I’ve had so many people ask us about our travels that I thought I should post an update. Everyone asks “what was your favorite part of the trip?” Of course, it was in Copenhagen as we came out of baggage claim and saw our daughter’s smiling face; followed by a long hug.

After that, it was the little moments that were the best.

We woke up early our first morning in Copenhagen due to the time difference. John and I got dressed and headed out to explore. Nyhavn (pronounced: newhoun) was so quiet and peaceful at 6 AM, much different than when we arrived the afternoon before. We just wandered and saw wonderful daily activities: people going for their morning swim in the Copenhagen Harbor, restaurant staff setting up sidewalk tables and chairs, and people biking to work in suits and dresses. We didn’t consult a map but instead turned down random streets and ended up walking by amazing architecture (at every turn!), past several well-known churches and Amalienborg – complete with Royal guards. It was perfect. We ended our morning by showing up to The Union Kitchen, which Kaitlyn recommended, shortly after they opened and we had such an amazing breakfast that we made it a point to go there for breakfast again the day we left Copenhagen. 

We had so many great moments in Copenhagen, such as dinner with Kaitlyn’s local host family on our first night. The relaxed conversation in their kitchen was so insightful. We learned things about the Denmark community and culture that we would never have known if we had not met them for dinner. Seeing Kaitlyn receive hugs from her host family’s daughters brought a tear to my eye. Most likely they will never see each other again, but they have a bond and experiences together they will remember forever.

Seeing Kaitlyn’s flat and meeting her roommate Carley was surreal. I had seen photos and videos of the place our daughter called home for four months, but to actually visit it was incredible. I quickly learned why Kaitlyn spoke so highly of Carley. She was very personable and fun. We had a wonderful dinner together and I really hope Kaitlyn travels to Boulder, Colorado to spend time with Carley in August before school starts.

I could feel that Kaitlyn was struggling in Copenhagen. She wanted to show us around to all of her favorite places, but she also wanted to spend her last moments with friends that she may never see again; and she had to pack up her room and help clean their flat. I think it helped that John and I were fairly independent and flexible and only took up the middle portion of her days so she could spend her mornings packing and her evenings saying goodbye to her friends.

STOCKHOLM

Once we arrived in Stockholm at our amazing Airbnb in the heart of Norrmalm, I could feel Kaitlyn’s stress decline. She even said at one point she was glad we didn’t fly directly home so she could have a transition time from Copenhagen to Saint Paul.

We did not plan anything in advance at any of our stops, but I had a list of places of interest and we consulted travel guides at each stop to determine what we wanted to do each day. Our time in Stockholm was a little bit of a recharge for all of us since we covered a lot of ground in Copenhagen. We walked to many sites including the Stockholm Concert Hall, Gamla Stan (old town), the Royal Palace and the King’s gardens but I think we all enjoyed going back to the Airbnb for some quiet time each day. 

AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam was amazing. Another beautiful Airbnb.

This one was located on the canal with amazing views and sunsets! 

We had no idea it was a city of canals – very similar to Venice. John even got involved in the planning here and on the day of our arrival he found us an early evening canal boat tour. It was perfect. On that first day, we figured out the public transportation (which was amazingly easy thanks to Kaitlyn), then we explored and learned about the city on the canal tour with limited walking (bonus.) Fun Facts: There are over 31 miles of canals
with 1,281 bridges in the city of Amsterdam. There are 850,000 people and 847,000 bikes. Also, 12,000 – 15,000 bikes are pulled out of the canals each year.

We visited and toured many amazing places in Amsterdam including the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijks Garden and Museum, the Anne Frank Museum, the Royal Palace and the Amsterdam Tulip Museum. In Amsterdam, Kaitlyn announced she was tired and ready to head home. Good thing it was our last stop.

Our Kaitlyn turns 21 later this month. It’s funny how turning 18 might seem like a big deal, but as a parent, I feel 21 is much more significant. Not only are our children able to legally join us for a cocktail when we go out to dinner, but at this age they seem to have a little bit of a grasp on who they want to be as an adult. I know it will take many more years to really figure it out (who am I kidding, at 51 I’m not sure I’ve figured it out!), but at 21 they seem to be on their way.

Happy 21^st Birthday, Kaitlyn, and Welcome Home!