A Halloween ghosting: A haunting tale of depression

Trigger warning: Despite the spooky, festive title, this post is actually a recap of the darkest, longest bout of depression in my entire life (so far). There is plenty of thankfulness and hope in my heart as I look back at this experience. But if you're looking for some light, fun reading, skip to one of my other posts. There is a silver lining in every situation. Cheers!


Ghosting (goh-sting): the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a person without explanation

Inspired by today's Halloween Dictionary.com word of the day, ghosting (certainly not in the romantic sense, as it's defined there), I'm recalling one of the times I was ghosted by one of my random adventure buddies.  Though not her fault in any way, it sent sent me into a spiral of depression that, quite literally, nearly cost me my life.

I'm simplifying this story for brevity, but it more or less started with a Mount St. Helens climb. A few years ago, a buddy from Roseburg had been asking for months to replace our climb plans that fell through when she got injured. She sounded so enthusiastic about climbing a mountain with me... Or even just hiking something. And incidentally, I was getting more interested in technical mountain climbs myself. She suggested all these cool routes we could try. As a people pleaser (yes, to a fault), I couldn't bear to let her down.

Some time later, she abruptly stopped returning my messages. No reason was given, and no "Nah, I changed my mind" or "Oops, we missed our weather window" was hinted at.  Just silence. No responses.

A person without depression would've shrugged this off (as I would now as well, had it happened more recently). But tragically, at the time I didn't have the basic coping skills yet to be that person. I spent the next 18 months (lowball estimate) crying, staying awake nearly all night for days/weeks/MONTHS on end, scrutinizing every hike we had taken for a navigational blunder, replaying every conversation for something I may have said wrong, rereading/wincing over every Facebook message I had ever sent to this person, and drafting even more awkward messages to send. I beat myself up day and night.

It became a self-defeating cycle. The worse the pain of depression from the ghosting grew, the more desperate and emotional my messages became.  And the more messages I sent, the more I hated myself for sending overly emotional messages that I wished I could unsend. Why, oh why, can't Facebook have an unsend button?, I agonized. I was crippled by depression, and, even more sleep-robbing, super embarrassed that it took me so long to curb my efforts to reach out.

Had I done something wrong to deserve a ghosting, I wondered? Possibly. When I had met her for a day trip in Verona, Italy (Yep, I still hook up with buddies overseas often), I was living off extreme sleep deprivation like no man has ever encountered. I must have been an incoherent zombie.  I slept for a record 13+ hours (!) when I left Verona that night to hook up with my next round of buddies in Venice.

Had I said something wrong to deserve a ghosting, I wondered? Probably. Again, as the pain of depression stabbed me in the chest every night until 3:30 a.m., I definitely began to type some sappy, regrettable stuff that I didn't even mean.  But the pain was so crushing. Every month that passed, I plotted to end my life. I never even thought about that friend, or the ghosting, anymore...

It became completely about me, and what I might have done wrong. I was no longer myself.

Would I ever get closure as to why I got ghosted, I wondered? A quick, "Oops, I never got back to you" or standard-issue "Hope you're doing well" message? No. And again, a non-depressed person would never have been so devastated by a casual friend doing that, anyway. It shouldn't have been a big deal. She probably just forgot. But due to my depression working overtime, I couldn't live without hearing a "everything is cool" reassurance from an otherwise casual, only occasionally thought of adventure buddy.


Thankfully, at what would have been the final hours of my life, God sent me a dear friend who would help me put all of this in perspective: How depression distorts reality, how I am worth being friends with (and being alive), etc... But that's a story for another day, with a happier outcome.

Am I upset at the bummer friend who did the ghosting? Of course not. Social media connects us with more friends than we could ever keep track of. Too many amazing friends, too little time. And it's impossible to know who may be struggling with occasional mental health issues.

I'm thankful for every person I've ever known. No exceptions. Every friend I've ever had is amazing, just the way they are. There are no former friends.

My prayer is that I will be the best friend I can be, to everyone who needs one. Everyone is special. And everyone needs to know that they are loved, cared for, and appreciated.

Happy Halloween, friends!

That's me in the red shirt, paying tribute to the late Burt Reynolds with my '80s mustache and "Smokey and the Bandit" costume.

An Instagram pic from my annual Halloween costume hike I led last Saturday)

From tonight's Instagram Story: A mostly Star Wars-themed night of trick-or-treating

Mount Kilimanjaro: On Our Way to Climb to the Roof of Africa

Photo (and photos below) from my Instagram Story

My heart is pounding as I fly across the Atlantic Ocean, knowing that in two days I will start climbing the highest mountain in the Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro towers above the plains of Tanzania at 19,340 feet (5,895 meters). Previously, the highest mountain I've ever climbed was a relatively modest 14,164' (4317 m) tall.

The cushy Delta One cabin crew has treated me well on this flight from Portland to Amsterdam. I've mostly slept and read books on my Kindle Paperwhite.

An appetizer before the crab cakes

Breakfast, and second breakfast

As soon as I land in Holland, I'll upload this blog and be on the lookout for my two Delta coworkers, Chris and Rod. I proposed this Mount Kilimanjaro climb to Chris a year ago, and Rod took the idea and ran with it.

Assuming we all make it to Tanzania, we're about to have the adventure of a lifetime!

Bonus pic:  It was snowing at the house before I left for PDX Airport. Look at these two little treasures who rushed out to play in it!

Central America bound

Guatemala, here I come! After easily snagging a Business Class seat from Portland to Seattle tonight, I'm about to board the next leg of my standby journey: Atlanta. My Atlanta to Belize flight in the morning looks too full to score Business Elite class, but I should at least get an Economy Comfort seat.

(Update as I leave Atlanta: I'm sitting in a Business Elite seat to Belize, after all!)

From Belize City, I'll hop a bus to Guatemala to spend the evening and next day in Tikal. The jungle bungalow near the entrance to the Mayan ruins still had one more vacancy, so I jumped on it.

Follow my photo journey on my private Instagram Story!
(When I have WiFi)

On Monday night, I'll bus it back to Belize to meet Kathy in Caye Caulker (we're doing separate vacations, really). We're splitting up the next day so she can lounge on the beach while I do Garth stuff: Jungle hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and cave tubing.

Go, tell it on the mountain (summits)

Taking another group into the mountains last weekend, climbing above 10,000 feet on Mount Hood. So proud of everyone who signed up! Photo of me by Jason Lenhart.

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Oct 2, 2016 at 5:52pm PDT

Instagram photo from a climb I led in August

I’ve led more than a dozen scrambles, climbs, and hikes (and no more for 2016)...

...Though I’ve already 

posted a New Year’s coastal hike for next week (RSVP for free HERE!).

Leading a fun Munra Point hike/scramble last month... With a 300+ foot drop-off below our feet. Photo by @cavergene

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Sep 2, 2016 at 7:01pm PDT

Climbing Mount Hood again, last week
(uncropped Instagram Story pic)

I’ve traveled to my final overseas country of the year…

...Though another international friends-visiting trip is in the works for January.

Switzerland, Italy, France, Iceland (pictured), and Mexico were among the list
(Previously unseen pic from my Instagram Story)

I’ve concluded my teaching series for youth group…

...Though I’ll be speaking at the Portland area all-night youth party this week.

Most of my outings and expeditions have been wrapped up for 2016...

...But the dearest adventure to my heart will never end:

Family time with those adorable Ls!

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!!

Finish What Ya Started

C'mon, baby! Van Halen's got nothing on me.  I am the king of unfinished blog posts. I start a new blog post (with gobs of beautiful photos) nearly every time I:

1. Lead a hike, climb, or scrambling expedition for NW Wilderness
2. Spend a weekend or daytrip away with my kids Lena and Levi (the Ls)
3. Fly overseas for a day or two, to visit my international buddies

Last month's Iceland travel photo from my daily Instagram Story

Also, many posts have been drafted but not released about spiritual and social issues which I feel need to be addressed. Those entries usually end up on my personal blog. But the travel and outdoors posts... I have no excuse. I just need to battle my short attention span and finish what I start.

Lots of cool adventure posts are on the way! In the meantime, I'll keep writing my "Just Read" posts about the books I read. Hopefully those book reviews are entertaining enough diversions to distract y'all from my lack of getting things done.

And speaking of distractions... How could I get anything done with these adorable Ls hanging around?

Photo from my daily Instagram Story

Just Read: "The Eagle Tree," and George R. R. Martin's "A Clash of Swords" and "A Feast for Crows"

These mini-book reviews will also be featured on my Goodreads page soon.  And several new canon Star Wars books and comic books will be reviewed here next time!

The Eagle Tree (Available for pre-order now, or for purchase on July 5, 2016)

By Ned Hayes

In light of Autism Awareness Month, I read The Eagle Tree in its entirety on my string of flights home from my brief trip to Paris (link) in March/April.

Disclaimer: I selected this title as my free book for March from Amazon’s Kindle First program.  Regardless of its promotional freebie status, this book by Northwest resident author Ned Heyes is worth a purchase when it is released next month.

Readers with a personal concern for environmental preservation, autism, and/or good storytelling in general will adore this novel about a 14 year old boy on the autistic spectrum who has a love affair with knowing about and climbing trees.

The plot setup is simple, and I won’t spoil anything here.  Protagonist and narrator (unreliable narrator, if that’s the correct use of that term?) Peter “March” Wong is obsessed with climbing the Eagle Tree, the tallest tree he’s ever seen.  But the emphasis is less about plot and more about the unique lens in which this autistic child sees the world around him:  Relationships, logic, religion, physical injuries, his educational/learning struggles… and of course, climbing trees.

The climbing “action scenes” have a unique mental breakdown that echoed the sample I’ve read of Andy Kirkpatrick's rock climbing bio Psychovertical (on my list of Kindle books to borrow from Katya), which details an unrelated learning disability of climber … which also turns out to be a gift in disguise.  For March, the potential advancement or danger of each succession of climbing moves is plotted out in advance, like a chess game or a puzzle to be solved.

Don’t be fooled by the short length and uncomplicated plot.  Author Hayes transforms seemingly small stakes into something of surprising suspense and ecological significance.  By the time the climax rolls around, you’ll be holding your breath to find out whether or not March will achieve his unlikely dream.

My rating: **** out of 5 stars

A Clash of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book Three)

By George R. R. Martin

Since I haven't seen much of HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series, I can’t say how that show compares to these books.  But in the case of A Storm of Swords, the books keep getting more and more engrossing... even considering the occasional graphic content.  Complex relationships, political maneuvering, family loyalty (and disloyalty), and the overall struggle for power are some of the major themes in this shockingly unpredictable story.

Martin has created a fictional world reminiscent of medieval Britain (circa the second century), where every action, good or bad, has the potential for tragic consequences.  No deed goes unanswered.  Marriage serves political purposes only, so the consequences of a certain marriage on the basis of "honor" are heartbreaking.  And even the most horrific actions make sense from the characters’ points of view, though many of those choices require morality to be completely disregarded.

This third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series is easily the best so far.

My rating: **** out of 5 stars

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book Four)

By George R.R. Martin

This is the fourth book (of 5 written so far, out of 7) in the Song of Ice and Fire series.  Martin delivers here on many levels:  I loved the characterizations of the inner demon-battling Queen Cersei Lannister, Brienne of Tarth (A rare heroine of complete integrity in this morally ambiguous world), political pawn Sansa Stark, killing machine-in-the-making Arya Stark, and freakishly… Catelyn Stark.  The unexpectedly redemptive path of Jaime is surprisingly engaging.  Also, introducing the parallel Dorne storylines provides a somewhat interesting change of setting.

However, the overall saga’s pace slows and Martin’s writing style is becoming even more repetitive and pointlessly descriptive as the series progresses.  The heart thumping action set pieces of the past three books are absent in this volume.  And most frustrating of all is having to wade through a 753 page book about secondary characters and STILL not learn anything significant about the fates of Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Bran Stark, or Daenerys Targaryen.  After all those cliffhangers from Book Three, why are we readers still left dangling?

And yet, I continue reading.  My copy of A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book Five) is already on order from the Beaverton Library, along with my request for the Kindle copy from Overdrive.  I’m anxious to see where these stories are headed.

My rating: *** out of 5 stars

Paris: The French Connection

5/4/16:  Happy Star Wars Day!  In case you missed it last month, check out the link to my "Just read" mini reviews of the latest Star Wars books (and other books), and also my earlier post about why I'm reading the latest Star Wars "canon" novels.

From the Loft Boutique Hostel Paris, last Thursday:

Merely an hour before my connection flight to Seoul, Korea left Seattle yesterday, I had a change of heart.  I had just flown standby in Business Elite class to from Portland-Seattle, and another Business class seat was all but guaranteed for the Seattle-Seoul leg as well.  The problem was that the return flights from South Korea to the U.S. were 95% full for days.  As a Delta standby traveler, I tend to play it safe.

I had mapped out some enticing hiking/scrambling trails near Seoul.  But this wasn't the first time that I had abandoned plans to hike in South Korea.  See the link to my previous post, South Korea: The Bumpy Road to Seoul... And also the sequel, The Netherlands: Bicycling to Haarlem.

I landed in Paris today... And yesterday’s attempt to climb in South Korea brought back memories of hiking the Dragon’s Back in Hong Kong.

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Apr 28, 2016 at 3:31pm PDT

Fortunately, there was a Seattle flight to Paris only one gate away.  55 minutes prior to departure, I changed my listing.


En route to Paris, the Business Elite flight attendants were flawless.  The food was exquisite.  But for whatever reason, I landed in Paris with a splitting headache and a barely manageable fever.

Flying over France

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Nursing my headache for a spell in the CDG airport arrival lounge helped get me back on my feet.  I set off for the Loft Boutique Hostel Paris using the RER train to connect with the blue Metro line.  From the Belleville stop on the Metro, the Loft Boutique Hostel was a five minute walk down the street.

On the way to drop off my backpack at the hostel, I stopped by the Englise Notre Dame de la Croix... Not to be confused with its more famous cousin, Paris' iconic Notre Dame cathedral.

Paris last weekend- Not the Notre Dame you're looking for

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on May 3, 2016 at 5:22pm PDT

As soon as I upload this quickie blog post from Loft Boutique Hostel, I'll dash over to the Louvre museum and (of course) the Eiffel Tower.

I've visited Paris countless times... How have I not yet toured the Louvre?

Flying home from hiking in Switzerland

Written last weekend, from Switzerland’s Zurich airport:

Ice climbing in Iceland (to prep for my Mont Blanc climb in France this June with Aaron, Fleur, and Manu and my Mount Hood climbs in March) got pushed back a bit.

The reason:  It turns out Delta’s inaugural New York-Reykjavik flight wasn’t scheduled to launch until last Thursday… Not enough time to make it home for my work shift tomorrow.  Another family visit to South Africa was ruled out, as well.

Zurich:  Me and Bo, after climbing the stairs up to the south steeple of Grossmunster cathedral

Rather than hang around the house for 6 ½ days, my dad and I flew to Switzerland for a few days.  Apologies to my buddies in Italy and Switzerland who have been asking about getting together while I’m in the region.  Next time!

Bo and I flew standby and got Delta's Business Elite cabin seats on the overseas flight from New York to Switzerland, hiked and toured the snowy Zurich area, and are now about to fly back home to the U.S. in Business Elite seats again!

My dad and I take a train from Zurich up to the Swiss hiking trails last weekend.

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Mar 13, 2016 at 6:11pm PDT

I’ll Instagram some Switzerland photos and share some stories on Garth’s Blog when we get back to the States.  I also penned a few upcoming adventure blog posts while we‘ve been overseas, with pics to be added.

Next time we’re in the region, little Lena and Levi are gonna love feasting on the Alps!

Up next…

“Just Read” book reviews of:

“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” “Star Wars: Aftermath,” and other new canon Star Wars novels!

Why I'm reading the new "canon" Star Wars novels

From our overseas flight from Switzerland to New York:

Wanna know the reason I started reading the new Star Wars novels this year? Besides the fact that I’ve freaking LOVED the original Star Wars film trilogy since I was a little kid?  After years of infamous inconsistency, the novels and side projects will all finally have harmonious continuity with the films.

Before Disney announced that they were reigning in the Star Wars Extended Universe in April 2015, the franchise was a free-for-all of disjointed novels and graphic novels.  Now, Disney's Star Wars Story Group has wiped the slate clean and made an official distinction between the newer “canon” stories (which are promised to gel together and be in continuity with the Star Wars films and TV shows, like Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels)…

...And the older, contradiction-ridden “Legends” stories of varying quality (select elements of which the Story Group reserves the right to validate in its upcoming canon stories).

Star Wars: Aftermath, the first "Canon" novel that takes place after "Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi"

Disney’s controversial move has been bitterly protested by fans of the old Extended Universe. But for me, the casual Star Wars fan, it makes the new novels seem more accessible.  No offense to those hardcore EU fans, but there’s no way I’m gonna sort through that old stuff that is now relegated to the “Legends” dust bin.

A similar commitment to franchise continuity arguably made the Marvel Cinematic Universe more appealing, and I’ve been curious to find out if the new canon Star Wars novels can pull off something equally consistent with those Marvel superhero films and TV spin-offs.  Either way, my daughter Lena and I look forward to checking out some of these new canon books and graphic novels together!

Why this post?  Consider this fair warning that a few Star Wars novels will be featured prominently in the next few “Just Read” Garth’s Blog book reviews, sprinkled in with my usual travel and outdoor adventure posts.

Up Next...

Coming home from Switzerland!

Back in the U.S. for some Daddy time

Even though last weekend's overseas visit to the United Arab Emirates only lasted 26 hours (Dubai travelogue to be published soon), I missed Lena and Levi so much.  I can't wait to start traveling internationally with both of those little Ls, as soon as Mommy gives us the green light!

At the moment, it's just Levi and me here at home.  Soon, I'll be picking up Lena from preschool.  Both Ls will be together with me at the house.  These are the days I love.

These are the two precious children I love.

Running with Daddy

For whom the bell tolls

Also, for those of you who missed Levi's big day last month...

Happy 2nd birthday to my baby boy, Levi!

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Jan 15, 2016 at 8:47pm PST

Opening late Christmas presents (so Lena doesn't feel left out)

And finally...

Vine video:  Light up that "unmute" button to hear audio of Levi puffing out his birthday candles.

From Dubai-- Just Read: "Aloof" by Tony Kriz, and Ntl. Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide

Posted from the Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates, these two book reviews will also be posted on my Goodreads page when I fly home to the States.

And of course, my current Dubai travelogue (as well as other recent travelogues and mountain climbs) are coming soon!

First up...  Aloof: Figuring Out Life With a God Who Hides, by Tony Kriz

Warner Pacific College’s author-in-residence Tony Kriz is such a cool and fascinating guy in real life, I was eager to read his latest book when I spotted it in the Kindle store last year.  “Aloof: Figuring Out Life With a God Who Hides” did not disappoint, even as it deals with spiritual disappointment as one of its themes.  Kriz wrestles with the notion of a God who does not always reveal Himself to us in tangible ways.

Doubt, skepticism, and a genuine yearning to know God permeate Kriz’s personal reflections on his life, part of the process which he refers to as “narrative spiritual formation.”  The purpose of sharing this discipline is to invite the reader to consider their own story and answer these questions:

What do I believe about God’s presence… and God’s absence?

Why does God hide from us?

Why do I hide from God?

Shallow, formulaic beliefs about prayer and how God works in this world are challenged by stories from Kriz’s own faith journey, often running counter to what he was dutifully taught about how God ought to behave and reveal Himself to seekers.  The disappointment of not feeling God tangibly enough, or at all, is a common theme of many of these stories.

Without giving away too much of the book, “Aloof” is, in a narrative sense, examining scenarios in which God may purposely be hiding Himself from us according to our seasons of life and stages of faith.  The stories range from painfully candid (It’s heartbreaking to read about the reactions of well-meaning adults in response to his perceived childhood encounter with God, and especially later, when a teenage Kriz tragically feels compelled to publically lie and share what he THINKS his church wants to hear about God’s indisputable presence after a mission trip to Ecuador)…

…To heart racingly inspirational (His harrowing incidents in the Philippines and also at the Albanian Greek embassy both left me thinking, ‘Wow, Tony… next time, lead with THAT!’).  It’s refreshing that none of his anecdotes neither assume nor dispute God’s participation in the events of his life.  There’s no magic “if this, then that” assertion of how God reveals Himself.  The tension between doubt and faith is highlighted and engaged, rather than dismissed and explained away with pat answers.

Kriz scores bonus Garth points for using the archetypal superhero’s journey as a parallel to suggest how we may benefit and grow from God’s “suspicious presence,” even when God seems to deny us any awareness of it.  On a personal note, however, one specific facet of Kriz’ superhero analogy offended me on two different levels.  But I couldn’t reasonably expect everyone’s Christology to line up neatly behind my own admittedly subjective and ever-evolving theological understandings.

Verdict:  Highly recommended for all open-minded readers.  This is a compelling, authentic read about the complexities of experience, doubt, and faith which refuses to reduce a relationship with God to simplistic formulas or comforting human relationship analogies.

One of the other books I read in January was The National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide, by Mark Harvey.

As a hiking/expedition leader for local Pacific NW organizations myself, I was curious as to what wisdom Mark Harvey would impart to aspiring outdoor leaders.  Turns out that the advice here is very basic, but the (occasionally dated) information is presented with a good sense of humor and some amusing stories.

Outdoor skills covered in this volume include how to:  Plan expeditions (goals, routes), select equipment and clothing, set up camp, get along with others on trips, use maps and compasses (I’m still an old-school map guy, so I would’ve appreciated an updated edition covering GPS units), deal with emergencies, anticipate and prepare for weather, cook food in the backcountry, and preserve the land.

Though the majority of Harvey’s advice would be common sense for outdoor junkies like myself, I read this book from cover to cover and even jotted down a few notes into Evernote.  For a more detailed how-to guide pertaining to my more specific passion for mountaineering, check out The Mountaineer's Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills.  I’m currently rereading "Freedom of the Hills" on Kindle for the second time within the past 10 months… It’s THAT helpful.

Verdict:  Recommended for outdoor newbies and relatively inexperienced outdoor enthusiasts who’d like to brush up on their backcountry skills, as well as learn the basics of leading groups into the wilderness.

Belgium, Pt 2 of 4: Bring out the Ghent

...Continued from

Belgium, Pt. 1: Australian Surfboard Upset (link)

Not to belabor an already archaic 90's reference with a GIF, but...

via GIPHY

21 month old Levi pilots his very first Boeing 767 to Europe!  More adorable cockpit photos are below.

Previously, on Pt. 1:  Last month’s Australian surfing weekend was a bust for me, though my parents (and Mike and Summer, this month) enjoyed their visits Down Under.  After hanging out with my good buddy Joseph in Hollywood, I flew home to gather my family for another overseas trip.  Sadly, caring for our sick four-year-old daughter delayed that trip an additional week.

Once Lena’s fever broke, the Hamiltons flew standby from Portland to Atlanta to shop for some open international flights.

En route to Atlanta: “Hey Mommy, let’s watch ‘Frozen’ for the third time this week!”

Our late evening touchdown at the Atlanta airport dashed any hope of same-day overseas connections.

We checked into the Atlanta Sleep Inn, which conveniently had a Ruby Tuesday restaurant 75 feet away from the hotel lobby.  Weirdly, that Tuesday’s location was somehow out of every single menu item that poor lil’ Lena ordered.  After several unsuccessful return trips to the kitchen, the friendly waitress predicted that the manager would comp us a Tuesday's appetizer or drink for Lena's disappointment.

Nada.  Thanks, Ruby Tuesday.

This Ruby Tuesday location has a skimpier kid’s meal selection than a small town diner's during the zombie apocalypse.

Lena and Levi tag team Daddy in the Sleep Inn lobby

The next morning, Kathy and I debated the merits of various international destinations.  We finally settled on Belize for its exotic outdoor adventure potential:  hiking, volcano climbing, surfing, cave diving… But then I discovered the return flights to the States looked too full.

The Wi-Fi network crashed at the Sleep Inn, so we shuttled back to the Atlanta airport to continue the trip planning on our phones’ internet browsers.

ATL curbside check-in

Overseas flights from Atlanta with open seats were limited that day.  I boiled it down to two final choices:  Germany’s Cannstatter Volksfest (the world-famous family fair near Stuttgart) versus western Belgium.  After estimating a whopping savings of 250 Euros for passing on the Volksfest, the inexpensive hostels in Belgium won out.

I’d already visited Brussels a few times and was obviously looking to branch out (check out this link to my previous father-son Belgiumtravelogue).  I tweeted my Twitter friend Sofie from the Belgian-based Wonderful Wanderings travel blog, asking her #1 pick for Belgium.  We didn’t expect Sofie to have a chance to reply before our departure, so we checked in and hustled to the gate.

Levi and Lena requested multiple do-overs on the ATL people mover

Levi boards his first international flight, with veteran traveler Lena

Learning that this would be Levi’s first overseas trip, the Delta flight crew lets both L’s in on the cockpit action before takeoff.

A pilot group stole..., er, "regrammed," my Instagram photo below, and Levi's adorable photo got 4,700+ likes!!

Levi took his first international flight to Europe last week, and @delta gave him a front row seat!

A photo posted by Garth Hamilton (@garth_hamilton) on Oct 12, 2015 at 5:59pm PDT

15 hours later...

Though we got split up between Business Elite and Coach Cabin seats during our flight overseas, all of us landed safely together in Brussels.

A tweet from Sofie came through as we cleared Belgian Customs., She had a few ideas and an enthusiastic recommendation for our next stop.

Ghent it would be!

Coming up on Garth’s Blog…

Belgium, Pt. 3 of 4:  Going Medieval on Ghent