A TRADITION WAS BORN

I want to tell a story, not about a specific place necessarily, but my experience and lessons I learned from traveling with three very special people in my life.

It might take me a bit to get to the point, but I promise I will get there, so bear with me. 

13 years ago, my Grandpa died. He was a strong-willed man who oozed personality, and that personality allowed him to snag my grandma (who I call Gma, and will henceforth be known as in this story). They were married for 47 years and they loved each other fiercely.  They fought and had issues like every married couple, but the way my Gma talks about him, makes me think that true love really does exist.

Being married for so long, Gma had quite an adjustment to make when he died. She was only 70 and a very active 70 at that.  I always used to joke that she had more energy at 70 then I did at 20 (I still say that 10 years later). The first of my Gma’s birthdays without my grandpa was undoubtedly going to be difficult, so my aunt and my mom decided it would be a good idea to take her away on holiday and have a girl’s weekend. That first year, they decided to go to London. Both my aunt and Gma living in England made it an easy place for them to get to, and London being the great city that it is, made for the perfect backdrop for the first of the trio’s birthday celebrations away.  They had such a wonderful time together, that they decided that they would go away for Gma’s birthday every year.

Thus, a tradition was born.

                                 Gma on her wedding day, opening cards, and champagne laughs

   

Subsequent years have brought them all over Europe, from Bruges, to Ireland, to Mallorca, and many places in between. The weekends are filled with laughter, sherry, and enough memories to last a lifetime. Three years ago, my mom asked me if I would like to join the party. As you can imagine, I was so honored.  As the only female of my generation on my mother’s side, it meant the world to me that they would let me in on these very special celebrations. 

I do want to backtrack a little bit, to give a little perspective, and talk about why them adding me to the trio meant so much to me.  I grew up in a family of boys. While 2 brothers and a father doesn’t seem like an excessive amount of men in a family, they all have very strong personalities, and thus my mother and I were outnumbered. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it did sometimes feel like the female voice, especially mine, wasn’t always heard.  When I was younger, I was always trying to be “one of the boys”, but as I grew older, I wanted my feminine voice to grow stronger. 

My parents are both from England and moved to the States shortly after they got married. The rest of my extended family remained in England, so I grew up somewhat isolated from everyone. We were fortunate enough to be able to go to England to visit everyone once or twice a year, but it was always a whirlwind while we were over there trying to see everyone. That being said, I didn’t get a whole lot of time to really spend with the women of the family.

It wasn’t until I was older that I saw the different qualities and personalities in each of the women in my family that made them unique, independent, and strong.

                                                         The Lake District, England

OK, so back to it. My mom, aunt, and Gma are three very strong, accomplished, and inspirational women. My Gma, in particular, is someone that I have always used as a beacon of strength. She worked and took care of her family in a time where women did not do that. She was beautiful, sassy, and independent. All while being nurturing and loyal.  Basically, she was the bee’s knees.

That is why, when my mom invited me to celebrate with them, I truly felt honored.  I got to not only see incredible places, but I also got to spend time with and learn about these women in my family.  I got to see their true personalities. They didn’t have to be wives or mothers on those days, they could just be themselves, women. I got to see the special connection that they had, a bond that could never be broken. I saw them argue (they have very different beliefs on pretty much every issue) and where most people would fall out, they argued, and then turned around and hugged it out; stronger in their own convictions, but understanding and respecting the other person.

                                           Lakefish Ravioli in Butter Sauce, Stresa 

Now, I know that I am supposed to talk about my actual trips, but I find that the details are a bit frivolous compared to what I got out of the experiences. My favorite trip was my first with the crew which was to Nice, France. We stayed in an overly lavish hotel, walked the Chagall-decorated cobbled streets of Saint Paul de Vence, saw some of the great art masters’ works, and ate some of the best food I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It was also the first and only time I’ve had Chateau Margaux, which is on my wine bucket list. It was truly a magical and special experience, but my favorite part was the laughter and love that we shared.

So my advice to anyone who says they don’t have time, or work is too crazy, take that trip anyway. Whether it’s with family, friends, or solo.  The memories you create are priceless, and you never know what positive life-affirming things will come from them.  I’m so thankful for the time that I have gotten to spend with my amazing family, and I look forward to so many more adventures and laughs together.