The Orient EXPRESS: A Very Rich Life (part deux)

Continued from Previous Post...

Just after saying goodbye to Joe and Brittany, my parents came for a visit! Thankfully, our weather was much kinder to them. In fact, I even got a sunburn in Belgium! To say I took advantage of my parents’ nurturing instincts is an understatement – as it should be ;) A certain quote from Sound of Music kept coming up… “I like rich people, I like the way I live when I’m with them” (see the scene on the veranda with Uncle Max and the lemonade). But really, you never get too old to appreciate the way your parents want to spoil you and take care of your every need.

In London, our favourite spots were the Savoy and Portobello Market – my parents have pretty good taste, if I do say so myself. But the real fun began when we flew to the continent. During the following week, we divided our time between Amsterdam, Haarlem, Bruges, Gent, and Brussels. The highlights, for me, included our time at the Corrie Ten Boom house in Haarlem, our days in Bruges, and all things Tintin in Brussels.

If you’ve never read “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom, I recommend you pick it up at once. It is one of the most remarkable stories of Christ’s love during one of the darkest ages in our history – the Holocaust. Corrie was a Christian in Holland who hid Jews during the Nazi occupation and was consequently punished in a concentration camp. Through the grace of God, she survived and spent the rest of her life travelling the world, sharing His love with the world. Her house has now been turned into a museum of sorts where you can hear her story and see the “hiding place” where the lives of many were saved and changed. And you cannot visit this house without being changed yourself.

On a lighter note, the sunshine in Bruges was a well-needed blessing from above! While my parents from Phoenix enjoyed shade, I couldn’t get enough of the sun. The warmth and light only magnified the beauty of the Belgian countryside and the cobblestone streets of this old city. I found myself taking deep breaths, closing my eyes, and letting it all soak into every pore in my body.

Though colder and much larger, I also thoroughly enjoyed the city of Brussels. It was my first time in Belgium and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe it was the chocolate, maybe it was the framboise, or maybe it was lack of responsibilities – but I loved every bit of it. As a lifelong lover of Hergé, an added joy for me was all the Tintin paraphernalia! The only downside was trying to decide what to buy. I ended up just adding to my collection of Tintin books en français.

Sadly, my month of holiday has come to close. It’s back to the grinding stone, preparing for exams, writing that dissertation, and applying for jobs. I find myself, strangely, at peace with it all – trusting that the God who granted me such a blessed month of travels, will also grant me direction and strength for the future.

Thank you Brittany, Joe, Courtney, Mom, and Dad for all the fantastic adventures, good laughs, and abounding love!