Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

My two oldest sons, ages 18 and 19, along with two of their friends began the trip of a lifetime yesterday.

They are spending a month in Europe, backpacking thru different countries.

They flew into Dublin yesterday, taking a 12 hour ferry ride to London, then to Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Copenhagen, and finally Amsterdam, with a few assorted stops along the way.

One of the boys' grandfather is an international traveler, and prepared a very detailed itenerary for them, along with hostel reservations, etc.

So, pray for my boys, and the good citizens of Europe, but especially for their mother!

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Oh, you are so fortunate to have everything planned out and reservation included! When my daughter went to college in Austria the year before last she and a friend spent a month solid travelling around Europe. (She had gone on many weekend visits to Munich, Prague, Budapest, Venice, and a week in Croatia but this was one whole month away from her college in Salzburg) I didn't find out until afterwards that they found this thing online about staying at people's homes for free! Usually they stayed in hostels but they took the opportunity twice to use this service (I can't remember the name of the service but it has the word, couch, in it's title). In Amersterdam they stayed at a teacher's house for a couple of nights and slept in the spare room! And then the second time was in Copenhagen where they were allowed to sleep in a spare dorm room (the owner of the dorm room was in Spain studying away for a month)!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! You would not believe how upset I was with her for doing that! Two young American girls in the home of a complete stranger!!!! I'm glad I prayed for them everyday and thankful that God had mercy on me and them! LOL Young people are naive and foolish, aren't they?

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Amsterdam??? I'd suggest a pass on Amsterdam ha!

the devaluation of the dollor, isn't it 3x more expensive
to travel Europe now ???

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

The current exchange rate is $1.00 = 0.639959 EURO.

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Wow! How much fun!

I can imagine the worry that your wife is feeling - - praying all goes awesome for them!

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

I think it's a great opportunity, as does my wife, but she tends to still view them as her babies, lol.

But, I'm excited for them, and a tad bit jealous!

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

They are still her babies. It's a Mom thing. Praying, and hoping they have a lot of fun, but also learn a lot about other countries. They will be worn out though from what I gather about tours over there.

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

My daughter said staying in hostels is not as luxurious as staying at hotels BUT you meet young people from all over the world in hostels and learn of cheap places to eat which makes the stay more interesting. I guess staying in a hostel isn't too much different than living in a college dorm.

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

This sounds like a blast!! I know how your wife feels, but this is going to be such a great experience for your boys! I am jealous!

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Couchsurfing: http://www.couchsurfing.com/

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

After I graduated high school I got to go to Florida for a week and I thought that was cool.

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Europe is great for travelling! I spent 10 years (1982 to 1992) in Heidelberg and got to visit many places while there by train or by car or by bus. I would take a sleeper to Italy (to florence was about 10 hours I think) , or drive to Paris, or drive to Berlin and those distances were 6 to 8 hours or drive to Basel, Switzerland which was 4 hours away......also I would drive to Oostend and take the ferry with my car to England to visit my sister......that was the fun part to changing from driving on the right side to driving on the left side of the road. Amsterdam is interesting but VERY crime ridden so it's important to be careful of muggers who feed their drug addictions at night. I was once a victim and lost my wallet but I walked away uninjured....so I was happy about that. In my day we had to have lots of currencies on hand for each country.....now the Euro has made things much easier.

I hope they have a super and safe time!!!!!

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

I know how you feel Rhenda, my kid is going to South America and Sweden this summer, and I still have only made it to Canada and Mexico.

Our kids tend to live much more exciting lives than we do! :tissue

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

May I join you? :tissue

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Sure, it's our party, and we'll cry if we want to!!! :tissue :friend

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I am jealous to the bone!!! Good for them--this is a trip of a lifetime for them that they will always remember. Awesome!

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Went to Hawaii, and I thought that was great then too-

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Well, I got married 4 months later... And I had skipped a year of high school, so it was 2 weeks after my 17th birthday! We went to Disneyland for 2 days for our honeymoon.

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Yeah, after we bought their tickets, I asked my wife, "Are we crazy???? This should be us!"

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Hey - maybe they'll pay your way when you are old and decrepit - - oh wait....then you won't be ABLE to go! :toofunny

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Yeah, by that time, they can put me in a nursing home, hang a picture of the Eiffel tower in my room, and tell me I'm in Paris. And, I'll believe them!:bliss

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Hey congrats Bro!

A good buddy of mine did just that for six months after graduating in 1982.
He had a blast backpacking around Europe & remembers sleeping on the beach in the Mediterranean many times.

He liked it so much that in the early nineties he went back to France (his mom is a French Citizen) & got married and has family.

He is a coach for a French hockey team.

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Awesome!

If they like it that much, and return there to live, my wife will shoot me!:boxing

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

have you heard from your boys yet, Mike? I'm praying for them. Asking God to watch over them, to keep them safe, to guard their hearts so that they come home with a burning desire to serve Him, and to teach them all kinds of stuff.

Maybe I should pray for Mom and Dad to be able to rest well at night, too, eh? You would need to pray that for me, believe me! In fact when Justin leaves for college August 23rd, I'm gonna need your prayers. I don't know---Portsmouth is 6.5 hours from here. That's an awful long ways :( Thank the Lord it's not as far as Europe :) WHEW! Now there is a blessing. LOL

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Yes, I've spoken with them a few times, they're having a blast!

On the ferry to London right now........a 12 hour ferry ride!

Either its a longgggg way, or it's a slowwwww boat.

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

London is on the east side of England and Dublin is on the east side of Ireland. They must have to go down and around the west of England and into the English channel to get over to the east side of England. It's a lonnggggg way round!

I may be wrong but I lived in England for four years.

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

What a great opportunity - I am jealous of the boys. I have always wanted to do something like this.

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Really?? Was it job related or ??

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So, you're not really sure if you lived in England for four years?:bliss

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

:toofunny :toofunny :toofunny

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

Mike, sorry for interrupting your thread but I have a question....do you have a sister named Sue that is married to my Uncle Gib?

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Yes, I do have a sister named Sue who is married to Gib!

Who's this?

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

I'm guessing Traci... :boxing :toofunny

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And I know them too! Your Uncle Gib assisted at my church when I was a teenager! Great couple!!

Tell them Renda Hurst said hello!

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Gib's niece? :toofunny

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:highfive :happydance

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Man, how did I miss that????????:noidea

DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

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Yes, my husband was in the US Air Force. We lived outside of Oxford. I became a Christian in England. Very fond memories of that country! :)

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yeah, yeah, you know what I meant..........I'm not completely sure of the geography esp the course the boat will take...:girlytantrum

Re: Pray for the good citizens of Europe
 

There ya go! what you git for making fun of me!!!! :bliss