we're outside!

You know you are a girl when your suitcase is exactly 13 times larger than that of your boyfriend's. Daphnee is definitely a girl. Her zipper was bigger than his wheels. No joke. 

I love this couple for so many reasons. One such reason is the way they travel. And I don't just mean the size of their suitcases. I mean the fact that Daphnee and her boyfriend Emmanuel showed up on our doorstep last Monday night. Yep, you heard. They just showed up. Unannounced. From Switzerland. Who does that?? We had a little forewarning, but not much. When we were last in Switzerland in February they talked about how fun it would be to come at the end of June. And then nothing. Never heard another word about it. I had mentioned this to my mom who thought I better double check and make sure I didn't miss a voicemail or an email with an itinerary. Because Daphnee always follows through on her word.

Switzerland 2005

Switzerland 2004

I met her eight years ago when I was an exchange student. She came back to the States to visit me just weeks after my year had ended. And then again the following summer. So a month ago I shot Daphnee an email and she replied that they'd still like to come but hadn't made any plans. Then, a couple weeks later, I got a phone call while I was on the plane going to Colorado. They were in the States! And they wanted to know if I thought it was a good idea for them to drive from New York City to Kansas City to stay for the night. And I thought it was a terrible idea! America is bigger than some Europeans can wrap their heads around. Switzerland is smaller than the state of Kansas. You don't just hop in the car and cross the country without some forethought and a lot of time. But the stewardess was telling me to turn off my phone. I gave them one last word of encouragement: Southwest. Get on the internet and book a Southwest flight to KC. But, I didn't hear from Daphnee again. And I was busy without cell service in Estes Park and busy having our storage unit get robbed of its apple juice. Twice. No wait, three times. And when I landed back in Kansas City five days later I didn't have any emails waiting from her. In fact, I forgot to even mention it to John. So I tried to send her a message asking what they'd decided. I didn't even know if she was back in Switzerland by now. She wrote back right away and said, "We decided to drive." What did that mean? I wrote her back and asked if they were coming today, tomorrow, the next day?...No response.

About an hour after I unpacked my suitcase from Colorado and put Annie to sleep, and as John and I finished eating dinner, I noticed my phone light up. Three missed calls. And a message. 


"We're outside."


Well, hello! And that is how Daphnee and her boyfriend came to stay with us last week. It was great. Emmanuel is too smart for his own good. He's Swiss, and yet he was explaining to me how our government works. 

John and I both agreed that they were the easiest and most enjoyable guests we've ever had stay with us. Totally laid back. Very accommodating. Independent. Up for anything. Made themselves at home. Generous. They even went grocery shopping for us. And most importantly, they brought a little french back to Annie's ears.  

I've decided that my favorite guests are the ones who don't ask if it's alright if they get themselves a glass of water. Trying to be polite, I get it. But I'd rather people assume that their getting themselves a glass of water without permission will not offend me. Crazy, I know. But I like to think of friends as being so comfortable that it doesn't cross their minds to ask. Like when my friend Amy came over with her kids a few weeks ago and I found myself sitting at my own table while she wiped it down and put the plates in the dishwasher. Now that's a good friend!

And Daphnee and Emmanuel were exactly such friends. It was a great week. And when Annie wasn't busy playing yahtzee, answering the telephone AND getting ready for bath time, she enjoyed their company as well. 

They were going to stay until Monday. And then we got to talking about Washington, D.C. And they had never been and decided it would be fun to check it out. So on Friday morning they booked their tickets for Friday night. And I saw them jot down three addresses to Bed and Breakfasts. Their plan was to go from one to the next when they arrived in the city that night until they found one with availability that they liked. Who does that? Me. Next time. That's who. I love the way they travel.