Albania and Back
June has been a crazy month for the Razorback Rice's. The day that Jeff finished school, we loaded up the van and headed out for Albania via Dallas & London. I'll try and give you a snapshot of the the trip, but it's always difficult to put into words what you've experienced. The first major excitement was the plane ride itself. Thad and Eli were both pumped to be able to ride on their first airplane. We got settled down and the kids enjoyed having their own video screen and headphones. Of course, the euphoria of just being there and opening the packages on their seat was amazing. They did great for all of the travel we did. They actually slept on the ride to London, and did well in the airports. After two days of travel, we landed in Greece and were met by Amos. Several hours and a few border crossings later we made it to Korce, Albania.Our time in Albania was amazing. For Jeff and the boys, this was an opportunity to understand what life is like for their cousins. We got to try new foods, walk on cobblestone streets, listen to a language we couldn't understand, and see the world that they live in. It was eye opening in so many ways. It was also a wonderful time of just reconnecting with family. They kids got to go to playgrounds together, play soccer, ride on bumper cars, go hiking, and so much more together. They enjoyed every bit of it.
As if a week and half in Albania wasn't enough, we then headed to Greece to spend a few days relaxing on the beach with Meredith, Amos, and their family. This was also a memorable time for us. This was Eli and Thad's first time at an ocean and they loved it! Eli couldn't get enough of the water and waves, and they loved looking all over the shore for seashells and other exotic animals. We got to eat on the beach and tried some amazing fish, grape leaves, and grilled pork and chicken.
The end of the trip came quicker than we would have liked, as it usually does, and we made the return to the states. For some reason, the return trip seemed so much more difficult. We got home and spent a week recouping from the trip. All of this just in time for Leigh Ann to stand up in a friends wedding, and then for us to load the van and begin our next adventure.
Next Month: Look forward to the Three State Road Trip!
WARNING: The smilebox is the longest ever. It contains many amazing pictures most of which are of family. For those of you who want to sort of "fast-forward" keep pressing the arrow on the bottom, right-hand side, of the pictures.
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