MissE and Me: 10th Anniversary!

Ultimate European

Today marks the 10th anniversary of an adventure of a lifetime, and of meeting Mr.H! If I still had a VHS player, I would watch the video of our adventure, created by the meticulous recordings of the Fraser Brothers. Instead, I've pulled out our photo albums to show MissE and she says things like "Look! Mama, there you are with the Stinks (Sphinx)?" or even better, "Can we go there when I am a big girl?" (MissE already has a few stamps in her passport!)

Last year, at 34 weeks pregnant, I wrote Feeling Nostalgic with a few highlights of the Ultimate European. Given this is the 10th anniversary of meeting Mr.H, and the sighs I get when I tell people how we met (really, it's not that romantic) I should write our story:

It was a warm night in the Sahara Desert, our camels, both named Bob Marley, were drawn together like our souls... Okay, I'm have a bit of fun. Although we did ride camels, and they were both named Bob Marley. In reality, the first sentence (if you will) I said to my now husband was "I pity the fool". Yes, it's true! Mr. H was wearing a Mr.T tee! He still has it too!

Fast forward to day 20: Athens to Cairo and a few of us were excitedly talked "shop" (read: Lonely Planet's Egypt) over McGreeks at the airport (so yummy!), then slowly it was Mr.H and I, combing over the travel guide on the freezing train to Aswan. We got to know a few bits and bobs about each other over the next very exhausting days in Egypt. As we ticked off The Sphinx, Pyramids of Giza, Egyptian Museum, sailing on the Nile, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Karnak, and snorkelling The Red Sea, one night, we sat next to each at dinner and we realised we enjoyed each other's company!

I call this the photo of what started it all...
Hurghada, Egypt

Day 28: Canakkale We spent the evening on a beach of the Dardanelles until the early morning, talking... and haven't stopped since. On Day 35: Budapest We spent the day exploring the beautiful city of Budapest together, with the highlight of getting lost in the Labyrinth! It was here that I got this niggle in my mind that told me I was going to marry this man! Yes, in 11 days I knew! We didn't spend much time apart after that.

Budapest

Hofbrauhaus Munchen, Germany

Edam, Netherlands

Day 46: London When we said our goodbyes, I wasn't sure if I would see Mr.H again. I already figured he would be "the one that got away". But after arriving back in the US, I didn't expect for Mr.H to call me from Dublin and ask to see me! I couldn't say "YES!" fast enough! We spent 5 days together in San Francisco, and when we said our goodbyes this time, we knew it wouldn't be for long.

We spent the next 2 years, while I was completing my Masters program, flying between Sydney and San Francisco or Washington, DC to see each other. When I graduated The George Washington University, Mr.H and I celebrated with 5 days at Disneyworld where he proposed at sunset overlooking the Savannah at Animal Kingdom Lodge (coincidentally, we had an African safari honeymoon!).