Our Journey Through Europe | The Short Version

Our Adventure

We had a big adventure to plan. My husband and I were going to be traveling outside of the United States with our three kids for the first time ever. We would be traveling for six months. The family adventure we were planning was fun and exciting, yet we didn’t know what to expect. We just knew we had to take full advantage of it.

We had traveled internationally together and separately, and once our family started growing, we knew we wanted to travel with our kids too. Traveling to other countries together is one thing we knew we wanted to experience as a family, but we had never traveled internationally this long and we had never traveled to another country with kids. Although we had a lot to learn, we were ready for the challenge. On December 29, 2019, my husband and I, along with our three daughters set out for an adventure we would never forget.

We knew this trip wouldn’t go entirely according to plan. What trip ever does? We knew many of the surprises along the way might even be our greatest memories.

The first two months of our trip went pretty much as planned. We spent time in London, Paris, Vienna, Zurich, Florence, and Rome. Each of these cities has so much history and culture that we’ve grown to love. 

We saw castles of kings and jewels of queens. We walked paths of Paul the Apostle and Marie Antoinette. We saw amazing artwork by Michelangelo, Monet, and many others. We visited some of the most amazing pieces of architecture in the world.

We walked through ancient ruins and a cave that was once owned by a Roman emperor. We tried new foods and learned to say “hello” in four languages. We even made friends with a few locals and connected with other American travelers. We traveled by plane, train, tram, subway, Uber, taxi, bus, overnight train, and walked many thousands of steps.

As our second month in Europe was winding down in Italy and we began planning the details of our next few months of travel, we had little idea just how drastically the rest of our trip would change. It wouldn’t be anything like we expected. It would be uncertain and difficult, if we were to travel at all.

The Unexpected 

The day we were flying out of Rome was the day they started canceling flights from northern Italy because of the spread of COVID-19. We had noticed a lot of train delays during our last few days in Rome, and now we understood why that was happening. On our flight from Rome to Bucharest we were greeted with a mask on the plane and a thermometer when we arrived at the airport. We spent the next few days exploring Bucharest, but the virus and how it was going to affect the next four months of our trip was on the forefront of our minds and conversations.

We asked ourselves many questions. Should we go home? Should we try to settle somewhere? How do we keep our family safe? We wondered how bad the virus was going to get and how fast it would spread. We had no idea how serious it was and how long the crisis would last. We had no idea how it would affect the next four months of our journey.

After much thought, we decided to visit Brasov, Romania, a nice little city near the Carpathian mountains for a few days before heading to Turkey. On our first day in Brasov, we were pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it. It had a small town, family friendly vibe that made us and our kids feel at home. We soon decided that it would be a good place to stay longer if we needed. We were also happy to be healthy, not having any apparent symptoms of COVID-19. Rather than take the risk of traveling further or returning home early, we thought our family was best served to settle in and let the coronavirus storm pass. Little did we know, Brasov would be our home for the next fifteen weeks. We would have never expected that our time in Brasov, Romania would be one of the most defining experiences of our trip. It was a special time and place. At the beginning of our trip, we hadn’t even planned to visit Brasov, but it was the place we spent the most time and made the most memories together as a family.

Our New Adventure

It was quite unusual to settle into a new country, with our family, all while the world was facing the pandemic of COVID-19. We made connections with neighbors and got a more genuine taste of the Romanian culture by being here longer and having fewer things to do. Although there were disappointments, we are thankful for the gift of time we were given as we tried to make the best of a difficult situation. It was good for us as a family. It was good for the people we’ve met in our apartment and elsewhere. We exchanged gifts and kind words with our Romanian neighbors. We met American friends at the park and were able to help each other, forming a relationship that will last a long time. 

This journey through Europe didn’t go exactly like we thought it would, but even through the changes and difficulty the trip has been invaluable! We were able to explore new places, grow in our travel experiences, and learn about history and new cultures. Most importantly, we were able to do it as a family and form new relationships with other people.

The Last Leg 

About ten days before we originally planned to come home, we tried to make it to one other country. We had plane tickets, an understanding that we would be allowed to travel, our packed bags, and we headed to the airport. Little did we know, that trip to the airport to head to Greece would instead, be the beginning of our journey back to the United States. 

We were turned away at the airport to travel to Greece and we immediately began working on flights to get home. It wasn’t an easy task, but within thirty-six hours, we were back in the United States. 

The next several days were spent quarantining in a car driving home and seeing some outdoor sites (very much socially distanced) rather than being around more people on more flights home. Although we were sad we didn’t get to see another country in Europe, we are very thankful for the time to explore places in our home country.

Ending Thoughts

It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to the many special experiences we had planned or imagined. We wanted to visit Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, and return to Italy among other places. Family members were also planning to meet us in Italy so we could share that experience together. It was hard to let go of that dream, for them and us both. But God is good! He provided a great place for us to stay during the pandemic, and He kept us safe! We are thankful to have had the unique and meaningful experience, the time together as a family, and an opportunity to deepen our faith in God.

Learning and growing from this unexpected part of our trip became our adventure! Lord willing, we will be able to go on more in the future!