We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed spending time with loved ones. While many know today as Black Friday, for us, it's officially the start of the Christmas season! Around this time of year, city centers across Europe transform. As the sun sets around 5:00 pm, Christmas markets help bring spirit and cheer … Continue reading Christmas Market Season
"Let's go to Strasbourg," Jordan and I have both repeatedly said to each other over the past year. This French city has been at the top of our travel list, but we've never found the right time to go. But when we learned Strasbourg transforms into a magical Christmas wonderland each year as the "Capital … Continue reading Strasbourg: Capital of Christmas
With Thanksgiving officially over, it's time to decorate for Christmas! I was all for putting up our Christmas tree as soon as possible, but Jordan convinced me we should wait and keep our christmas ornaments stored until after Thanksgiving. No skipping holidays in this house! That, and the fact we spent the previous two weeks … Continue reading Travel Traditions: Christmas Ornaments
Have you ever had a love-hate relationship with something? Maybe you love your new haircut, but you hate all the maintenance required to keep it looking like it did when you walked out of the salon. Or maybe you love cooking, but you hate that it takes one hour to cook something devoured in five … Continue reading The Maldives: Paradise is Waiting
Jordan and I spent the majority of our trip in the Maldives under the sea. Each day we found ourselves exploring the teal waters of the Indian Ocean through snorkeling or scuba diving. We even woke up at 5:00 am one morning to do a sunrise dive, and we are not morning people! As Disney's … Continue reading Under the Sea in the Maldives
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Shanes! We are wrapping up our week in the Maldivian sun and will return to France to ring in the New Year. We hope everyone got to spend time with family, whether in person or virtually. Here’s to hoping 2021 will bring more time with friends and … Continue reading Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Our Christmas vacation has officially commenced! We decided not to go home this year but knew we wanted to get out of Lyon. Initially, our plan was a white Christmas ski vacation, but France and a few other countries kept resorts closed until after the new year. Our next option was to go back to … Continue reading Dreaming of a White Christmas Vacation
Last week, I wrote that Christmas had been canceled. So, we decided to venture out and see if we could find the Christmas spirit in Lyon. Here's what we found. On Saturday, Jordan and I went to go pick up a package. As you know, it's relatively difficult for us to receive packages in Lyon. The package … Continue reading Christmas Spirit in Lyon
According to Jordan, "it's not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi plaza." So to officially kick off the Christmas season in the Shane household, we watched the movie Die Hard. If you aren't familiar with the thirty-two-year-old movie, let's break it down. The story follows John McClane, a police officer who decides to visit his wife … Continue reading A COVID Christmas Season
