vacation.

Since we will (hopefully) have our house sold by next year, Miranda and I are thinking about a 10 year anniversary trip next year. We weren't going to do anything because of the house situation but I believe that it will be resolved by that time. So now we have to come up with some place to go. You already know how I feel traveling abroad but unfortunately I don't think I will be able to avoid it. Asia is out, Eastern Europe is out, Africa is out, South America is out (with a few exceptions). That is pretty much the world. I'm thinking Vinita, Oklahoma! Just kidding Miranda! So I guess the question is where to go (on the assumption that we get to go anywhere which may not be possible).

• Ireland - You can take tours and stay in castles (right up my alley).
• England (the rest of the U.K.) - They speak English. Food and weather are terrible. Great history.
• France - Best food in the world. The traffic in the big cities is horrific and the signs are in French. Plus they are legendary for their rudeness.
• Spain - Great place to visit from what I've heard.
• Italy - I really don't want this but Miranda really does. There is nothing that allures me to Italy. Their food is pasta (noodles? NOODLES???? Who's idea was it base the food of a country on noodles?). At least China has Crab Rangoon (well American China). And any place that their idea of dessert is Coffee and Lady Fingers has got the wrong idea. On the bright side, Venice has the gondoliers. Plus the Sistine Chapel. Maybe I could take in a Juventus game.
• Belgium - This rates very high in my book. Two reasons. Belgium Chocolate and Waterloo.
• Germany - Great food but a beer drinkers country and you can't drink the tap water. I'm guessing if I asked for Diet Mt. Dew I would get thrown out of the country (or just soundly thrashed). My liver would give out on me after two days there! Beautiful sights though.
• Switzerland/Austria - See Germany
• Netherlands/Sweden/Finland/Norway - These can all be lumped together in my book. Nice but uninteresting.

That pretty much covers Europe. The rest of the world can be lumped into:

• Saint Martin - The only island in the Caribbean that I would visit. I knew a lady at my last job that went there every year and loved it. The rest of the islands "seem" unstable. I'm probably incorrect on that as Diane has already pointed out but a line has got to be drawn somewhere and I'm drawing it!!! (Slightly kidding).
• Hawaii - Nice but we went there on our honeymoon. Incidentally, there is a "movement" over there to secede from the U.S. and so there are places where we couldn't go (one of the entire islands you can't get to). This struck me as odd.
• U.S. - Tons of places to see in the U.S. but unfortunately I'm not sure they would be considered "romantic" enough for a 10 year wedding anniversary.
• Canada - Miranda wants to take the train ride across Canada. This has the appeal of ptomaine poisoning to me. I'm not sure that matters though. Quebec would be interesting as they speak English and French but that's only a small part of the trip. I would love to take in a hockey game in Toronto and/or Montreal.

That's pretty much it. I'm sorry for the listing all our options and I know that you probably don't care but I'm also writing this down for our consumption. I'm taking this list and ranking our options (because I'm a geek and that's how I solve problems).

Of course by the time that rolls around, we probably won't want to spend our money on that anyway.

This year we are taking a 3 day trip to San Antonio. Maybe I'll get to meet Rose! We are taking the children to Sea World, a Tour of San Antonio, and not sure what else. I think we will have a great time.

As the children get older and as long as we can afford it, we would like to take a vacation and get away for a week. I would like for them to be exposed to new stuff. Even if it isn't that big of a vacation. Last year we went to Big Hill Lake outside of Cherryvale for a couple of days (it rained the entire time). Boy could we tell you stories. Most aren't fit for human consumption though.

nc