We have…

We’ve zip-lined through the Amazon canopy, Segwayed the streets of Madrid, karted through Lisbon. We have cycled around Lucca’s ancient walls, over the Golden Gate Bridge and through the ripening vineyards of France.

We have swum with piranhas and bathed in Icelandic hot-springs. We’ve been buried in water in a Singapore water park and soaked by towering waterfalls in Iceland.

We’ve ridden horses in the Scottish hills, along isolated beaches and through American woods. We have sailed through icebergs and on feluccas down the Nile. We have motored down French rivers and strolled through fields of sunflowers.

We’ve flown in a helicopter into the Grand Canyon and skydived in a Montreal wind-tunnel. We’ve canoed down the Ord in France, kayaked in Corsica, cut though the waters on an Amazonian dugout, and paddled with sea lions in San Diego. We have navigated a narrow boat through the English countryside and were lifted up the Falkirk Wheel.

We’ve been inside the Pyramids, marveled at the Forbidden City, walked the ruins of Macchu Pichu. We’ve explored ancient castles from Crusader times, gaped at Pompeii and climbed the high places above Petra.

We got altitude sickness on the Peruvian Alto Plano and floated on the low, low salty waters of the Dead Sea. We slid down into the depths of an Austrian salt mine and peered out over the roofs of Brugge from the top of the Cathedral.

We threw snow balls at Christmas and set off fireworks at New Year in Germany. We saw chanting, robed figures walk the dark streets of Southern Italy at Easter. We watched turkeys being bought in flocks for American Thanksgiving.

We have seen hieroglyphics in tombs, prehistoric cave paintings and modern masters. We’ve investigated science in museums all over the world.

We have eaten Belgian chocolate, Italian sorbet, French pastries, Canadian maple syrup, Polish pancakes and pasta, well, everywhere.

We have stayed in a Scottish castle, an Amsterdam canal boat and a Beduoin tent. We’ve camped under the stars in the Andes and slept on trains speeding through the European night.

We have done all this and so much more over this year. And we’ve done it all together. And really it is that which is priceless; we have spent an entire year together as a family.