The Requisite Year in Review Post

Historically I tend to have better luck in the odd-numbered years. Though 2009 saw its share of hiccups, I'd say overall it stuck to the plan.

Our top ten memories of this year, in chronological order:

1. Viet Nam
Our 3 week honeymoon in Viet Nam was just the adventure we were hoping for. I don't know when else in our lives we will be able to take a trip like this one. We experienced the Vietnamese culture to the fullest - enjoying the local cuisine, talking to the locals, visiting pagodas. We saw and learned so much. The Ben Thanh market. The Con Dao Islands. The Mekong Delta. The Voice of Vietnam. Swanky restaurants in Saigon. Being attacked by fleas at a sketchy beach town. Taking a 5 hour bus ride with Vietnamese people vomiting into bags. Charming Hoi An. Bahn Xeo. Vietnamese tailors. The nicest resort we ever stayed in. An overnight train. Trekking in Sapa. Staying with a Black Hmong family. A Taphin medicinal hot bath. Pho. Dog carcasses for sale. Coffee with condensed milk in Hanoi. The tomb of Ho Chi Minh. The limestone formations of Halong Bay. A pearl factory. A village on the water. All this and the warmth of the Vietnamese people will make this a trip we will never forget. And if we do, we can just look back at the hundreds of photos we took!

2. Hong Kong
To finish off our honeymoon, we spent a few days of luxury in Hong Kong, a place so unique that unless you have been there, it is difficult to explain. It's an island divided - the Anglo-Saxon part not so much blending into the Asian part as it is just sharing the space.

3. Home to the US for Mia and Christian's wedding
A beautiful affair for a beautiful couple. If the love and joy surrounding these two on their wedding day is any testament to their future as a married couple, then they are the luckiest people in the world. This trip was also so special because we really look forward to our trips home and seeing the people we love - our family and friends that are closest to us. The hardest part about living in the Netherlands is not putting up with the Dutch, as tough as that may be, but being so far from the people we love. We are so appreciate of the efforts everyone makes to see us when we are home - we know it's a scramble, and we are grateful.

4. Cinque Terre
What a way to say goodbye to an era! This trip was short yet perfect in every way - a beautiful place with a great friend. I still laugh when I think back to that weekend and the most random things that happened. I came home with blisters on my feets, sore calves and an even sorer stomach from laughing so much. Jen - you know I miss you every day, but I'm so lucky to have met you! Hopefully one day we will be in the same time zone again.

5. The beer bike
Though this took place in Amsterdam, it is still a touristy thing, as well as one of the most fun ways I have spent 3 hours here. Matt was completely surprised, and we had a great group of people with us - how it could have been better I really don't know.

6. Greece
Santorini will go down as one of the most beautiful places I have seen. I still dream of the food we ate in Naxos - Greek yogurt with honey every morning, crisp Greek salads every day, fresh fish every night. The perfect vacation to chill.

7. Madrid
Our one year wedding anniversary gift to each other (the first year is supposed to be paper, so what better than a boarding pass?), it now is on my list of favorite cities. I had been wanting to visit Madrid for the longest time, so this trip was highly anticipated. It was such a warm and picturesque city, great terraces and indoor markets and parks and museums, and there can be no better place for tapas. It will also hold a special place in our hearts as it is where we found out that I was pregnant =)

8. Thanksgiving in the US
2008 was just not the same without a trip to the US for Thanksgiving. Overeating, shopping and fun times with friends and family. It was also extra special to be able to share our news face to face with everyone at home.

9. A white Christmas in Amsterdam
I don't know how many times this has happened, but it must not have been many. We woke up Christmas morning to a snowy day. Eventually it turned to rain and the pretty snow turned to black mush, but it was gorgeous while it lasted. It was also mine and Matt's first Christmas alone, and will also be our last =) Which brings me to number 10.

10. A baby
2009 brought the greatest news of all. Every ultrasound, every kick (a new phenomenon now at 18 weeks), and every little baby toy or outfit a family member or friend gives us, we are overwhelmed with joy and anticipation and disbelief at what is in store for us this coming year. We have had an amazing four years here in Amsterdam so far, with jaunts all over the world and new experiences at every turn, and now we are so ready to share our lives with this little one. All good things must come to an end, and thus our traveling will be greatly minimized starting this year (that is, after our babymoon to the Maldives this weekend!) but our lives will be enriched in new ways. We are very lucky, and could not be more grateful.