Griswold (and Carpenter) Euro vacation - to come!

WE ARE GOING TO EUROPE IN 6 MONTHS! omg omg omg. Amsterdam on my birthday (9/19) and Munich on Chuck's (9/21).  Then make our way down to Italia, and fly back home from Paris :) As far as having any clue as to how many days in each city we plan on spending, well, thats what we have the next few months for! I'll be excitedly posting on all of the news about this as we decide and make further plans. :) now accepting any suggestions for a great carry-on style backpack, light-weight, with or w/o rollers and a possible detachable portion for day tripping.
Chuck sold the crossfire! We are officially car-free! (Care-free even?) I don't need it for work since I metro, and he either walks or takes the bus, so it was just becoming a bigger hassle than it was worth to us. It's pretty exciting to be in a place that does not require a car for daily transportation, and surprisinglyI don't even notice that we don't have it now. Sigh, city-living.
In DC related happenings, its raining all weekend so unfortunately no paddle boating on the Potomac for us :( maybe next weekend will be nice and we can get some great cherry blossom pics up. Here is one from yesterday,

Sometimes, it feels like a fairytale it's so beautiful. Also, I need some rain boots. 

Totally unrelated, but meaningful.

Yesterday I learned of my friend's untimely, and tragic death on Friday, in Tucson. The circumstances surrounding how he got to that point, and the details of what exactly happened, I am still unsure of. My heart breaks for his family, his wife and daughter especially. Life can be scary, surprising, and difficult at times. I know he has struggled with many demons in the past but thought that he was finally out of the woods and moved on. We all encounter challenges, and struggle with what it means to be a better person and how to get there. Not one of us has it figured out. I keep thinking of my friend and wishing for him the peace that he was trying to find in life. I keep finding myself thinking of his wife, also my friend, and feeling so bewildered and lost for her. No one can know the bevy of emotions she must be going through. I wish I could hug her, cry with her and tell her I love her. She is an outstanding person, so beautiful, giving and incredibly smart. She is lucky to have so much family and so many friends around her to give love and support. I wish I too could be there, but I am sending it long-distance. 

I try to remind myself daily of how fortunate I am in life. Terrible things like this really bring to the forefront the truth about what we have to be thankful for. My fantastic, crazy, loving family, and outrageous, courageous, and cooky friends - I LOVE YOU. I hope you never forget it.