Greece, anyone?

Natalie is on another fantastic trip. She's in Greece for the travel component of a class she took in the spring - Acts and the Pauline Epistles. She and Brandon are with a group of 12 on a 12-day tour called The Journeys and Letters of Paul. They're touring several places Paul visited as well as many other important historical locations. They have to journal while they're gone as part of the course requirement. What a way to start the summer!

Nat and Brandon were both RAs during the May term at ETBU which didn't end until Thursday, May 29. After closing down the dorms late Thursday night, they got to Paris around 1 AM Friday morning. We unloaded their cars and tried to get some rest before leaving Paris at 6:30 AM for the airport. I felt so bad for them - they were exhausted before they started their trip. We made it to DFW airport just in time for them to meet their group at the ticket counter. Their plane left Dallas at 11:30 AM on Friday, and they arrived in Athens at 2:00 PM on Saturday.

We've heard from them a couple of times via email. They have to pay by the minute to use the Internet at the hotels, so they're not taking much time to communicate. That's fine with us; it's great to hear from them, but I don't want them feeling that they have to contact us. I'd rather they spend their time and money enjoying themselves. I tend to take a "no news is good news" approach to overseas travel. Nat's trip to Zambia in 2005 taught us that. This is Brandon's first trip out of the country, and he's been the one sending the email. He's so sweet...both messages have included statements about how safe they are. Just what parents need to read.

This wonderful adventure ends on June 10. They'll return to DFW at 7:30 PM. We're planning to drive over after lunch on Tuesday to spend some time with Nick, Angela, and Ethan before we meet Nat and Brandon at the airport. I have no doubt that they'll spend most of the day Wednesday sleeping and getting back on our schedule. Brandon will probably have to leave on Thursday. I know his parents will be anxious to see him back on US soil.

I've been the typical librarian-nerdy mom for this trip. I bought a map of Greece, and I highlighted all of their stops. I needed to "see" where they were. I also checked a book out of our church library on Greece that has lots of pictures so that I can kind of virtually visit Greece with them. Of course I've looked at all kinds of websites on Greece as well. Another really cool thing Nat sent before she left was a list of the hotels they'll stay in complete with web sites. That's an even more specific way for us to trace Nat's travels. Don't forget the world clock on the cell phone. Mine is set to Athens, so I can see what time it is in Greece. Oh, the wonders of modern technology! It truly does make the world seem much smaller.

I'm anxious to see the souvenirs they bring home. One special souvenir I hope they get is a beautiful picture of themselves to use as an engagement picture for the newspaper. Other than that, I'll be happy with a magnet or bookmark.