Leavin' on a Jet Plane

I've got some good news.

Some REALLY GOOD news.

I (and that means just me, alone, no children... alone!) will be traveling to Vienna to visit these wonderful people!

My brother Tony, sister-in-law Catherine and nephew Alexander

Truly, words can't describe how excited I am about this trip. Tony and Catherine are expecting baby #2 in May, and I am going to help out with the kids and fly back to the states with Catherine so that she can spend more time here. Tony has job responsibilities and can only take off a limited amount of time. She'd like to come early, but understandably, she'd rather not fly alone with two kids under three. (wow, can you imagine??)

I am thrilled about the prospect of traveling by myself overseas: just me, a suitcase and a good book. (Any suggestions?) I am looking forward to the gorgeous city of Vienna in the summertime- something I've never experienced. Paul, Max and I visited T&C when Max was a year old, but most of our time outdoors was spent trying to make it from Point A to Point B without freezing our tails off! I can't wait to soak up the sun at the park with Alexander and enjoy Tony's favorite Gelato downtown.

Max in Austria... he fell head-over-heels in love with Auntie Catherine

But all of these exciting thoughts pale in comparison to what really excites me about this trip. Since I got married, Tony and I have never lived in close proximity to each other. When he was in the Twin Cities, I was in South Dakota. By the time we moved back, they were in Vienna. All of Alexander's life, I've been a long-distance auntie. When they do make it back to the States, they have a limited amount of time to divide among all of their family. Maybe it sounds selfish, but on this trip I don't have to share them! I can play with Alexander all day, I can chat with Catherine over a cup of coffee, and I can get to know my big brother again.

In high school, I was two years behind him... and waaaayyy less cool. We were involved in all of the same activities (theater, choir) and I probably cramped his style a bit. But from my perspective, however much I pretended to hate the label, I always felt safe (and a little bit "in") being known as "Tony's little sister".

The last time we lived in the same state/country was before my wedding

Now we're both married with children, and I want to be able to share my daily life with him. I want the cousins to grow up together, breaking things and setting fires together (you know it's going to happen...) and when they're teenagers, I want them to have each other on speed dial.

But for now, I will look forward to this week in July that I can spend with my brother and his family at their home in Vienna. I love the pictures, blog updates and occasional phone calls, but nothing can compare to being with them in person!