Remember Europe? | October 2023 #Shorts

Some videos we make because we're planning something new. This one, we made because we couldn't stop scrolling back through the camera roll. "Remember Europe?" is exactly what it sounds like — a short, sweet flashback to our October 2023 trip, and honestly, putting it together felt like opening a time capsule.

It's wild how fast a couple of years can move. Back in October 2023, we were a much smaller family, dragging suitcases across cobblestones with nothing to think about except where the next espresso or croissant was coming from. Watching the clips again now, with a toddler and a baby in the house, we found ourselves laughing at how light everything felt back then — physically and otherwise. No stroller to fold up, no snack bags, no negotiating nap schedules around train times. Just us, a map, and way too many photos of doorways.

Why We Keep Going Back to These Clips

We're big believers in rewatching old footage, even the stuff that never made it into a "real" video. There's something about seeing yourself a couple of years younger, standing in front of a fountain or squinting into the sun on a random street corner, that hits differently than just looking at photos. Video captures the in-between moments — the laugh right before the camera turns off, the "okay wait, let's redo that" — and those are the parts we actually miss.

If you've followed us for a while, you'll know Europe has been the backdrop for some of our biggest milestones and biggest mishaps. We've talked before about the mistakes we made in Paris — mostly logistical, all avoidable, all things we'd tell our past selves if we could. And we still think about what genuinely surprised us about Paris the first time we went, versus what we expected walking in with a head full of movies and Instagram reels. Watching this October 2023 footage back, a lot of those same lessons echoed — Europe has a way of humbling you no matter how many times you've been.

Traveling as Us, Then and Now

One thing that stood out rewatching the clips: how much of our dynamic as an interracial couple shows up even in the smallest travel moments. Samantha ordering in whatever local phrases she'd picked up that morning, Amir insisting on walking "just five more minutes" to find the better view, the two of us bickering lovingly over whether we're lost or just "taking the scenic route." We've written more seriously about what we've learned traveling as an interracial couple, but honestly, short clips like this one capture the lighter side of it just as well — the inside jokes, the compromises, the way two very different upbringings somehow sync up perfectly when you're both staring at the same church spire going "okay, that's actually stunning."

A Few Things We'd Tell Ourselves

If you're planning your own European getaway (or just love reliving other people's), here's what October 2023 reminded us of:

• Shoulder season is underrated. October gave us thinner crowds, kinder prices, and weather that let us layer up without melting in the sun. If you can swing a fall trip, do it.
• Pack lighter than you think you need to. We say this every single time and still overpack. One day we'll learn.
• Don't over-schedule. Some of our favorite clips from this trip weren't from the "must-see" landmarks — they were from wandering side streets with no destination in mind.
• Film more than you think you need to. We almost didn't grab some of the footage that ended up in this video. Now it's some of our favorite stuff we own.

Watching It Back As Parents Now

There's a bittersweet layer to rewatching pre-baby travel content now that we're deep in the family stage of life. We're not complaining — we love this chapter — but there's a real nostalgia for the freedom of just booking a flight and going. It's part of why we've started thinking harder about how to travel with the kids instead of waiting for some someday when they're older. If you've been following our more recent posts, you'll know family life has become just as central to this blog as the travel side — from our toddler-and-baby day at the Toronto Zoo to figuring out rainy days at home. Europe with little ones is absolutely on our radar for a future trip — we're just gathering courage (and packing cubes) first.

For now, this short is our little love letter to a simpler travel season, and a reminder to ourselves that we should keep filming even when we don't think we need the footage. You never know when "remember when?" is going to hit you two years later on a random Tuesday night, editing clips at 11pm because neither of us can stop smiling at old photos of ourselves.

Watch the full short here: Remember Europe? | October 2023 #Shorts

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