Oh hey, remember me? I’ve been back from my European vacation for a few days now and coming back never gets easier. It’s always hard. I know that people who switch between two worlds probably know that feeling all too well and I’ve written about it more than once before. Having your heart in two places is a privilege and also sometimes a burden.
Anyway, not to bore you with my mental state, I can positively say, I had a blast. It’s always precious quality time and I was mostly unplugged, hence my absence here.
The first half of my trip, I was skiing (and snowboarding!) in the Dolomites in Northern Italy (epic!) and the second half of the trip, I spent with my family in my hometown.
My sister and I also took advantage of the opportunity to celebrate our birthday together. Since it was a milestone birthday this year, we actually threw a party and invited about 50+ guests. I got to see a lot of people that I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was a bit like time traveling, and it was overall a great success. I mean, the party went from 1 pm to 2:30 am in the morning! That should tell you all you need to know. I guess, our guests also didn’t want it to end.
And then there is this other world – the online world – that I am coming back to as well. I want to catch you up on the last month of my life, and I also look forward to catching up with all of your lives. Expect some batch commenting in the next days.
K @ TS
April 22, 2026 at 6:54 pmWelcome back! I am so glad that you had fun. I feel your pain a little bit, but obviously my situation is a bit different. I can’t imagine what it must be like being separated from your twin. My Mom is a twin and for a while they lived on separate coasts but my Aunt came west and now lives about 45 minutes from my Mom, which I think they prefer much more!
I hope you are settling back in nicely!
Nicole MacPherson
April 23, 2026 at 5:12 amIt IS hard to be between two places. Big hugs, San.
Ernie
April 23, 2026 at 6:21 amIt sounds like a wonderful visit. The party must’ve been so fun. I can only imagine how hard it is to be so divided by the two places that you feel at home. Glad you managed to get back for this birthday.
NGS
April 24, 2026 at 12:51 pmHappy birthday and happy trip! I can’t wait to hear all about it.
J
April 25, 2026 at 4:38 pmWelcome back! I don’t have any family nearby, though they are not as far away as yours. It sucks. I’m glad you had so much fun, and so much time with your family, and your birthday party sounds EPIC.
Sara
April 26, 2026 at 7:18 amI’m so glad that you had a wonderful trip home!! So glad you were able to have such a memorable and dual celebration with your sister! I’m beyond impressed with your skiing skills. And yes, I understand some of the feelings of having your heart in 2 places. Tom and I were recently talking about how sometimes we don’t feel like we are “at home” here anymore because so much of our comfort and familiarity lives abroad now. If we feel that, I can only imagine what it’s like for you.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
May 3, 2026 at 2:38 pmWait… a milestone birthday? Oh and I totally missed it. Happy very belated birthday to you. It seems like you made it a great day. And how great to celebrate together. So happy for you.
I am excited to hear more of your trip.
Anne
May 5, 2026 at 8:20 amHappy belated birthday, San. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip, a fantastic celebration (goodness, Germans know how to party?!), and what I suspect was a much-needed respite from Life. Welcome back to this home; I hope you are settling in a bit and looking forward to the next time you get to see your family. <3