the way you don't want to see europe...

• 3 days prior to leaving, I had an abscessed tooth that required me to have an unscheduled visit to the dentist to have it irrigated.  Was given a prescription for antibiotics that I needed to take for a week, ibuprofen and Tylenol 3's.

• Our flight from DTW to LGA was delayed...it was looking like we weren't going to be able to grab our connection to Ireland.  We arrived just on time and ran through the airport and luckily they were still boarding the plane.  Out of breath, we entered the plane and it sat at the gate for another hour or so.

• Our luggage did not make the flight.

• After not having desserts and basically anything sugary for a couple of weeks, I decided I could splurge and ordered myself a bread pudding with creme anglaise...to my dismay, I had a bad reaction and found myself quickly in a bathroom.

• Flying from DUB to CDG we were at the absolute back of the plane (not my favorite place, I prefer the wing and forward).  I had been feeling the constant urge to pee for a few days, so I was using the bathroom (directly behind me) several times.  The final time I went in, I thought that the lid was up...and I hover over and pee...to my dismay, the lid was down and I didn't notice until I felt...warm.  I managed to drench myself all over the seat of my jeans.  Luckily, I had a hoodie on so I could wrap it around my waist so that no one would be the wiser...and once we landed and got our rental car, I was able to get changed out of my super damp clothes...while driving on a Paris highway.

• While visiting Brussels, I started what will be called the worst period of my life.  I had to find a bathroom every 1/2 hour...I was bleeding through so quickly.  I don't know why, I've never had it that bad....THEN, the cramps!!  UGH!  We needed to drive from Aalst to CDG to turn in our rental car, then we had plans to walk around Paris a bit before we would head back to CDG to grab a train to Dijon, where his parents would pick us up...the entire time needing to use a bathroom every 1/2 hour...and not always being able to find one.


• Used the bathroom in the train but couldn't figure out how to close the door.  While in the middle of using the bathroom, the door rolls open.  Luckily, no one saw anything...at least that's what I'm telling myself.

• The next day we needed to pack up and drive 3+ hours north with his parents to Annecy France for a wedding.  I was feeling so ill and still bleeding profusely, I asked to stay back but that was not received well.

• The wedding was that same day and French wedding parties last the entire night into the wee hours of the morning.  We were there until 4am (the party was not yet over)...and then needed to drive back to our hotel with his brother, sister and their spouses.  There was a detour that had us taking an hour to get to the hotel.

• We needed to be up and ready to go to the brides parents house the next day, at the earliest 11:30am.

• After all is done in Annecy and we're back at his parent's house in Corgoloin...I don't see the foot board of the bed that is sticking out and slam my leg into it...later the other leg...later the first leg again.  HUGE welts and bruises.  Eventually, I learned.

• After having a nice dinner at his brother's house, we are heading back to his parent's house and I start sneezing...I can feel the drainage in the back of my throat.  I have caught a cold.

• Sick in bed the whole next day.  His mom brings down the thermometer to check my temperature.  I pop it in my mouth and she gasps...turns out, it's not for the mouth but for the rear-end.  I don't care and just leave it in my mouth.  I don't have a fever.  But now I have the possibility of having caught butt-hole disease from all the sick butts the thermometer was in prior to my mouth.

• ...then home and jet lag.

enjoyable.