The End of a Chapter, Starting Anew: Plaza España Maternity Photos
We are days away from meeting Nugget, so it's time to finally share our maternity photos!
Bryan and I traveled to Sevilla, Spain back in April to have maternity photos taken at Spain's famous Plaza Espana! Literally days before I flew back to the USA, we met up with Bri Thomas to capture photos of us in one of our favorite Spanish places. We used the same photographer who helped us share our news back in December, and I couldn't be happier with how these photos turned out in Sevilla!
Everyone who visited us over the last three years has also visited this famous spot, so we figured it's the perfect place to have one of our final Spanish memories before our move. Looking back at these photos, I'm reminded of so many great trips with family and friends. Everyone from my parents, to Sabrina & Caleb, Ryan, Kelly & Jamie, and the Foy Family experienced this stunning plaza, and I can't wait to share these photos with Nugget one day!
Reflecting on these last three years, Bryan and I have experienced so much of Spain's culture and customs! From twirling in the Spanish sunflower fields outside of Rota, to local festivals like Feria, Carnaval, a (horrible) bullfight, Semana Santa Parades, and Running of the Bulls. We have cheered on Spain in futbol matches, explored small towns and villages along the southern coast like El Bosque, Granada with the dogs, Tarifa, Setenil de las Bodegas, a boys' golf weekend in Sotogrande, trips to Malaga and Cordoba, and even a sunny trip to the Canary Islands! We really haven't wasted any time during our three-year adventure and are closing this chapter with so many great memories with so many people that mean the world to us.
While I never had the chance to be a school librarian while stationed in Spain, I made plenty of great memories as a full-time substitute teacher at DGF Elementary. I became good friends with Lauren, the elementary librarian, and enjoyed building relationships in the many elementary classrooms, based on reading and my love for the library. Let's just say, these kiddos know Mrs. Johnson's favorite room in the whole school is the library, and I tried to share that love each and every day while substitute teaching across PreK through 5th grade!
Bryan also closes a chapter as we leave Spain: moving forward, he won't be a practicing general dentist. With this move, his aspirations shift higher as he starts his OMFS program in Portsmouth, VA. We know the journey ahead will be rough with a rigorous program, but I'm so proud of him and his desire to continue to grow! Nugget has no idea how good they have it with him as their daddy!
Bryan's career has changed so much since arriving in Spain: he has risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, earned awards for his time at the Naval Clinic Rota, and grown his dental community with mentors and dental specialists who have encouraged him to move forward with oral surgery!
And between all the work and Spanish explorations, we have bolstered our travels to include fifty-nine countries together! When I wasn't substitute teaching, I was planning trips to new countries and making sure we didn't miss out on a single long weekend getaway! During these three years, we visited the African continent twice, cruised through Turkiye for a stop on the western-most point of Asia, and trekked across (almost) all of Europe. Just look at our travel map; I have to admit I'm pretty proud of how far we pushed ourselves to fit in as much traveling as we did!
As we close this chapter of living abroad, I can't help but feel proud of how we took full advantage of our time in Japan and Spain to see the world and experience all we have. I'm so glad I got to experience it all with my best friend by my side (well, other than those 11 months he spent on a ship out of Sasebo, but you know, military life!)
These photos above represent the start of our new journey, back in the States, where we get to welcome our tiny new travel partner. With only a few days until Nugget's grand entrance, I can't help but look back on the Johnsons Journeys so far and be at peace with how this chapter ends, while also eager to begin the newest chapter ahead. While we take time to pause our blogging adventure for now, I can't help but be excited to live in the moment of each day ahead with Nugget alongside us on a totally new journey into parenthood!
Thank you to everyone who has followed along and enjoyed our travels alongside us. It may be a while until this blog is updated again, but I have a feeling this next Johnson's Journey is about to be my favorite one yet!
With all the love,
Katie (and Bryan) Johnson
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