September 25, 2015

London Calling

September 25, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

With many of the close destinations crossed off the bucket list, Aaron and I left with destinations that require a plane to get to. Well, if we want to do them in a weekend, they require a plane. So that's where London comes in. I usually check about 6-7 weeks out for flights (they are cheapest then) for places to go. Flights to London were cheap and fit in our schedule, so we booked them! I have been to London once before - 11 years ago - with my sister, but Aaron has never been. It will be exciting to go back and exciting to show it to Aaron for the first time! An added bonus, one of my friends from University and her family are coming with us!

September 23, 2015

Reunions and the Upper Peninsula

September 23, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

At the beginning of September, Aaron and I made a trip back to the US. It was our first time being back together in over a year. We spent two weeks there and boy were we busy! Between appointments, seeing friends and family, a baby shower, selling Aaron's truck, and a long weekend to God's Country (also known as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), we barely had any downtime. But being back there made me realize that I miss Michigan much more than I thought.

September 15, 2015

Naming a German

September 15, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Almost immediately after Aaron and I first found out that I was pregnant, we started discussing names. I mean, naming a human is kind of a big deal. That name sticks with them for life (well, in most cases it does), so you have to make sure it's the perfect choice. We wanted something classic, but not overused; uncommon enough to make it fairly unique, but nothing that people would have trouble pronouncing or snicker at after an important job interview. I mean, there are definitely some interesting names out there, but how hard is it to take someone serious when they have a name like Abcde (pronounced ab-se-dee), or Xena?

August 28, 2015

Going Home

August 28, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Tomorrow morning, we load up our small car with 4 giant suitcases and carry on's to head to the airport, park the car, and get on a plane bound for Detroit, Michigan. To say we are excited is the understatement of the century. Just over a year ago, we were going though this same process, but in reverse - boarding a plane bound for Frankfurt. We are headed back for our ''long'' vacation this year: two weeks in the beautiful, glorious, water-surrounded, family and friends filled, state of Michigan. Eek! So excited!

August 21, 2015

Monserrat, the Mountain Side Monastery

August 21, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Aaron generally leaves most of the travel planning up to me, so when he asked if we could go to Montserrat when we were in Barcelona, I made sure to make it happen. Montserrat has a long history as a monastery, pilgrimage site, and the place where St. Ignatius (founder of the Jesuit order, the order of priests that ran Aaron's high school in Detroit) stayed in prayer and wrote his famous book, Hearts on Fire. Today, it is a Benedictine monastery with a beautiful church, a number of places to quietly pray, and a boys choir. Aside from it's religious significance, Montserrat is a stunning place to visit in the mountains just outside of the city.

August 18, 2015

Walking Tour of the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona

August 18, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

One of the best ways to see a city is to walk it. You can wander down that alley that looks interesting, stop into a store that sells unique items, or just grab a seat on a bench and people watch. An even better way to see a city is to take a guided walking tour of it. Not only do you get to see the sights, you usually explore areas that you would not have made it to otherwise, and you often get a historical context to associate with it. With limited time in Barcelona, we knew we wanted to try out a walking tour, and I am so glad that we did.

August 14, 2015

What We Ate in Barcelona - A Food Diary

August 14, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Let's just say this, the food in Spain ruined all food for us for a long time. When we got home, we actually had trouble feeding ourselves because nothing sounded as good as the tapas that we ate in Barcelona. Almost everywhere we went, we ate tapas. I realize that there are many other foods to eat in Barcelona, but the price and portion, not to mention all the different varieties to choose from of tapas are pretty much perfect. They're even more perfect when paired with a sangria (for Aaron) or a virgin mojito (for me). So wanna see some of the amazing food we consumed?