A Break from the Search

We returned to the Netherlands in early December to spend Christmas with the family.  This is the reason after all why we are looking for our perfect place in western Europe - to be within a few hours travel of Michiel´s family.  We had a great Indonesian feast (isn´t that what EVERYONE does for Christmas??!!) and enjoyed the snow and sun of a good old-fashioned Dutch winter.

After the holiday, we spent several weeks in the States with family in Huntsville, Alabama and then in Terlingua, Texas near Big Bend National Park.  In both places, they were experiencing record cold temperatures and even snow (in Alabama) but that didn´t dampen our enthusiasm.

It was wonderful to be able to spend lots of quality time with Jon (my brother), Aor and Jake and my mom, who made the trip from Florida to be with us.  Not returning to Antarctica this season meant that I haven´t played drums in a while so I especially enjoyed playing Rock Band with them - plus my 6 year old nephew is a killer singer, drummer, and guitarist, my brother rocks the guitar and vocals and Michiel made his first semi-public appearance as lead singer.   Going to the Space and Rocket Center (Huntsville is home to NASA´s Marshall Space Flight Center), showing Jake his first stalagtites at the impressive Cathedral Caverns and getting to be a part of their lives for a couple of weeks were really wonderful.

 

   

In Texas, we did lots of hiking with our friends from Alaska, Todd, Barb and Liam and got to experience desert life in low-key, hippy style in Terlingua.  The highlights (aside from the company, of course) were the wild animals, which included roadrunners (they don´t really say "meep meep"), coyotes, mule deer, wild boar (javalinas) and a MOUNTAIN LION from far too close by. Having a mountain lion run between us while we were watching deer at the Chisos Basin campground was one of our top ten moments in nature ever!