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44 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 4 I t's here. The moment I have wait- ed for has arrived: I am alone for two days in a foreign country. No more organizing the sightseeing for my family. No nagging my kids to get up for breakfast, or to be mindful of the exchange rate. No itinerary. Just freedom. I have just waved goodbye to my four fellow travelers on our dream trip to Europe. We made up quite a varied group, the five of us: Two teenaged high school graduates, a 22-year- old college grad, me (a late-40s mom trying to make up for subdued wanderlust) and a 50-year-old man who didn't quite understand estrogen overload until this trip. We assembled from our different origins at a quaint Prague hotel. We ate dozens of croissants and countless cheeses at elaborate, all-inclusive breakfasts, common throughout Europe. We did all Frommers and Lonely Planet told us to do in this ancient city, enjoying both castles and beer tasting within literal minutes of each other. We then rented a car meant for four people and piled in all five of us (none short in stature, all with knees near laps). From awe-inspiring Prague we made a pit stop in over- looked little sister Bratislava for one night then giddily hit the road to our final destination of Budapest. Ahhhhh, Budapest. Almost indescribable in its beauty. Quite like Italy without some of the romance, maybe akin to an unstarched Germany and even resembling Carmel in its obsession with cute, small dogs with proud owners holding designer leashes, establishing some kind of unwritten pecking order as they paraded through pedestrian-only streets. No horns honk here. No one speaks over a hushed tone. The Hungarian language, said to be the most unique in the world, is indecipherable to American ears and eyes, making street signs look like they were written with the joke on us. Throw a dart in Budapest and you'll hit an amazing landmark. Maps? Ha. Even skilled linguists would struggle. We navigated by number of blocks walked, tackling the miraculous city as a team walking aimlessly after languid breakfasts. We pretended to not be winded after walking hundreds of stairs in monu- ments as well as after eating goulash and sausage. (Not being .a meat eater, it was double doses of dumplings for me.) We took in the oddly hyped sight in a cathedral of the preserved, severed hand of a king and gingerly waded into the heavily populated waters of Budapest's legendary thermal baths. Hungarians see no problem mixing alcohol and swimming. We stood in line at the bar for a beer to enjoy with our soak, just because we could. And now, my tribe was gone. I waved goodbye enthusiasti- cally as they headed back to Prague to catch their flights home to Carmel. I was off to Zagreb the next morning in a last minute decision to meet up with my life-long best friends for a weeklong jaunt through Croatia. But then, the tears rolled. I hid them under sunglasses, but still they fell. I convinced myself I was just tired, but, the glori- fied thoughts of being by myself were quickly overtaken by how much fun it was to share experiences with the people I love the most. After sulking in my hotel room for a spell, I took to the streets. I didn't stand out, nor fit in. No one does in Budapest. I stumbled upon an open-air craft market just before it closed, and my shoulders released a couple inches off my neck, as I always feel better when there is an opportunity to buy a bunch of crap I don't need. Next, I went to the vintage shop my kids had pillaged earlier in the day and it just remind- ed me of them. Tears welled up again. Especially when I could- n't fit in any of the sizes I wore just before this pastry-laden holiday. I wanted my family. Croatia will be great. I have no doubt about that. I will thank- fully be there with women I've shared my life with since first grade. We will no doubt add another layer of brick and mor- tar to our already tall, sturdy wall of shared experiences. But my family will be on my mind, 24/7. My trip home to Carmel and the routine of daily life will be my best trip yet. Dina Eastwood is a former news anchor at KSBW TV, past host of "Candid Camera" and has starred on a reality show on the E! Network. She is a writer, editor and yogini. She resides on the Monterey Peninsula with her daughter, Morgan. BEHIND THE SPOTLIGHT D I N A E A S T W O O D But then, the tears rolled. I hid them under sunglasses, but still they fell. No Place Like Home