Europe that are just plain better ... no question), and that she really had no interest in anything back home. She told me that she missed our family so much, but that she could see herself living away from it all, and not really missing the day to day things that she grew up surrounded by. Now, 3 months after she left (almost), she talks about missing home. She misses the simple things such as getting her nails done, visiting our favorite gym (Lifetime Fitness), and getting a puppy, along with making sure she has enough money in her account to where she feels safe. It is so funny to watch how things have changed since she left.

*I am sure I will talk about this much more once she is finally home, but I know that she will never be the same person that she was when she left. The experiences that she has encountered throughout her journey are unexplainable. I can't believe my little sister has the guts to travel throughout Europe for 3 months by herself. The things she had to do, I may never get to do in my life. The cities she explored, I may never see with my own eyes. I hope I do not overwhelm her by asking her to tell me a new story or what she liked most / least about a particular city. I really, really hope she has taken a ton of pictures (fingers crossed) and that she spends time with me to sit down and talk me through each and every one. My (short) 10 days with her were incredible, and a memory I will never forget and always cherish, but what she has gone through far surpasses that. She will be a different person and I can't wait to experience it for myself! With that ... COME HOME SOON E!! We can't wait to see you (and I finally get my bestfriend, sister and partner in crime back!!!)

To date, these are the cities (I can remember) she has traveled:

*Dublin, Ireland ~ London, England ~ Amsterdam, The Netherlands ~ Paris, France ~ Nice, France (and Monte Carlo) ~ Barcelona, Spain ~ San Sebastian, Spain ~ (back to Barcelona for 1 night) ~ Milan, Italy (briefly.. to meet me!!!) ~ Cinque Terre, Italy ~ Florence, Italy ~ Rome, Italy ~ Naples, Italy ~ Venice, Italy ~ (and then she went to a bunch of cities that all seem unreal to me and I couldn't keep up if I tried. She visited Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia for 2 weeks) ~ Budapest, Hungary (currently) ~ and she still plans to visit Krokow, Poland and various cities throughout Germany!!! She will fly out of Frankfurt, into Dublin, and then finally to Dulles, VA in the U.S. of A!!!!!!