Vacations are a perfect break from routine, offering the chance to explore new places, try different foods, and relax without daily responsibilities.  They’re a refreshing way to recharge and enjoy life with family or friends.

My husband, Rick, and I spent the past 3 weeks with my brother-in-law, Randy, and sister-in-law, Sherry, in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It was all a vacation should be. But, honestly, if you’re invited to a friend’s house to see their vacation photos, what’s more enjoyable: flipping through the pictures or hearing the behind-the-scenes stories from the trip? So I give you, our ….

Behind-the-Scenes #1:
After an early start to get to the airport two hours before our flight and enduring a 10.5-hour journey, I was exhausted. But as the pilot announced we’d soon be landing in Denmark, I grabbed the small bag of goodies the flight attendant had given us, found the toothbrush and what I assumed was toothpaste, and headed to the restroom to freshen up. As I brushed, I noticed the “toothpaste” felt strange and had almost no flavor. I kept brushing, waiting for the taste to kick in and the odd texture to improve, until I finally decided it was too awful to continue—I’d rather have fuzzy teeth. Back at my seat, I used my phone’s flashlight to inspect the tube more closely… and discovered I’d just brushed my teeth with hand lotion. The toothpaste was actually a “toothpaste tab” in a foil packet. Who ever heard of such a thing?

Behind-the-Scenes #2:
On the first full day of our trip, we walked to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. It was lightly sprinkling, and the beautiful cobblestone streets were slick. Sherry slipped and fell, catching herself on her wrist. Though she didn’t cry, you could see the pain in her face. Inside the restaurant, Randy asked the owner for ice and a towel so she could ice her wrist and arm. Sherry, not one to rush to the doctor or even take an aspirin, wanted to wait and see how she felt over the next day or two before deciding what to do. By Day 3, however, she finally agreed to go to the hospital, where she learned she had not just a broken arm but a “very bad” break. They set it in a cast, and the hospital staff couldn’t have been kinder.

Behind-the-Scenes #3:
We were thrilled to take the 7-hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen, renowned as “one of the greatest railway journeys in the world” for its stunning views of Norwegian landscapes—fjords, valleys, and mountains. About 20 minutes into the ride, however, Rick overheard the conductor talking with a couple, and the word “passport” leapt out at him. He turned to me and said, “I left our passports and foreign currency in the safe at the hotel in Oslo.” My response? “You’re kidding.” (It seemed like one of those moments where he “might” be kidding.) But he wasn’t. Not  having identification or money in a foreign country is not a good thing. Rick immediately declared he would get off the train and go back to Oslo, which was far easier said than done. Over the next 30 minutes, amid intermittent internet outages and shifting waves of panic and calm, he exchanged emails with the hotel manager in Oslo. The manager confirmed they had found our passports and money and would arrange for a courier to deliver them to our apartment in Bergen. And that delivery? Well, let’s just say it’s a whole other story, with more frustration than humor—so I’ll leave it at that.

Behind-the-Scenes #4:
We were visiting the 80 acre Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, Norway. This would not be a good place to lose anything. Especially a wallet. It’s a good thing there was an honest person behind Randy, when his wallet fell right out of his back pocket. He was quite surprised when someone tapped him on the shoulder and said, “I think this is yours.” Thank goodness for honest people, or Randy would have been borrowing money from Rick, who, thankfully had his money back.

Behind-the-Scenes #5:
Sherry was our resident Group-Picture-Organizer, always coming up with great ideas and making sure we captured moments together. On our final day, we’d gotten up at 2:00 AM to check out, grab an Uber, and make it to the airport in time for our flight home. We were exhausted and hungry, with no time for breakfast. Our plane was set to board in about 10 minutes, but Sherry said, “Okay, guys, this is our chance for a final group shot” I’m pretty sure a few groans escaped, and we weren’t very responsive before Randy said, “Alright, if we’re doing it, let’s do it now.” He asked a young man passing by to snap the photo, and Sherry quickly gave us general posing instructions. The picture was taken, and we all slumped back into our semi-reclining, tired positions. The whole thing took less than two minutes, yet it ended up being one of my favorite photos from the trip.

I guess the moral of this story is the next time you are asked to see someone’s vacation pictures do so graciously, but then ask what ELSE happened. 🙂

(Nothing happened while the picture below was being taken, except that I slid down the muddy mountain side a bit. It was just fun hanging out with the goats and wanted to share the picture.)