its best to call it an adventure

My parents haven't ever been to Europe, so having one of their children here was more than enough of an excuse to come explore. I met them in London Tuesday before last and we dove right in. We hit all of the touristy sites, some pubs and had a couple pints. My aunt and uncle came along too.

Thursday we signed up for a daytrip to Paris through a tourist company out of London. It was fantastic. In order to maximize the day, we were picked up at our hotel at 4:45am and taken to the Eurostar station to catch the first train of the day out. We were in a group of about 20 with a guide. Once in Paris, we saw the Arch de Triumphe (did you know that there is a giant 8-10 lane roundabout around the Arch, and it is different than most roundabouts because once in it, you yeild to incoming traffic... just think about it-- it's crazy!), went up the Eiffel Tower, did a boat tour on the Seine, went around the Concorde monument and the Jardin de Triolies before going to the Louvre. At the Louvre we saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory before distaster struck. We were getting dinner in the food court and my handbag disappeared. I can't explain the rush of emotion that hit all at once. I've been warned I don't know how many times about protecting your things and about how good thieves can be... and in the 5 minutes I let my guard down it was gone. I am my own biggest critic. I know I made a crucial mistake-- I hadn't separated out my important things from my bag and I had forgotten my money belt. So when this thief took my handbag, he took my passport as well. Checking in with security and filing a police report were quite difficult given that we were in France, we don't speak French, and they don't speak English. Luckily, we had our tour guide to translate.

Because I didn't have a passport I wasn't allowed to board the train back to London. I understand the purpose of having Border Agencies and the importance of their job, but at that very moment I have to say I was real upset that they wouldn't bend the rules. In any sense, Mom, Dad and I found a nearby hotel to crash at that evening. I was emotionally exhausted at that point. I have to insert here that I have never been more thankful to have my parents with me in the midst of trauma.

The next morning we got up and headed to the US Embassy. The sight of an American flag never looked so good. We were greeted kindly and everyone was incredibly helpful and encouraging- they were able to replace my passport that day. It was a strange feeling, dealing with the French police, the UK Border Agency and finally the US Embassy. Everyone was cordial and polite, but there was also a sense coming from the French and UK officials that they really didn't have to help me and weren't willing to go out of their way. That sense in contrast to the warm welcome we felt from the US Embassy taught me a quick lesson on the importance of citizenship and loyalty to your home country.

I was traveling a little lighter now without my bag, but we were headed back to London. We met back up with my Aunt and Uncle and pressed on with our week's itinerary. The next two nights were spent in the Cotswolds- one in Moreton-in-Marsh and one near Branbury. We stayed at quaint bed and breakfasts and spent the days exploring the nearby villages. We also made our way to Warwick castle. Parts of this castle date back to the William the Conquerer in 1068. It's hard to believe that these structures are so much older than our country!

Sunday night we made our way to Swansea. I was able to show my parents and aunt and uncle some of the area I'm staying in. We checked out the local market, some of the local shopping, took the bus out to the Gower, and ate fresh seafood in addition to showing them my house and the university. It was cool to be able to show my parents where I'm at. Now when I call/email home, they will have a visual to know what I'm talking about.

Saying goodbye was quite hard. It's hard to believe that I've been away three months already. But I dove right back in... Wednesday morning I said my goodbyes to Mom and Dad and Wednesday afternoon we had a basketball game in Winchester- our first win of the season.

I learned a lot that week. And rather than dwell on the violated feelings one gets when property has been taken, I'm going to choose to dwell rather on the things I can do to prevent the situation from happening again. Chalk it up to a learning experience I guess.