Josiah and Lauren Part 10: First Look at the Wedding

[tabitha2]

It’s an extreemly wholesome move about God, and Family  with a strong family patriarch. Many elements that Fundies will enjoy. It would be amazing and very pleasing if she liked Something like Guys and Dolls or Grease or West Side Story OTOH

[SapphireSlytherin]

25 minutes ago, TatiFish9 said:

Austrian scenery is breathtaking. Sigh... I seriously need to up my travel budget in the next few years. 

Do you all think they are able to pick their destination freely or does TLC  heavily guide their choices?

 

How many weeks will you take to do the tour? Trying to get some ideas.

Actually, we're only doing two weeks. We're balls-to-the-wall travelers, though - we don't like to sit around/do nothing. We're always walking/taking in the sights or taking public transit (our preferred "quick" travel option) to a scheduled "thing" that we've purchased advance tickets for. 

In this case, we are building our trip around the tickets we purchased for one of Elton John's concerts in Europe, so we're looking at all flight/train options for getting to Europe/around Europe/back to the States - and also trying to figure out if we can squeeze in a couple of days in England or Wales... The concert is our 20th anniversary gift to each other, and will likely happen toward the middle of our trip. We have multiple fly-into/fly-out-of options, including Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. I'm obsessively watching Scott's Cheap Flights for the best deal. lol

[TatiFish9]

@SapphireSlytherin that sounds like an awesome anni gift to one another! I think two weeks works for experienced travellers. I want to plan a realistic trip to Europe. I realize, to see everything I want , we'll need to go at least two or three times over the years. Paris and London are a must. I'lI branch out from there. 

[Joyfully Available]

On 7/31/2018 at 1:47 AM, jqlgoblue said:

That said, neither Lauren or Kendra's mom is overly made up. I wonder if their relatively smaller families vs. Michelle and Kelly Bates somehow help. I was watching the Joe/Kendra birth episode and it just struck me how simple their lives are. I'm not saying having babies and raising them is easy... but there is something more simple about their lives... you put everything in God's hands, don't worry about harshly training the babies up or putting the older kids to work, home school a couple hours a day, don't have outside activities, carpools or schedules, and cook simple meals. I know cults are bad, and maybe it's b/c it's the parent's generation that chose this that there doesn't seem to be emotional stress, but these people don't seem stressed in the slightest.

I know this is going to sound strange but you absolutely just verbalized some of the feelings/thoughts  I have while watching this show. Both the Bates & Duggars. Aside from the creepy cult mentality & the things we know are terrible about them... there is something appealing to me about their lifestyle & you nailed it with “simple”. Maybe I’m overworked, over stressed, spread too thin, romanticizing a simpler lifestyle but so many of these women seem... happy!? 

I know, I know, I’m talking crazy right now. It’s what they want to sell us as their image. I couldn’t help but comment on a response that struck a chord with me. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

@TatiFish9 - London is my favorite city in the world, with New York City being a close second. I do like Paris (I've been three times, and it grows on me each visit), but at this point, I'd be OK with not going back there. Munich is amazeballs, but definitely get outside the city. Go to Dachau. Go to Augsburg. Go to Chiemsee. Get into the small towns/villages to truly experience Germany. 

I'm not advocating for tour groups, simply because I'd never do one, but if you have the opportunity to jump on a five-city tour of Europe - especially for your first visit - I'd do it:  London, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Rome... That would be my top 5 on the continent (although I've not been to Amsterdam or Brussels or Zurich or Budapest yet, so there's that). 

 

[DillyDally]

10 hours ago, Gillyweed said:

I love Austria! I'm part Austrian, and had such a fun time discovering the culture. Vienna is gorgeous. I wonder if they're doing one of those Sound of Music Tours in Salzburg. I went on one, even though I never saw the movie. I also got to see the house Mozart was born in, which was awesome, but I don't remember what city that was. So much history, what a shame they probably won't appreciate it. 

And there's a topic for the TH in the next season.. "Can you name any Austrian composers?" "Uhmmm ... Rasputin???"

Just kidding, they won't know who that is, I was actually impressed Jason (?) knew the name Napoleon.

[seraaa]

8 hours ago, Joyfully Available said:

I know this is going to sound strange but you absolutely just verbalized some of the feelings/thoughts  I have while watching this show. Both the Bates & Duggars. Aside from the creepy cult mentality & the things we know are terrible about them... there is something appealing to me about their lifestyle & you nailed it with “simple”. Maybe I’m overworked, over stressed, spread too thin, romanticizing a simpler lifestyle but so many of these women seem... happy!? 

I know, I know, I’m talking crazy right now. It’s what they want to sell us as their image. I couldn’t help but comment on a response that struck a chord with me. 

I don't think it's crazy. There are positive aspects to their lifestyle, the simplicity you mentioned being one of them. 

Working flat-out 24/7 is stressful, having no time for your family isn't good. These are problems these (wealthier) families don't have, lol.

I would keep the good bits.

[nvmbr02]

10 hours ago, Joyfully Available said:

I know this is going to sound strange but you absolutely just verbalized some of the feelings/thoughts  I have while watching this show. Both the Bates & Duggars. Aside from the creepy cult mentality & the things we know are terrible about them... there is something appealing to me about their lifestyle & you nailed it with “simple”. Maybe I’m overworked, over stressed, spread too thin, romanticizing a simpler lifestyle but so many of these women seem... happy!? 

I know, I know, I’m talking crazy right now. It’s what they want to sell us as their image. I couldn’t help but comment on a response that struck a chord with me. 

I understand what you are saying.  I also can feel caught up with our hectic lifestyle at times. Work, kids, friends, extended family, hobbies and of course my husband and our marriage. It is a lot and I think most people have a similar amount of stuff on their plates. But it is also important to remember these women that seem happy have been taught to be agreeable, content and cheerful all the time. They are taught to go along with their headship and not to question anything. It really is impossible to know if they are happy or just well trained. 

[SassyPants]

Simple is good if that is what you, as an adult, have chosen for your life. Being simple merely because  you’re being forced and purposely limited is horrific, and IMH borders on abuse.

[EyesOpen]

I also enjoy the fantasy of a more simple life but these families are outliers in thatthey have TV money and these young people don’t seem to have to work too hard to scrape by. If they were a typical fundamental family, married young with few skills and 6 babies, they might not look so fresh and carefree.

[coffeebean7]

I also think about how simple things must be, but then I think of Michelle Duggar and her laundry room breakdown and that snaps me out of it.

[SeekingAdventure]

I've been looking for that clip, but I cannot watch it, because I am in Europe. So if anyone has found it somewhere else where it might be watchable outside of the US, I'd appreciate it, I am really curious what else they were planning to see

But I think it is good that they went to Salzburg (also terrifying, that is waaaay too close to me), because it is a beautiful town, although very crowded nowadays, and especially in the summer, there are sooo many tourists.. Mozarts Birthhouse is also in Salzburg, btw

Salzburg is overcrowded enough that they, like Venice and Barcelona are trying to limit the number of visitors. I haven't been there in years, but I think that tells a lot.

 

I think Styria would be such a great place to visit, especially this time of the year. but then I would go there for the food and for the wine, so maybe not. Grape juice maybe?

 

@SapphireSlytherin I adore London & Paris, Berlin is a fun place to visit too, Prague I find pretty but I wouldn't feel the need to go back there. I haven't been to Rome yet, but I'm probably going there soon Might be too hot end of the month..

I think you would definitly enjoy Zurich, it is such a pretty city, even though it's hella expensive. But with the lake there and the landscape, I would totally recommend it. And Amsterdam is really cool too. I haven't been to Budapest in a long time, but I really enjoyed it when I was there. Although I was 12 / 14 at my visits. I know loads of people who went there lately (not that far away from us, weekend trip by car), so I think it's definitly worth a visit.

I bet you are going to have a great anniversery trip, I'm sure we'll hear more about it if you find a good flight

[Cheetah]

Maybe there'll be a clip of them on the show eating Mozart's balls ;-).  

We went to Austria briefly a few years ago (just Salzburg, missed Vienna so will have to go again some day).  Gorgeous place.   If any of you go, take a side trip to Eisriesenwelt, an ice cave about half an hour south of Salzburg.  It's a lot of uphill hiking but gorgeous.  It was my middle kid's (13 years old at the time) favorite thing of all of our 5 weeks in Europe.

[freethemall]

I wonder if they're deliberate about not choosing the same countries - "ugh I wanted to go to Italy but since Jessa went I guess we can't". By the time Josie gets married she'll be honeymooning in Lichtenstein, if TLC is still paying for foreign trips.

[Dandruff]

19 hours ago, Melissa1977 said:

I don't think John David is interested in any European city. He would probably enjoy more an outdoor honeymoon. 

Safari, maybe?

[Iamtheway]

21 hours ago, SeekingAdventure said:

I do hope they had a good time here though, maybe they even learned a thing or two. One thing being that Austrians don't run around in Dirndl and Lederhosn.. 

I was in Austria two weeks ago and I actually saw more then one person in lederhosn ... didn’t look like tourists either ...

Hope they got to go somewhere in the alps as well. So pretty there! 

I’m trying to think about my favourite cities but suddenly I love all of them and want to go back to each and every one. 

[Carm_88]

Europe is calling me! Unfortunately...

Hahah well maybe not the park but...not very far! 

[FleeJanaFree]

@Carm_88I'll echo another poster- join Scotts Cheap flights! It's free, and the membership that allows you to see all the deals is only like $40/year. It's already paid for itself. I'm going on my second international trip this year. To Europe from the US for UNDER $400!!! Heck, I've paid that much just to go to Atlanta in the past. I'm gonna stay in hostels for $25/ night and save even more.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Here’s a geographical insight that came as a total shock to me as a grown woman visiting Austria for the first time. Salzburg is practically in Germany, and nowhere near Switzerland. It doesn’t make sense that the von Trapps cross the border on foot at the end of The Sound of Music.

Looking at the map now, the idea seems to have been that they managed to evade the Nazis during a long drive south and west to the border, then crossed on foot. In real life, Captain von Trapp was an Italian citizen (he had been born there while his father was in the Navy), and he got his family out pretty easily. The children’s mother was English (her father invented the torpedo) and many of them had English names like Agatha and Rupert. Agatha (the oldest) spent her later life as a kindergarten teacher in Baltimore, living with her female partner.

[SeekingAdventure]

37 minutes ago, Iamtheway said:

I was in Austria two weeks ago and I actually saw more then one person in lederhosn ... didn’t look like tourists either ...

Well, I am not saying that nobody is wearing the tradicional clothes. I am just saying it is not that every second person you see is running around in a dirndl. If you go to a restaurant here, employees most likely would wear Lederhosen and Dirndl, because it is the dress code for them, but I am saying you wouldn't go into a supermarket and just randomly finding people running around with that type of clothes, unless they have a bachelor party ahread of them, or go to a beerfest or a party or something. It's not every day kinda clothes, thats what I meant,

and when I travelled in the US, I sometimes was asked, quite seriously, wheter it felt strange to me to wear pants and tshirts, since many people apperantly think that we only run around in Dirndl.. 

That was the point I was trying to make. 

 

Just as a sidenote, I don't want to bash the US as uneducated or so, I just happened to have this experience as an example, but I also had people in South America that thought Austria was Australia. So no, it's not Australia, it is in Europe. And then the answer: yeah, but Australia is in Europe too. Usually that ends the conversation pretty quickly..

There's people with zero knowledge of geography everywhere and people who think live is like in a movie too...

 

@QuiverFullofBooks

I don't think that Agatha is an english name per se, and Rupert to me isn't either. There are a lot of names that are used in many languages for centuries, and I know a lot of older people in my area that are called these names, and they don't have british/american close family, but german, austrian or swiss..

And for walking to Switzerland, I don't think it would be impossible, it would take some time, but it's not that far away. I live an hour from Salzburg (by car/train) and 2 hours from the border to Switzerland. Obviously, they wouldn't show them walking for days on end, but it is not unrealistic, especially if you compare refugees nowadays getting into Europe in Greece or Southern Italy, and many of them make hundreds or even thousends of km by foot. 

If you are desperate, you wouldn't hesistate a second before you walk 300 km. 

[luv2laugh]

I positive that TLC pays for the all of the Duggar honeymoons. I bet they tell them “We can’t feature any Duggars honeymooning at the same place or we will bore viewers. We need to make each Duggar honeymoon in a different country to appear diverse and and accepting of other cultures.” They give them a choice BUT tell them to pick a place where “a sibling has not already been yet”, I bet. 

Jill got the short end of the stick (and honeymooned where Josh & Anna went) before TLC realized many would be married off soon and needed to change up the honeymoons.

Jessa- France

Jinger- Australia

Joy- Switzerland (am I correct?)

JoKen- Greece

SiRen- Austria

I suspect they are only picking countries and activities that don’t feature the HORRIBLE NIKE bikini clad women as a staple.

I bet the next married Duggars will be going to Spain and Italy. 

I’ve actually thought that the Duggars have been avoiding Italy because of the Vatican and it’s history with *the PAGAN* Catholics being persecuted at the Colosseum. 

Lauren to People: “Travel like this reminds me that people everywhere are really the same, even if the culture and some experiences are different.” Nice line straight from Duggar PR, Lauren!

”This trip makes me love people and desire to deliver God’s love and care to people more than ever before.” I told y’all last week that, based on the mini-wedding episode, Lauren is ON A MISSION, guys!!!!! 

Lauren, savior of the heathens that watch Counting On! 

Yep, I am NOT a fan of Lauren because I see a different Lauren with the sisters than when being interviewed in the talking heads. I think she is being fake and thinks she is “witnessing” to all us heathens with her Godly, meek example.

[SeekingAdventure]

Didn't Ben and Jessa also go to Italy?

[nastyhobbitses]

1 hour ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

Here’s a geographical insight that came as a total shock to me as a grown woman visiting Austria for the first time. Salzburg is practically in Germany, and nowhere near Switzerland. It doesn’t make sense that the von Trapps cross the border on foot at the end of The Sound of Music.

The way they were going would have taken them straight to Hitler's Alpine retreat.

Though holy shit what a great sequel that would make. The Sound of Music II: The Heils Are Alive

[Chocolatecheesecake]

Oh noooooo :'( I can't believe some Duggars actually came to Austria and I missed it! Man, I would have gone and stalked them, I even had the time! I'll most likely never go to Arkansas, so I'll never get to see them :'(. I can't watch their video here in Europe. I'll have to find a way to watch that episode. I wonder what kind of food they ate! Schnitzel, I'm sure, but I would love to hear what they think about my favourite desserts.

[Ilovebrownies]

On 8/3/2018 at 6:37 PM, metheglyn said:

TLC just posted a short clip with J&L talking to the camera about their plans. They're definitely planning to go to Salzburg. 

http://www.tlc.com/tlcme/tlcme-videos/josiah-and-lauren-duggar-share-a-message-from-their-honeymoon/

They seem so uncomfortable with each other.