Last year, when we were working on our adoption and Zoe started to show an interest in languages, we got a crazy idea.  I would think it was probably me that first had it, but really, I can’t even remember.  Anyway, we invited Zoe to go with us on one of our trips to Ukraine for Silas’s adoption.  She wholeheartedly agreed and a tradition was born.  She asked grandparents and aunts and uncles for money for her 13th birthday and we agreed to pay for some of it as well.  Now, 13th birthdays are plane ride birthdays to somewhere.  Zoe’s just happened to be halfway around the world.A quick picture with Papa before Zoe gets some stamps in her passport!

She was super nervous about the plane ride.  But not too nervous to give up a window seat.

Her first plane ride food.  Lufthansa has pretty good plane food.  We traveled Austria airlines home and, well, it was ah-mazing. Watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean.

Layover in Frankfurt, Germany. Zoe and I saw a castle (painting).  In the process, we had several German employees giggling.  Goofiness is international.

No.  I didn’t get sick.  We just wanted to be funny.  I don’t get sick on planes, trains, or automobiles.  Our family is blessed with no sort of motion sickness (except the dog).

A German McDonald’s Breakfast

My thrill was on the way back in, we had a layover in Newark.  We saw New York City out of the plane window and we could see the Statue of Liberty too.  That was our first time being that close to New York City.

I’m fairly certain we have created a world traveling addiction in Zoe.  This thrills Mark to no end.  And I can’t wait to see where her dreams and God take her!