The night we came home from the airport, the conversation went something like this:
Katina: “It will be nice to relax at your place”
Mom: “Of course it will be relaxing, but we also wanted to do a small family gathering tomorrow….”
Well for all my ethnic friends out there, you know what a small gathering means:) Of course, it was a great way to see everyone as the house and yard were filled with aunts, uncles and cousins we hadn’t seen all year. There were new babies to kiss and stories to share…a lot happens in a year:) The theme of the party was an international one, so of course we dressed up in our saris and dirndls to show them off!
A few days later, the girls were invited to share their trip at their school (MLCP) with some of their friends and parents. They did a great job presenting a few of the things we had done. I was very proud of them as they created the slideshow on their own and did a super job (their last project of the trip!). It was also very kind of the school to give us such a warm welcome home:)
The following week, our neighbours had a great party to welcome us back, (I love our street and community!). It was a true potluck so people just brought whatever they wanted and it turned out perfectly with a great variety of delicious eats. Of course, we brought the Nanaimo bars!
After dinner, once again the girls presented their slideshow and shared some of our stories for the remainder of the evening. It was a great way to relive some of our fun.
It was during these slideshow presentations that an idea started to percolate. We have been subscribers to National Geographic Live for the past few years and really enjoy going to listen to photo journalists talk about their photos and adventures. Oliver has taken more than 30 000 photos over the course of the year and some of them are beyond belief! We have only published a few with our website and thought perhaps it would be fun to share more of them through a night similar to National Geographic.
From this train of thought, we have now decided to do monthly Global Fieldtrip nights to relive our trip. Each night will be dedicated to a certain part of the world. We will share our photos/slideshow, souvenirs and of course, the food from the area, (are you willing to be taste testers – we’re planning to publish an international recipe book?)
All are welcome to attend….we only ask for an RSVP so we have numbers for food. People can come to all of them, or whichever places interest them…totally open. Families with kids are encouraged to come and see what we did, and most certainly, our international friends are highly welcomed too!
Here is our proposed schedule for the year:
Global Fieldtrip Nights – The Stories and Photos Beyond the Blog
Sat. Sept. 26th, 2015 – Uplifting United Kingdom! – Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland
Sat. Oct. 24th, 2015 – Engaging Europe! – France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland
Sat. Nov. 28th, 2015 – Magnificent Mediterranean! – Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey
Fri. Dec. 18th, 2015 – Holiday Highlights! – Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus
Sat. Jan 23rd, 2016 – Amazing Africa! – Morocco and Tanzania
Sat. Feb. 20th, 2016 – Incredible India! – India (it’s a massive country!)
Sat. March 19th, 2016 – Super South East Asia! – Viet Nam, Thailand and Cambodia
Sat. April 16th, 2016 – Charming China! – China and Hong Kong
Sat. May 28st, 2016 – Back to the First World! – Australia, Hawaii, Alaska, British Columbia (Canada) and LA
Sat. June 18th, 2016 – Stunning South America! – Ecuador and Peru
Please let us know if you’ll be joining us for our Global Fieldtrip Nights- Stories and Photos Beyond the Blog! We would love to see you!
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