We are happy that once again our list of highs is much longer than our list of lows:
- Family Travel: Paris - Christmas markets, in search of art; Frankfurt - great time visiting Melissa and Pieter, Kati was very well behaved on her first vacation and especially enjoyed going urbexing at abandoned military barracks in Leige
- Jimmy/Melissa/Ashlynn Travel: Montenegro - loved picturesque Budva, going clubbing together, scuba diving, delicious dinners on the beach, napping on a beach bed while Ashlynn studied
- Jimmy/Veronica Travel: England - visited Birmingham when Veronica volunteered at Big Bang Festival, science show in London, Shitfaced Shakespeare
- Melissa/Ashlynn Travel: California - surprising Ann with Ashlynn’s arrival and taking her to Alcatraz for her birthday, multiple birthday parties, hanging out with Dad
- Jimmy/Melissa Travel: England - helped Veronica move to Acton in West London, great fun having lunch with her at GSK, enjoyed staying with Seanette in Richmond, loved seeing Kinky Boots; Belgium - great time at our first Belgium Nash Hash Weekend; Montenegro - enjoyed an unexpected afternoon in Belgrade after a flight delay, lots of fun at the Montenegro Nash Hash with Jimmy laying an impromptu hangover trail; Netherlands - Jimmy running a cocktail bar and being lead hare at the Dutch Nash Hash weekend
- Jimmy Travel: Geneva - incredible to see CERN up close and learn more about the project from a hasher that works there during the CERN Hash Weekend
- Melissa Travel: Grimaud - incredibly relaxing week hanging out with Terri and Chris, amazing boat trip, fun running with Terri for the first time; Ardennes - fun stay in a yurt for a hash camping weekend in the Ardennes mountains of Belgium
- Veronica Travel: Prague - first holiday with boyfriend, visiting the castle, hike in the countryside, amazing vegan Czech food, exploring underground bar and dancing; Lakes District - field course for social research
- Ashlynn Travel: Kenya - safari, meeting sweet Mishel at the school, Scottish dancing, getting drunk, making new friends, trekking in a rainforest in the dark; Disney Paris - fantastic long weekend celebrating Sophie’s 18th birthday; Belgium - Back again to Pukkelpop Music Festival, dancing in the boiler house until 4:00 a.m.
- Visitors: we started the New Year with three of Veronica’s uni friends and later hosted her boyfriend Billy; Anna had the distinction of not only being our first visitor to see a royal, but she saw the king and queen on one day and then the queen again the following day; we were so honored that Melissa and Pieter made a special trip up so we could meet adorable Norah; Jason, Lauren, Coen and Anneka were only with us for 24 hours, but we managed to squeeze in a lot including going to a windmill and Madurodam; it took us over 13 years, but we finally got Steve to join us on a hash on which he loved seeing new parts of Amsterdam; was also thrilled that Darlene could stop by on her way home from Italy; hosting Ola and Nick for Thanksgiving
- We all love our new house!
- Happy to have Veronica home for her 20th birthday and surprising her with going ziplining at Scheveningen Pier
- Proud Parents: Veronica received Cann Prize for best performance by second year student within Environmental Science, Ashlynn received fantastic predicted grades leading to many offers from universities
- Jimmy: enjoying opportunity to solve global scale problem for innovation for defense and security in Europe; surfing and scuba diving with Ashlynn; throwing own going away party; on last day at NATO, walked out of the gate with Lee and Davinder, popped champagne cork and never looked back; leaving NATO = rebirth; discovering art of making cocktails; getting back into his running groove; loves his new iPad; haring Boaty McBoat Hash
- Melissa: helping build part of a meerkat sculpture in Wassenaar, boating with Austin and Hannah, Leiden Boat Parade, Gay Pride Boat Parade, Urban Trail in The Hague
- Veronica: going fully vegan, moving to West London after being offered an Industrial Placement position at GSK, GIS project, Science journal subscription, organized Go Green Week plus first vegan/vegetarian fair at UEA, attending International World Water Week Conference in Amsterdam and seeing the Dutch Prime Minister speak, visiting GSK factories, joining London City Voices choir, Billy’s graduation brunch at the Shard, visiting Kew Gardens, Pimp My Barrow in Norwich, passing all exams, outdoor screening of Grease, sustainability team at GSK, Frisbee tournaments, volunteering at Vegfest in London, exploring London with Billy, meeting Billy’s family and going to his grandfather’s 80th birthday party
- Ashlynn: loving her subjects at school, fun fashion shoots (although orange hair dye did not wash out as fast as anticipated), happy Sophie could watch fashion show at Amsterdam Fashion Week, hosting cocktail party, upgrading to a double bed, rock climbing gym with Jimmy, joining Eco Committee and organizing Earth Hour, getting resolution passed at THIMUN (The Hague International Mock United Nations) and continuing to help next year group as part of Super Six, revision buddies
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