First Travel Log

When I was sitting down in January to begin the 12 page application needed to apply for a Russian Tourist visa, there was one question that overwhelmed me: List every country you have visited in the last 10 years and the dates of entry and exit.  I'm not good with dates or years and Jason and I spent the first decade of our marriage globe trekking wherever our frequent flyer miles would take us. I got out my two most recent passports and sighed at the mess of stamps and dates. None of the stamps were in order. Many of them I couldn't make out. Was that stamp Morocco or Egypt? How many years ago was Spain? Did we fly into Geneva or Zurich when we hiked in Switzerland? I ended up paying the Russian government an extra $65 fee to fill out a less complicated form that required far fewer details. (It cut the paperwork down from 12 pages to 3. It was worth every penny!)

Still I ask myself, why haven't I kept a journal of all my adventures or at least a log of countries visited and dates?

Bereket, here's my attempt to do a little better for you.  Our project this week is getting your passport renewed as it expires next year. It will be your 4th passport! Yes, in just 6 years of life you will have had 4 passports!

Here's a log to help you keep track of the early international adventures in your life.

Passport #1 was issued to you in 2011. It was your Ethiopian passport allowing you to travel to your new home in America. Look at the cheerful expression you gave the photographer! (We came to know that lovely expression well!)

Passport #2 was a first priority when you arrived home. Once we got your certificate of citizenship in the mail, we were off to Walgreens to get your passport photo taken.  Passport #2 was used only for one trip: Mazatlán, Mexico on March 9th, 2012. Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Eric, Grandma and Grandpa were all there.

Passport #3 looks just like the one before it but with more stamps! We had rushed getting your passport for the Mazatlán trip and when we came home from Mexico, we began the process of changing your name. The Ethiopian government named you Bereket Jason (because in Ethiopia your last name is your father's name) so we had to get your name changed to Bereket Ann!

You've had lots of wonderful adventures on Passport #3.
Negril, Jamaica: January 20-26, 2014 (with Mommy and Daddy)
Cancun, Mexico: January 24-31, 2015 (with Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa)
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: January 22-29, 2016 (with Mommy and Daddy)
and Cozumel, Mexico: July 18-22, 2016 (with Carson and his parents Cory and Katie)
One note: while we didn't need your passport for our trip to Sanibel Island, Florida in December of 2012, we still brought it along just in case the TSA wanted to see identification for you. So I'm putting that adventure in your travel log, too.

Wow, girl! You've been on the move! Mommy and Daddy have a big surprise for you coming up in January, 2017 to celebrate our 5 year anniversary as a family. Here's a hint: it involves a really big ship and 4 exciting ports of call! So let's get that paperwork for passport #4 started! We've already gotten your new photo taken and look at what a mature little traveler you are becoming. 

(Now, no asking "how much longer?" or "are we there yet?" when it comes time to get on the plane!)

Until that next adventure, a family photo of our retired passports. Such great reminders of all the sweet travels we have to be thankful for.

It is Enough

Today is Bereket's birthday. Any minute now, she will wake up and bound out of the bedroom...overflowing with excitement for her special day. Turning 6 is a big deal and she's been counting down to the big day for a few weeks now.  We are excited to celebrate with a family picnic at Whitewater State Park.

While today is all about showering Bereket with love and presents, she had a big surprise for me last night.  Bereket went on a quick errand run with Daddy and somehow convinced him to stop at the florist on the way home.  She came running into the house, "Mommy, I have a surprise for you! I bought you a flower with my own money because you are the best mommy in the whole wide world and I love you so much!"

The money actually came from Jason's wallet, but the idea was all her own. When I thanked Jason later for my beautiful purple rose, he said, "That was 100% Bereket. It was her idea. She wanted to stop and get you something because she said you were the best mommy in the whole wide world."

Lately, I have felt far from worthy of that title. I can feel overwhelmed by life and lose my patience way too quickly.  So many days I wish I could have a re-do.

But last night, with her simple, sweet gesture, Bereket told me in her own way, that it is enough. I am enough for her.  And I so needed that.

Thank you Bereket, and happy birthday.  I know I will mess up a lot of times in your new year, but I promise to do my very best for you.

Bereket passing out the napkins to her classmates for her birthday treat on Friday!

Was Moscow a Dream?

I've always dreamed of seeing the "swirly topped" buildings of Moscow.  Once a year or so, I would pick up a travel guide I had purchased on Amazon and look at pictures of a city that seemed almost forbidden to American travelers.  I wondered if I would ever actually get there.

Last fall, I came across a Travelzoo deal that was too good to pass up: airfare to Moscow from Minneapolis and 4 nights hotel with breakfast for about $800. Jason passed on it. It was in the off-season and Jason didn't want to be cold exploring the streets of Moscow. He said I could ask some girlfriends, though. I don't think he actually thought anyone would say yes, but my dear friends Kathy and Jennifer were up for an adventure and soon we were busy with plans for the adventure of a lifetime.

Without a doubt, this quick trip to Russia was one of the most challenging trips I have ever planned (and I have tackled some pretty off the grid stuff).  We had flights cancelled, the ballet we had tickets to was cancelled and the paperwork to get a travel visa into Russia is nothing short of overwhelming. But once the planning process was complete, the complications also came to an end.

I can honestly say, from the moment we stepped onto the plane at MSP International on April 6th to the moment we returned to Minneapolis on April 11th, there was not a single trip glitch. Not one! It was almost like we had stepped into the fairytale of Cinderella arriving at the ball. Several beautiful surprises awaited us in Moscow: weather that was 30 degrees warmer that it should have been, a luxury hotel that served an incredible breakfast with complimentary champagne, arriving to the opera (which replaced our ballet experience) to discover our tickets were in the 2nd row, kind strangers who spoke no English but put their own busy lives on hold to try to help us navigate their beautiful city and a last minute splurge on an extremely affordable (and unique) spa experience that included a 90 minute massage. We were also amazed by the incredible restaurants our hotel concierge and private tour guide made reservations for us at. People in Moscow eat well!  As my friend Kathy texted me just last night, "Everything was so amazing." We really did live a dream and we are attempting to show our appreciation to those who took care of us in Moscow by writing some glowing Tripadvisor reviews.

As you navigate the city of Moscow through its massive and cleverly designed underground metro system, you will be greeted by world class art at each stop. Our lovely young tour guide Katya explained to us that during the rule of Stalin, it was illegal to build churches and many were actually destroyed. So artists went to work underground.

 

During Joseph Stalin's rule from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953, a massive art museum was built beneath Moscow and great skyscrapers were built above it. Stalin's mark on Moscow is a big part of what the city is today. 

When we were visiting the Red Square and the Kremlin, Katya took us to a scenic overlook of the city. She pointed out a great cathedral and told a story of how Stalin ordered it to be torn down and a swimming pool constructed in its place.  When Stalin died, the people rebuilt that cathedral.  But Katya told us for many of the people in Moscow, these great churches are only places to tour and admire and that very few people are practicing Christians.

I haven't had time to process all my experiences during our 3.5 days in Russia. I have been asked several times what the highlight was. For me, it was seeing the amazing churches inside and out. That's what those "swirly topped" buildings are: breathtaking cathedrals. 

There are very few tourist carts or shops in Moscow. This is a world-class modern city with some of the greatest history to be told. I feel beyond blessed that I got to experience it and I hope to continue to process what my time there has to teach me.

Just a few weeks before we left for Moscow, there were some terrible terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium.  A travel warning was issued by the U.S. State Department for all of Europe. I wondered for a moment if we should consider cancelling our trip.  Jason said too much work and planning had gone into this. We could not let the terrorists win. He reminded me that anything can happen anywhere, at any time. 

I am so very glad we went on this trip. The people of Moscow were kind and went out of the way to help us see and experience their incredible city. We always felt very safe.

Jason asked me what the lesson is for Bereket in this little story. Once again, it is simple. Go see this amazing world. Meet its wonderful people. Our time here is short. There is so much to learn and experience.  The blessings of travel will not disappoint.