We just got back from two weeks in Maryland, and I’m pretty sure we need a vacation from our vacation! When you live thousands of miles away from home, going back is never really a vacation. It’s more of a “maintenance trip;” an attempt to squeeze an entire year’s worth of people, places, food, errands, appointments, celebrations, and catching up into however many days you can manage to take off work. This time, we had two weeks. And apparently, we took that as a personal challenge.
We landed Friday night and were up early Saturday morning to set up Brooklyn and Ryan’s joint graduation and 16th birthday party. I had spent weeks ordering things from Amazon and making decorations, with the vague hope that everything would somehow come together the way I had imagined. And, miraculously, it actually did.
People started arriving that afternoon, and came and went throughout the day and evening. At one point, we had more than 60 people! It was so nice to catch up with so many people we haven’t seen in a long time, and not have to drive miles and miles to do it.
We had family and friends from Maryland, plus several friends we originally met while living in Germany who have since moved back to the US. Seeing all of those people together was probably my favorite part. Living overseas means that our lives are spread out across two continents, so getting everyone together in one place feels pretty special.
And then, because we apparently had not done enough already, Sunday was Ryan’s actual birthday. One of his gifts for the big day was a new baseball bat. Since he was heading to a baseball camp the following day, we started the day at the batting cages so he could break it in before his camp.
That evening, the Ebeys cooked Ryan’s favorite meal, steak. We ended dinner with an apple, complete with a birthday candle to blow out. Yes, an apple. It’s an inside joke between Ryan and the Ebeys, and honestly, it was much more fitting than a traditional birthday cake ever could have been (although we did also have cake).
Monday morning, we dropped Ryan off at the Naval Academy for a three day baseball camp. Then Matt and I joined my parents and my dad’s family for their Monday night burger tradition.
Every Monday, they meet at one of their favorite restaurants on the water for the burger special. It is one of those traditions that has continued while we have been away, and getting to be part of it again made me realize how many little pieces of everyday life we miss.
Wednesday afternoon, we picked Ryan up from camp. He had a great time, and that night we celebrated again with dinner at Outback, one of his favorite restaurants. Of course, he ordered the biggest thing on the menu but was able to clear the plate, impressing all of us and several of the restaurant staff.
Then Friday arrived, and Ryan had one more birthday request: a Washington Nationals game. We headed into Washington DC, only to discover that we had seriously underestimated the traffic. We got there an hour before our parking garage even opened, so we drove around DC for a while. I used to work there, and after spending so much time in the city over the years, I could not get over how different parts of it look now after such a relatively short time away. It was one of those moments that makes you realize how strange it is to return somewhere that used to be such a normal part of your everyday life. Your old life continues to go on without you.
Eventually, we made it to the stadium and discovered that Matt had scored us some seriously good seats in the third row, right in home run territory. We grabbed some food and drinks and even met some of the presidential mascots. Brooklyn and Ryan spent some time by the batting cages and when Brooklyn was almost hit by a ball, the player threw it up to her in apology. It’s the second time she’s gotten a game ball during warm ups!
The Nationals were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team we’ve seen quite a few times while visiting family in Phoenix, so it was especially fun to watch them play again; this time in Washington, D.C. The game was a lot of fun, too. Sadly, no home runs came anywhere near our seats, and the Nationals took the loss, but it was still a fantastic night at the ballpark.
Saturday brought another major family milestone. Matt’s brother Andrew and his wife, Brittaney, had a gender reveal party. After a lot of challenges along the way, they are happily expecting a baby, and everyone gathered to find out whether we were welcoming a boy or a girl. It’s a girl! She will be named Eliana and is due at the end of January.
And then, because there is apparently no such thing as going home after one event, we jumped in the car and headed to a local theater to watch Matt’s goddaughter perform in Finding Nemo Jr.
I was genuinely blown away by the production. The costumes, the sets, the choreography, and the talent of those kids were incredible. It was so good, I forgot we were just watching some amateur children that had only learned this play in a camp over the previous two weeks.
We finished the night with Fortune Cookie Chinese food with Matt and Cindy.
Then came Sunday and Matt had to go back to Germany since he does not have as much leave from work as I do He said a long goodbye to Brooklyn, who he probably won’t see again until Christmas break and then I dropped him at Dulles early that afternoon. From there, I immediately went to meet friends in Reston for lunch.
These were friends I met while living in Germany, and after not seeing them for a while, we had a lot to catch up on. Three hours later, we were still talking and the waitress was asking us to pay so she could leave 😅.
Apparently, that still was not enough catching up for one day. From there, I drove all the way to Prince Frederick to meet friends from Mamma Lucia’s at Brick. We talked for another three hours. Then we went outside. And talked for another hour in the parking lot.
At this point, I had officially spent approximately seven hours talking. I was exhausted and my throat hurt but I had a full heart after a full day with good friends!
I finally made it home at midnight, just as Matt’s flight was taking off. His flight was originally scheduled for 5 p.m., and I had dropped him off around noon so I could meet my friends for lunch. His time at the airport had been anything but uneventful. The plane had pushed back from the gate and started taxiing when they discovered that the air conditioning wasn’t working. They tried to return to the gate, but another plane had already pulled into their spot, so they had no choice but to wait. And wait. For another two hours. Eventually, they were able to get back to the gate and start working on the problem. They finally pushed away again at 11:30 and, thankfully, were in the air by 11:59. If they hadn’t made it off the ground by then, the flight would have been canceled.
Fortunately, enough passengers had rebooked onto other flights that Matt was able to stretch out across the empty seats and get some sleep. He still missed his connection in Munich and arrived home in Stuttgart late, but at least he made it to the kennel with just minutes to spare to pick up Slinky and Daisy. After two weeks of nonstop travel, it was definitely a long way home, but at least they were finally back together.
Meanwhile, I still had another week in Maryland! Monday night was dinner with my grandmother and cousins. During the evening, all five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren were together; it was so special!
Tuesday was one of those days I know I will remember for a long time. Brooklyn and I got matching tattoos, something she had asked me a few months earlier if I would do with her, and I was honestly so honored that she wanted to share that experience with me. We decided to get two birds that look very similar, but mine is slightly larger, so we decided they were the mommy bird and the baby bird. So special! We went to my friend Pat, who did our tattoos, and the whole thing took about 15 minutes per person. It was quick, simple, and such a special memory to make together.
Just like that, we had a permanent reminder of this particular moment in our lives.
That evening, I had dinner at Heritage with my very best girlfriends.
Wednesday was all about Brooklyn’s next chapter. We visited Towson so she could finally see the campus in person since she had never been there before. We spent a few hours walking around and exploring, and I think seeing the campus made everything feel a little more real for her. She is actually going to Towson and, for the first time, I could really see how excited she was about starting college.
That evening, we went to my dad’s family bingo night. After getting frustrated with never winning at the local Elks Lodge, they decided the obvious solution was to start their own bingo night at home. Honestly, it was so much more fun. We started with pizza and then started ten rounds of bingo, each with a different theme, and used quarters for the bets. At the halfway point, we stopped for “dessert intermission.” Ryan won three rounds and I think he walked away with about $20. It was such a fun way to spend the evening together.
Thursday was shopping day. We went to Annapolis Mall, which once again left me wondering how a place I remember so well can look so completely different. Ryan also happened to run into his friend Hunter while we were there.
Then we met my dad at Skippers Pier for a crab dinner, because apparently you cannot spend two weeks in Maryland without making sure you get at least a few proper crab dinners.
Friday night, I finally got to see Megan. She had been in Italy for most of my visit, so we squeezed in dinner before the trip was over.
Saturday was our last full day, and by that point, we were running on fumes. We wrapped up errands, somehow squeezed in even more trips to Walmart and TJ Maxx. In the afternoon, my mom took Brooklyn and I to get pedicures and we dragged Ryan along too; his feet desperately needed some attention! Despite some initial embarrassment, he ended up loving it!
We ended the day grilling out with my parents and Matt’s parents since Ryan and I would be leaving the next day.
And then, just like that, two weeks were over. Two weeks that somehow included a giant graduation and 16th birthday celebration, a baseball camp, a Nationals game, a gender reveal party, a play, matching tattoos, bingo night, crab dinners, pool pizza, shopping, doctor’s appointments, countless family meals, and enough conversations to last me for at least a few months.
On Sunday, we had breakfast with Alli and her family and then Ryan and I said our goodbyes to Brooklyn and started our trip back to Germany. Our journey was much less eventful than Matt’s, and we were home by early afternoon, ready for a nap.
The funny thing about going home when you live far away is that you never really get enough time. You spend the whole trip trying to see everyone, and there are still people you missed. You try to squeeze in every restaurant, every tradition, every family dinner, every friend, every errand, and every appointment, and somehow you still leave thinking, “I wish we had one more week.” But that is also what makes these trips so special. We got to celebrate big milestones with the people we love, see old friends who feel like no time has passed, make new memories with our family, and give B and R a little more time with the people and places they grew up with.
It was chaotic. It was exhausting. It involved far too many trips to Walmart. And I would do it all over again. Now it was time to unpack, recover, catch up on sleep, and get back to Germany, at least until the next trip home.
Gilcrests Abroad 