Europe Day 1: Leaving Home

Yesterday, I said goodbye to my home and the wonderful island on which I live. I’m blessed to live in a beautiful place with such a great circle of friends.

View of Mount Rainier from my patio. (iPhone capture, just before leaving) · Bainbridge Island, Washington

So why leave this?

Simple. I am quintessentially restless and curious about the rest of the world. I’ve always returned from every trip eager to begin the next exploration. Some of my warmest and most vivid childhood memories stem from family roadtrips. My parents planted the travel bug in me and it took hold. Vigorously.

So this summer I’m aiming to visit as many new parts of Europe as I can manage.

I plan to share photos, anecdotes, and a map of where I’ve been each day (or at least as close to each day as I can muster).

So, why … you may ask … am I kicking off my grand European tour in Plattsburgh, New York? Seems a little off course, no? Simple. We have very dear family who live here and we’re taking advantage of the opportunity to spend some quality time with them. And, besides … it’s on the way, right?

A red-eye flight and a 6-hour drive left us pretty weary and eager to arrive where we had a warm bed waiting for us, so not much photography today.

Soon.