Several people told me that coming home would be the hardest part of our year long journey. I’m beginning to realize they were right. The first week home was really hard, but I blamed it on circumstances. I thought that once I recovered from jet-lag, the airline found my luggage, my stomach adjusted back to…
Author: Jill
Gap Year Recap – What A Year Around the World Looks Like
I’ve been staring at my computer for a while now, trying to figure out how to sum up an entire year of adventure. This year was truly a remarkable experience for all of us. I’m so thankful we had this opportunity and that we were brave enough to take it. We have been back home…
Spain Recap
Spain was our last stop of the year and started to win us over the minute we walked out of the train station. Barcelona is a truly gorgeous city. The architecture is stunning, the people are beautiful, and the weather is fantastic. The pace of life is slower and the schedule is later and more…
Family Gap Year Survey: Same Trip, Different Eyes
I mentioned before that my sister created a survey for us to complete about our year of adventure. Here are the questions and everyone’s answers. This was such an incredible way to reflect on the year and my sister came up with such interesting questions. It captures our highs, our lows, and is full of…
Heading Back Into The Unknown
Before we left for the year, I wrote about fearing the unknown. We are on the other side of that now and fearing the unknown of heading home. The kids are excited, but nervous about what the re-entry to their old lives will look like. To be honest, so am I. We are all trying…
Summer Days in Barcelona
We have less than two weeks left in Barcelona and we are trying our best to stay present and soak up the remaining days of our gap year. In an effort to embrace this time, I’ve been focusing on enjoying the things that we’ve grown to love about Barcelona. Things we will look back on…
Basílica de la Sagrada Família
Yesterday we went to the most visited attraction in Barcelona, the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. The Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic basilica that has been under construction since 1882. It is said to be Antoni Gaudí’s greatest creation and his crowning achievement. It was truly stunning! Over One Hundred Years in the Making…
Sacred Spaces and Spirited Nights
This weekend we visited the Basilica Santa Maria Del Mar, a beautiful church right here in our neighborhood. We also saw a street performer put on the equivalent of a solo cirque du soliel show that was amazing! Dave and I enjoyed a drink at a very popular local bar, and we have all been…
A Day at Park Güell: Color, Mosaics, and City Views
Yesterday we went to one of Barcelona’s most visited landmarks, the iconic Park Güell. The famous artist, Antoni Gaudí left his mark here as well. It is a very expansive park that sits on a hillside on the outskirts of the city. It was beautiful and busy! Metro Pole Dancing and Anti-Tourism We had to…
Homeschool Recap: A Year Without Borders
Homeschooling our kids during our travels was a huge part of our year, and not something we took lightly. I spent numerous hours planning, worrying, researching, and getting advice from a close friend that homeschools her children. We had some bumpy moments, but in the end – teaching and learning alongside our kids this year…