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*I’ve decided to do a series of T-pisodes that capture my travels throughout my life. In three paragraphs. I’ll post them every once in a while. Some places I’ve been to a few times, others only once. And some I will probably never go back to because of what went down there.
I’m at the point in my life now where I’m making good on some serious promises to my family. I always told them when I was younger “When I make it big, you’re all coming with me.” “Making it big” was a silly thing said by a young Eastie kid who didn’t know shit about shit back then but the idea behind it was basically to do whatever I could so my family also enjoyed a bit of the good life I worked so hard for. One of those perks is traveling the world. Not talking about my day job sending me to Europe. I’m talking about traveling the world on my own dollars and sense. See what I did there? So, this past summer I took my niece to both London and Paris and my mother came along as well because she enjoyed herself in Italy that much three years ago and was willing to put up with my ass on vacation one more time!
I had been to London twice before for work but never on vacation and my only trip to Paris wasn’t as best as it could have been four years ago so I wanted another crack at both cities. My niece didn’t ask to go to Europe and that is why I took her. Because she never asks for anything and it was her turn in the family line up to get a free vacation on me! London is still by far my favorite city in the world only second to Boston. I love going there for both work and vacation. We did the touristy stuff I’ve done before but for the first time I took them on a river cruise down the Thames and really learned a lot about London in ways even I didn’t know before. And my mother got to see where Princess Diana got married and where she gave birth to both her sons. That was special for her. My niece really enjoyed the London Sea Life Aquarium which puts to shame our membership and multiple trips over the years to the New England Aquarium! Then I got to take them to Westminster Abbey for afternoon tea. Look, that isn’t my thing and I’m not sure if my mother or niece truly appreciated what they had just done but I knew it was special and I hope my niece realizes that even more when she is much older. We hopped on the “Last Train to Paris” and took Paris by storm! I made sure we stayed right next to the Louvre and we walked by it and through it’s amazing gardens every day we were there. And I got a pic of my mother and niece with the Mona Lisa. I know I take a lot of pics when I’m with my nieces and nephews. Sometimes pissing them off. I get it. But I try my best to capture these rare memories for them that they can look back on one day. God knows I didn’t have anyone that cared enough about me when I was a kid to do shit like this for me. And one cool memory about Paris…several memories actually, was getting to see my niece enjoy real French crepes. The girl loves her crepes yo. And I even got her to try some escargot. But not the frog legs. That was something to see. My mother enjoyed her French wine. A lot. She even got to light a candle inside of Notre Dame. So my mother has now been to two of the world’s most famous churches doing her best to keep me out of hell! LOLz. And the three of us enjoyed the Eiffel but my niece and I were the only two to trek it up to the very top. But the three of us did go to the very bottom of Old Paris through the catacombs. We walked all over those two amazing cities and I couldn’t have had a better time with two of my favorite girls.
London and Paris are two of the oldest, most amazing, interesting and magical cities on this huge beautiful planet. To be able to take people I care about on vacation to destinations none of us were “meant” to visit makes me so fucking proud. Because I wasn’t supposed to be doing any of this. But I am. And if I am, then so will the people I care about. Because that’s why I do what I do. It isn’t just for me. It’s for them. And I hope they get that. I really do. Both London and Paris will always have a special place in my heart. But I love Boston the best.
Until next time. Always take it there.
T
T-blawg 