Amy

I was today years old when I learned Khrushchev wasn’t an enemy.

Thank you for the rec—I followed them.

This is an obvious point, but cannot overstated. There is an enormous difference between deporting someone - where they get off a plane as a free citizen in their home country AND FUNNELING THEM INTO A BRUTAL PRISON FROM WHICH THEY HAVE NO CHANCE OF EVER EMERGING!!!

I just saw this, A!! What the heck. Well, you know. When she told us she was psychic and had been lucky enough to see her grandfather’s ghost 3 times I went: Corinna may not be playing with a full deck there. 😆

I’m feeling better. (I’ve been knocked out the last few days with a nasty cough and cold.) Today I felt like cooking pasta like Italians do it.

#SundayYellow ...

You really ought to watch this. Seriously.

A friggin mess. As Imperialists tend to be.

A copy of the book Tyranny by Timothy D. Snyder, illustrated by Nora Krug.

A memorial at Dachau. “Never Again” in different languages. With a large square pillar in front that visitors have placed rocks on top of.

Bought an illustrated copy of Tyranny. It matters.

A piece of artwork at Dachau with wreaths at the bottom. It’s labeled 1933-1945.

The roll call area of Dachau. A huge space of gravel with a long white building that was used for barracks in the background.

The most important part of my trip that had the most emotional impact on me: Dachau. Walking into the roll call area hit hard. I had to take deep breaths. I got weepy. Also walking past 30+ long gravel beds where the barracks were, to the crematorium area. Which was also really emotional.

After spending a week in Europe constantly mathing everything because of being raised on a diff measurement system, even time telling? Can confirm. Constantly shook my fist in the USA’s general direction. And the babies have to learn both systems? Why?? Because Grandpa can’t let go of his ego.

Good idea. Will do.

As your lifestyle allows, go out this week and buy coffee from a local coffee shop, buy a book from an indie bookstore, get some spring plants from the local nursery. Maintain your comfort zone, but these are days when our community businesses need us as much as we need them.

I mean, just have a bake sale. Sell gift wrapping paper. Collect pennies.

…ugh. We are the worst people at taking care of our most vulnerable. ☹️

Happy 50th birthday to him!

Going to do a lot of thinking when I get home.
8/8

The biggest takeaway I had about Europe is that people here are not on their phones all the time. Seriously. Everywhere I went people were talking to other people, reading a book, people watching. If they were on their phones, it was because they were alone. And it looked purposeful.
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Another plus to this trip was I think I could at least speed walk a 5K now. My core muscles need a ton of attention to fix my lower back issues but let me tell you: I’m going to hike and walk as much as possible after this. And I’m going to make some daily routine adjustments.
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It taught me do NOT ever travel with a student tour group. They go too fast, and don’t give you time to savor.

But also: we are more alike as humans than different. There are things I miss about America, but I could easily have a life outside America.

So. I’m going to think a lot about that.
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But now I have to go back to a country with a leader doing very bad, very Putin things. Surrounded by men (let’s be real—these are all white men; the women & POCs helping them are pawns) who are actively working to install a dictatorship that looks like a democracy.

This trip was a reset, tho:
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Where I saw a lot of WTF America?! was when I turned on a TV in a hotel room & looked at their news about us.

It is very very bad.

And I’m so worried, going back to it. Grateful I got to see some of the world I’ve always wanted to see. Happy I made memories w/my sweet daughter. Calf muscles?💪
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Other than a dinner conversation about guns & school shootings, nobody talked about HIM. Maybe bc they didn’t know our politics or were too polite. We had a tour guide in London who was a Thatcher/royal family fan & thought America’s the bomb diggety. But she was uber eccentric. Possibly crazy.
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Here are some photos of my amazing & exhausting whirlwind trip in Europe. We’re almost at the end. I’m in Germany right now and we leave tomorrow. I have mixed feelings. I miss my bed. I miss my cat. I miss knowing how things (systems) work.

But it’s a bit depressing to go back to…you know.
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I did! And then my whole world blew up…walking fast around cities trying to keep up with Maud. 😂

A British subway station reminder on the ground—says Mind The Gap.

A London Underground sign that has a red circle with a blue rectangle that says Euston.

People walking in London by a red double decker bus.

A traditional English breakfast of eggs, sausage and ham, with a croissant. And a cafe latte.

Scenes from London. We got lost/separated from our group last night when we missed a Tube connection. An adventure! I slept like a corpse. This morning I had an English breakfast…but wasn’t brave enough to try the toast w/beans. (Tomorrow I will.)

If I can find it somewhere I’ll download it to watch on the plane! Or…while I’m off on Thursday I’ll look for it. 💜

I started watching it because the Twitter billionaire’s daughter was talking about it on Threads…in between trolling her monster of a poor excuse of a father.

It’s upsetting, but I can’t stop watching. :(