I always thought it would be an incredible experience to strap on backpacks and ride trains through Europe as a family but I never thought it would actually happen.

I chose not to run off to Europe after graduating college like Mia and Erin, as well as my good high school friend, Greg, did. I think a part of me always wished I had and wonder sometimes if my lifelong goal to be financially independent and free to travel the world stems from this missed opportunity.

Our family decided on international travel for this summer’s vacation. The girls, inspired by the show Emily in Paris, expressed their interest in seeing the City of Lights. I saw an opportunity to realize a dream.

It felt a bit risky putting together a trip with the five of us living out of backpacks for two weeks. I should not have worried as our family travels so well and the trip for the most part, went on without a hitch. As our two-week mark was up (our families’ typical limit in needing our personal space, wanting to see friends and sleep in their own beds), I wished we had added at least one more day at every stop on our trip as we left so much adventure un-advented.

I get emotional thinking back on this trip and realizing how fortunate we are to experience this kind of travel and create life-long memories as a family. This trip took us through the streets of Paris, into the Swiss Alps (Zermatt and Lucerne) and over the mountains to the Bavaria region of Germany where we enjoyed the outdoor mountain life of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the lively city of Munich.

It ranks amongst the best travel experience I have had primarily because I travelled with the best company I could possibly imagine.

– Dad