Paris Disneyland

Okay.  It really feels like we’ve been on three different trips here.

First, the two week France leg with Sister.  Then, the twelve day pilgrimage leg in Italy with Father and Friends.

Then, yesterday, back in Paris and a full full day in Paris Disneyland.

The short version of Paris Disney.  For true Disney-aficionados, I think there may be two aspects to Disney.  Firstly, the “checked that off my list, went to Paris Disney” which may be a life goal.  This was not the case for us, we just thought it would be a good wind up of a hard-core historical, cultural, spiritual four weeks away - “because it was there.”  Secondly, Disney fans may simply be disappointed in the lacking features - Tiki Room, entertainment, Jungle Cruise. Some rides were better.  There’s more space.  A couple of spots to lay down and sleep.

And it was fun!  We just did the Magic Kingdom portion of the parks, checked out our favourite rides/areas.  Some were better, some things were lacking.  We definitely felt like we were in an American bubble, right in the middle of France.  Everything in the park was Disney-styled, and not-French styled.

But it also felt like a completely separate entity of existence on this trip.  Otherworld-ish.

We leave for home this afternoon.  It’s still Saturday for y’all at home, and will be your wee hours when we board.  The mental adjustments are starting to happen.  The talk about home is thick.  Hot showers. Own beds.  Our babies.  Connecting with our loved ones.  Working in the garden.  Mowing the lawn.  Picking roses and cherries.

Did I mention the babies??

Shopping and my own grocery store and reading my mail.

Ordinary, beautiful ordinary.  Four weeks is a long time.  We’ve covered a lot of miles, temporally and spiritually.  As we long for home, we aren’t processing what we’ve just experienced.  But it’s there, etched in our brains and the memories and the realization of the depths of this trip will unfold over the next days and weeks.  We’ll go over photos and talk about people we’ve met.  We’ll remember little things and big ideas.

We will revisit monuments and moments in our minds and around the table.  And that’s what life is really made of.  Monuments.  Moments.

Our kids have been truly amazing troopers.  So have Albert and I, for that matter.  But we miss you all and home calls us.





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