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

Thank you for the rec—I followed them.

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. 😆

A friggin mess. As Imperialists tend to be.

Bought an illustrated copy of Tyranny. It matters.

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.

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.
⬇️7/

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.
⬇️6/

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.
⬇️5/

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:
⬇️4/

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?💪
⬇️3/

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.
⬇️2/