Winter / Holiday Break

We headed back to the US for Sam's holiday break (a little over 2 weeks long). Unfortunately Ryan needed to go back earlier to be with his mom who passed away on December 15th after a battle with ALS. We knew this was coming soon but still tough as we all expected to see her over the holidays. Grandma Char will be missed. 😢

Sam and I stayed on our original schedule and left the day after his last day of school. We were able to use Ryan's miles for us both to upgrade to "bissnus" class (how he spells it). The orange juice sitting next to him in this photo was spilled within seconds of this photo being taken. Luckily this was resolved quickly by the attentive flight attendants. This child will never be the same and is OBSESSED with only ever flying this way.🙄

We continued an annual tradition while in Wisconsin of going skiing at Granite Peak which is our favorite ski location in Wisconsin. Good practice in advance of a Switzerland ski trip we are planning in a couple months. ⛷

I also spent a night in Milwaukee to see my friends but I guess I didn't take any pictures! Not a problem since I will be seeing all of them later this year on our various travels and there will be more pictures than anyone will ever want to look at. 😂

We also saw my family, Ryan's dad and stepmom and Ryan's friend, Jay, from Florida flew up to Wisconsin to go to a Packers (a very brave Floridian!).

Bissnus class on the way home which was nice for me, Sam and Charlie the stuffed lion who stayed back in Wisconsin when we moved. Sam thought he should have the Amsterdam experience as well. Luckily he had a passport, handmade by Sam, that was even checked by the customs agent in Amsterdam. I guess the Dutch do have a sense of humor! 😜

Comments

Broken Bones & Dutch Healthcare

It seems inevitable that we would have a medical emergency while living here resulting in a test of the Dutch healthcare system. The image above accurately reflects the perception and often reality of the healthcare here. We have been lucky so far with getting the care we need by 1) being prepared with medical records from the US to prove our case, 2) researching and advocating for ourselves and 3) annoying the huisart (primary care doctor) enough that she gives us what we want so we stop asking. 😝 During recess at school, Sam fell while playing a game with his friends and another friend fell on top of him. I was told that he initially wanted to keep playing but the teachers had him go to the nurse, who then sent him back to class. His teacher reached out to me since it seemed like he was in pain and I picked him up. I spoke to the nurse when I picked him up who said he seemed fine and to monitor him. Fast forward to us realizing he was not fine. We called the huisart (a r...

Morocco

For Sam's February school break we went to Morocco. We were looking for warmth and also ready to explore beyond Europe. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (amazing resort) in Taghazout, a small fishing village that is south of Marrakesh and north of Agadir. More Morocco photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/eATCUb6Cc4rRoyLYA February 17: As per usual we opted for a flight that was not ideal so we could save money. It was a later flight with a connection through Casablanca, arriving in Agadir airport close to midnight. Sam slept on the car ride from the airport to the hotel but perked up when we found out we had been upgraded to a room with an ocean view (thanks to friend Jasper!!). This kid continues in his quest for only the finer things. Very elaborate towel and curtain art! View from our balcony at night: View from our balcony during the day: February 18: Today was dedicated to nothing except explo...

Italy 2024

Italy is certainly not new for us but we planned to hit a few cities that we hadn't been to before including Venice, Verona and Bologna. Then to Marche and Umbria to visit Jim and Gretchen and Ryan's parents, similar to last year. Venice (August 23 - 26) : I went in with low expectations of Venice due to over-tourism and overall bad reputation it seems to have. I was pleasantly surprised! The canals are truly unique (per my Belgium post, I do love all canals!) and it has all the Italy things like good food, wine and culture. Given the time of year I think we hit it when it wasn't as crowded as it normally is but that meant we found ourselves roasting in the heat again. We did the standard gondola ride and toured the Doges Palace and St. Marks Basilica. More Venice photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/V9JkNQP9rens9An78 Sam's photography skills are sometimes pretty good: And sometimes not the best: Verona (August 26 - 28) : This is probably my ...

The Broughtby's European Adventures

Search This Blog