Halftime!!!

Dear friends, half of our travel time is now over and we can say that we enjoyed looking back on the first half and are very excited about the second half!

By chance, we arrived in Tallinn today (July 15th) as well. A bit earlier than expected, but now we have time to explore the Baltics and Poland at our leisure.

Helsinki was a beautiful ending to the Scandinavian part of the journey. Contrary to our expectations, we perceived Sweden, Norway, and Finland as very distinct and culturally diverse countries. Each had its own peculiarities and beauties to experience. The people also had their typical characteristics. What applies to all countries is that we felt very comfortable, mostly welcomed, and above all safe.

If asked where we liked it best, we would probably answer 'Sweden'. We simply had the best time there and the best conditions for traveling as a small, young family.

Overall, we still have a lot of fun being on the road. Honestly, it gets easier and more relaxed the longer we travel. Of course, we also had moments and days where there were some hiccups. The rainy and cold days in Norway, in particular, put our plans to the test and strained our nerves. But now, with better weather, the mood is mostly really good.

The organization around the car, food, living, and having fun runs more smoothly. Everything has fallen into place and goes smoothly. We haven't drawn 'the boss' using the dice for quite some time. It's simply not necessary. It's going very well without it!

And because we spend much less time on planning, we can use this gained time for ourselves. You can just let your thoughts wander...

... until the little one comes around the corner and interrupts your thoughts with a smile or a loud SCREAM. Henry really enjoys traveling. Even though he can't say it, you can clearly feel it. He is in a great mood most of the time, with a few exceptions, and enjoys being outdoors and discovering things. He's already really good at walking. He climbs up and down small stairs, climbs small hills, and tests different surfaces. It happens less and less frequently that he 'asks' for a helping hand. It's really fun to see him explore the world, even though it must be honestly said that it's getting more exhausting. If you don't pay attention for one second, he disappears or aims for the most dangerous thing in the environment.

Lately, 'mama' and 'papa' (baba) are coming out of his mouth and our hearts dance with joy every time he says it.

At the campsites, he is always a little Prince Charming. He flirts with women and makes contact with other children. And this way, we always have interesting conversations.

What none of you know is that we are actually traveling as a foursome. We already had a stowaway on board in Buxtehude, and she has held on tenaciously. She lives in our side mirror and feeds on insects, our house spider.

The spider doesn't cost us any money. The rest does. All in all, we are pretty happy that we are managing well with our money.

With everything included, we have spent just over €4,000. For a trip with three people, covering over 5,000km across Northern Europe, we think that's quite okay.

Furthermore, we are experiencing things that are priceless to us. The nature is breathtakingly beautiful and the cultures are interesting. Especially the people we have met make it all an unforgettable adventure. We have gotten to know small families who travel with the same joys and problems as we do. That always gives us strength. Then there are cyclists who cover thousands of kilometers in wind and weather. They show us how strong willpower can be. But sometimes it's also just fleeting acquaintances, for example during washing up, that cheer you up or somehow enrich you. Everyone helps each other with tips or other little things.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you, the ones who stayed home, for your support. We really appreciate your comments and messages. It's nice to hear that you enjoy the blog so much because we really enjoy writing it.