One of our high school friends, who faithfully follows this blog, recently pointed out that there hadn't been any new posts. Her conclusion?

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"Ah... you must be home."

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She was exactly right.

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Despite what it may look like, we're not digital nomads. We still own a home, and every so often it calls us back. Family visits, mowing the lawn, fixing the things that mysteriously break while we're away, cooking in our own kitchen, and (perhaps most importantly) sleeping in our own bed are all good reasons to hit the pause button on our travels.

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This year we've been home a little over four months. Well... sort of. We did sneak away for a 17-day Alaska cruise in May because apparently we're not very good at sitting still. Even so, this has been the shortest stretch we've spent at home in years.

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But our suitcases are starting to whisper to us again.

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Next stop: Northern England, Scotland, and Paris.

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For the UK portion of the trip, Barb's sister Nancy will be joining us. Nancy is, without question, a Beatles superfan. Naturally, Liverpool tops the itinerary.

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I was in seventh grade when Beatlemania swept across America. I can still remember those songs pouring out of every radio and the excitement that seemed to infect everyone. Visiting the city where it all began should be a wonderful mix of nostalgia, history, and probably a few tunes we'll be humming for the rest of the trip.

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After England and Scotland, Barb and I will continue on to Paris.

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If you've followed us for any length of time, you already know that Paris has a habit of stealing our hearts. We've joked (well, maybe not joked) that we should simply move there. More than once. More than a hundred times.

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But then we remember why we come home.

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Our children, grandchildren, family, and lifelong friends are all live here in the U.S.. Paris may have cafés, museums, and croissants, but it doesn't have Sunday afternoons with the people we love. That's a trade we're not ready to make.

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Instead, we'll settle for the next best thing.

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For two glorious months, we'll once again rent the same tiny apartment in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris, tucked between the Opéra Garnier and the Louvre. (It's small...so small that if one of us changes our mind, the other has to step into the hallway.) It's perfectly located, and every morning we step outside into the heart of one of the world's greatest cities.

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As the French would say, Nous sommes heureux. We are happy.

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Barb speaks perfectly respectable French. I speak perfectly respectable Art. Between the two of us, we manage to navigate museums, cafés, bakeries, and wine lists with remarkable success.

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The adventure begins again soon.

We hope you'll come along for the ride.

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See you on the Journey

Rock and Barb