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03/31/2007: "The Best of Friends"
Do you know how it feels to laugh so hard that the muscles in your gut start to spasm? You can’t speak and you can barely breath. Then, the situation gets even funnier and you wonder if you will pass out from laughing. We had a lot of these moments on this trip. Most of the time we laughed at each other and other times it was the circumstances. I think we made enough memories to last a lifetime as we blitzed through Western Europe.
There was a synergy when the four of us were together. Tim had met Kurt once before and Mike and Kurt had never met. Still, you kind of knew that there would be something special when the four of us officially signed on to pack into a car and spend seven days together. I wouldn’t say we traveled through Europe as much as Europe traveled through us (Tim?). It was an amazing embrace as we went from city to city. Always conscious to sample the wares, we enjoyed the beer in Germany, the wine in Luxembourg, the muscles in Brussels, the cheese in Holland and so much more.
In order, we spent an afternoon or evening in: Cologne, the Middle Rhine Valley, Mainz, the Mosel Valley, Trier, Luxembourg, Brussels, Antwerp, Brugge, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Volendam, Edam, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt. Beginning in a snowstorm, we ended the week basking in the sun as we laid in Brussel’s Grand Square or enjoyed an outdoor café in Amsterdam watching the people from every nation.
Internationally, America and Americans have taken a hit in reputation over the last few years. We were fortunate enough to change a few opinions and impressions and maybe cause our own little ripple effect. We changed two flat tires on the cars of strangers and spent time pacifying a drunken Swede. We also brought smiles to the faces of numerous people we met.
Considering the four of us were crowded into an Audi A4, various apartments and hotel rooms, we never tired of each other’s company. Our friendships were certainly solidified as we laughed at each other’s mishaps. I want to thank my great friends, Kurt (our navigator), Mike (our photographer) and Tim (our videographer). Their decision to come, not only proved their friendship physically, but they showed me more emotional support than they will ever know. A huge thanks goes out to their family members for sharing them with me. Big love!