I'm long overdue for an update. The last email I sent about our trip covered our travel up through Morocco and over to Spain.

Then I turned 37 and was reflecting on 17 lessons to a younger me.

In this email, I sum up our past 3 weeks in Spain (including a brief getaway to Vienna).

In my next one (should be done in a day or two) I'll write a bit about 'adventure' and what I've been learning about it on this trip.

Vienna Getaway

My parents, who we met up with over here, were open to watching our kids in Spain. So Kirsten and I jumped at the chance to visit Vienna, a place neither of us had been.

What's more, my uncle (my mom's brother) has lived there for over 15 years, so it was a chance to see him and his family.

We walked, talked, ate great food, and listened to stories of his 8 years as a scientist in Antartica, the year he spent teaching in Bolivia, and his 'new' home of Vienna. Bonding over travel stories is something we love to do.

Kirsten and I also had plenty of time to ourselves and could be found wandering the streets into the night, shifting from cafe to cafe, talking about life and love.

Spain

After returning to Spain, we launched right into more time with family!

John and Amanda (John is Kirsten's brother) and their kids, who were on vacation in Morocco and Europe, met us near Malaga.

They got an Airbnb a 10 minute walk away and we spent the weekend exploring, eating, and hanging out at the beach. The kids loved seeing their cousins (and neighbors - as we live next door to each other in WA).

After they left, which along with Vienna capped a wonderful 6 day break from work for me, it was back to reality.

Emails, calls, and more emails...the catch up that happens after you escape for a few days is always a quick tug back down to earth 🙂

And so we settled back into our foreign routine:

We start the morning slow, as Spain stays up late, and we've adapted.

Once we're caffeinated and breakfasted, my work begins and the kids inch (like slugs) to their school work.

In the late morning, we walk, workout in the park, go grocery shopping, etc. Then it's more work and school. Sometimes, mid-afternoon, my family will head to the beach. I join them when I can.

Evenings are either full of meetings that go late (I've tried to condense those to Tuesday through Thursday).

When I do have a free evening and have worked EU hours, we'll go explore nearby towns like Malaga or Marbella.

On the weekends, it's our real time to explore or unwind. Everything from lazy days on the beach to exploring places like Ronda and Gibraltar (this old, 3-minute Rick Steves video about Gibraltar is a great intro if you're unfamiliar with it).

It's a good routine and we're all enjoying the town we're in (Benalmadena), the walkability, the culture, the weather, and each other (with a few typical and short-lived feuds between the kids).

The Easter celebrations here were especially different and beautiful to experience, though we were all a little sad to be away from family and our church community back home.

And that's it. The last 3 weeks have gone by in a flash. This weekend, our last in Spain, will mean a day trip or two and some basic prep before we head to Switzerland on Wednesday next week.