When I first told my children that I had decided to travel Europe for the year, they told  me that I had lost my mind!  “Sell your stuff and quit your job … why??!!” I understand that it  made absolutely no sense to them. I had taken a “leap of faith”, which was very unlike me. Frankly, sometimes it made no sense to me and I often times questioned my decision.

“Was I nuts? Was I making a terrible mistake? Would I regret it?” It was a HARD decision. But.. I was ready for a drastic change in my life. I needed adventure. I needed to “put it all on the line” and find myself and my happiness. And even though I doubted it every single day, I WAS DOING IT!!

I invited both of my children to join during any leg of my journey. I was reassured that “this is YOUR journey, not OURS.”

To my amazement,  within the first 30 days of travel, I had received a message from my daughter.  She mentioned that she felt inspired by us. And that she too was “searching for her purpose.” We suggested a few books for her to read. She devoured them!!

The very next day, Quinn woke me up screaming as he ran in with his phone…  “Look… baby!  You’re not going to believe this!!!  She’s coming!”

My daughter had quit her corporate job, bought a ticket and was coming to visit!!!  Wow! !!!   My heart overflowed with joy.

I could hardly WAIT for her arrival! I was eager to share this new life that I was discovering. Full of adventure, amazing  sites, various languages, and intriging cultures. However, I was nervous. My first month HAD been pretty chaotic. Treking the mile up and down the mountain daily for groceries, learning the transportation systems, and  learning to communicate in a foreign language( that I studied some 20 some years earlier). Honestly, sometimes it was difficult to just sit and try to write my daily blog. Quinn, bless his heart, had been so patient with me. What if this overwhelmed her or scared her off? My mind ran rampant with these things.

The day of her upcoming arrival grew closer, as did my anxiety. She was landing in Malaga – 4 hours away.  This was her first time on an international flight .She mentioned she was a little nervous. Quinn had PROMISED her that he would be there to pick her up. I WANTED to be there to pick her up. I did. HOWEVER, I had hated DRIVING through the Alpuhar Mountains. In fact, I had experienced my very first, FULL BLOWN panic attack a few weeks earlier, while attempting to navigate all the hairpin turns with extreme inclines and declines. I didn’t think my psychi could handle that again. Why oh why ,hadn’t I packed Zanex ??? .. Could I possibly find a local doc that would be willing to prescribe me some in the next 3 days ??  Was I willing to risk buying some off the street and feel safe doing so? Probably not. Would have been a shame to risk my life, right before my daughter arrived.  UUUGHHH.. I really thought I had packed “everything I could possibly need.”  I wanted to be there to see her when she landed. What was I going to do???  The only option was to do what all normal mothers would do, pull up my big girl panties and just GO.  We bought 2 bus tickets- we were BOTH going to pick her up at the airport.

From the moment I saw her walk out of baggage claim, it had all been worth it. My heart exploded with joy!! My baby girl had arrived safely and I was THERE to greet her. After all, the bus ride had not been so bad. I sat in an isle seat, avoided looking out the windows, and had busied my mind with a word find book. (I must mention that I nearly completed the entire 60 page book, and realized I now needed to purchase another before getting back on that bus.) However, none of that now mattered.  It felt like it had been an eternity since her last visit. My anxiety dissipated. I could not stop hugging her, crying, and smiling with gratitude that my Sierra Renee was actually HERE.

The next 3 weeks went too quickly as time always does.  We had the most amazing time!! We spent some time in Malaga at the beach…

Then we started our long journey back to Narila and along the way we stopped again in Granada.  We had been there the week before and just loved it!  We stayed in the El Granado Hostel to give Sierra a taste of Hostel life and it was magnificant!  From there we were able to connect with a local dinner in the Sacramonte Caves, tour the fabulous city of Granada and hit a fantastic Flamenco show!  Sierra spent several weeks with us and we were able to show her Seville, spend a fantastic day in the small seaside town of Nerja (beautiful!) and then we made our way to Portugal where we toured the Algharve and then headed for an epic experience of Lisbon and Sintra!  It was a fabulous couple of weeks and an absolute joy to be experiencing this with my daughter!

I feel like I have given my children several lessons and experiences over the years… some good , some not so good. Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook, unfortunately. However, respect and growth took place. Inspiration and healing took place. We are now both adults and this trip has enabled me to understand and  appreciate that.   I thought I was offering HER a gift, but actually she gave me the gift. Mission accomplished.Thumbs up ,Sunshine… Your momma is so dang proud of the beautiful spirit that you have become.

The night before she was scheduled to fly back to the US, she said that this trip had changed her life MORE THAN anything else she had EVER experienced!! She also said that she could not hardly wait to return and continue the adventure . All I can say is “Looking forward to Chapter #2 with you when you return”, and  “love you more than you will ever comprehend.”