Being home with family for the holidays means everything to me. Ever since I moved to Austria, I’ve learned to really treasure those little moments when we’re all together. 🥹❤️
I spent most of the day just chilling at home, but then my bestie came over becauseee… we had to book a hotel for our trip in May! But nope, I’m not telling you where we’re flying 😉✈️ It’s a secret!
Now listen...she’s newly single after 13 years (yes, thirteen!!), and I’ve known her for 26 years! And can you believe she actually thought she was going to go on this trip without me? EXCUSE ME?! I nearly smacked her (lovingly) when she said that. Go on a trip alone? Without me? Hah, never gonna happen! 😂
So after a huge family lunch, we finally found a hotel, booked it, paid for the tickets, and then another one of our girlfriends called. “Wine night at my place?” Uhh YES PLEASE 🍷✨ She lives in the most beautiful part of Slovenia, surrounded by vineyards (which mostly belong to her boyfriend, btw—fancy!). Wherever you look, it's like “yep, their wine, their wine, oh and more of their wine.” 😉
She just moved into a new house, so obviously, we had to go visit. So there we wer...four girls (the fifth was in another part of Slovenia), laughing, chatting, sipping wine, living our best lives.
When I got home, I wanted to go to this traditional Easter “shooting” thing with some friends, but honestly? I was wiped out. I thought, nope, I need sleep or I won’t survive the Easter breakfast, and trust me...if I miss that, my mom will be very very unhappy 😅
Now, about that “shooting” thing… I still don’t fully get it. It’s some wild tradition here. Basically, in the countryside, during Easter, people mix calcium carbide with water in a closed barrel (yes, a barrel), and when it meets a flame...BOOM. Explosion. Lid flies off. Symbolizes the resurrection of Christ or something. Cool story, but my ears? Not happy. 🙉
I went for like 10 minutes and ran back home. TOO LOUD. No thanks.
Anyway, fast forward to 3:30 AM—my brother wakes up the whole house. WHY?! Because Dončić was playing and he just had to watch. “It’s Lakers time!!” 😵💫 I tried watching, but after 30 minutes of that mess, I was like, nope, I’m going back to bed.
Good thing I did...8:30 AM sharp, it’s time for Easter breakfast. My mom would’ve dragged us to the table if she had to. But we were all there—me, my husband, my brother and his girlfriend—one table, one happy mom. The way her face lit up… 🥹 I swear, these are the moments I live for.
Now I’m so full, I might not eat again for three days. And guess what? My mom already packed me a ton of food to take back to Austria. She thinks we don’t eat there or something 😂
Then I got a surprise call from my cousin...he just became a dad recently, and I finally got to meet the baby. Oh. My. God. That baby is a literal angel. I think he already picked me as his favorite aunt. Sorry not sorry 😍
It’s just… sad, you know? I don’t get to see these people enough. Life pulls us in different directions, and now that they were all home, it felt so special to be with them again.
Okay, I’m done crying now. 🥲
I really hope you had a beautiful Easter too. Now it’s time for me to go back to Austria… I don’t wanna leave, but life continues. Hopefully, we’ll be back with the family soon.
Love you all. See ya! And I hope your breakfast was just as epic as mine 😉💛✨
“Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
