Today, Rachel celebrates her 26th birthday. Forget that we just returned from a fabulous trip that was supposed to be her birthday and Christmas present (and ours). If you know Rachel, she believes her birthday is a national holiday. We didn’t post during the trip but all of us have flooded your feeds with photos documenting the Masts’ Big London and Paris Adventure! I promised a blog with some additional info, so here it is just in time for Rachel’s birthday.
In Rachel’s words, it was magical in some ways we may have anticipated and others that we did not.
A Surprise Reunion 15 Years in the Making
If you’ve been following our story, you might remember George, one of Rachel’s besties from our Memphis days. We moved to Kansas when Rachel was in 3rd grade. Life moved forward, and we saw George a few times. His family also moved, and he is now doing graduate work in London. We were lucky enough to spend a lot of time with him during our five days in the city. Those 17 years ago, when I ended my speeches with the story of George, I said he was the smartest kid in class. My prediction rings true. He is super smart, but still the bright-eyed, curious, kind, intuitive, curly-headed little boy we knew.
Rachel and George are connected on social media. However, we did not tell Rachel we would be seeing George.
On our first day, outside Kensington Palace, she “bumped into” George. Her face lit up with a mix of disbelief and pure joy. That moment? Worth made it worth every penny. There’s a video, and yes, it’s the best thing you’ll see today. Inclusion works, and it continues to bless our lives in ways we never could have scripted.
London: Tube Rides, Tower History & Macaron Joy
Our days in London were full, Thames River cruise where Rachel danced and was rewarded with a glass of champagne. That did not stop her dancing. She held up and danced on. So many things to see in London – exploring the Tower of London, marveling at the Crown Jewels, and crossing the glass floor of Tower Bridge. This was no small feat for Rachel, who faces some fear of heights, but she stepped onto that glass with bravery and pride.
One of her highlights? Seeing Moulin Rouge in the West End. She ranked it right behind the Eiffel Tower and George time. Right behind her top three? We had a whimsical tea at Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the Sanderson. After we had eaten enough sugar for the entire year, our darling waiter came out with a piece of English birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to Rachel. Her eyes lit up, and there were happy tears. Somewhere in that London trip, we had a late-night gelato topped with a macaron. She had been dreaming about French macarons, and even though we were still in London, it made a memory she talked about the entire trip!
Loving history as her dad and I do, we visited the Churchill War Rooms and the Parliament, which was fascinating. We all loved Westminster Abbey. We thought it was so beautiful and loved experiencing the history of our British friends. King Charles left Buckingham Palace while we were there for the Changing of the Guard. We were at the gate and could see him but heard the roar of the crowd. Of course, we loved seeing the iconic red telephone booths and Big Ben.
We stayed in Notting Hill, visited Portobello Road Market, and even checked off my personal wish list item, the Notting Hill Book Shop from the Notting Hill movie that we saw the night before Rachel was born.
We tried (unsuccessfully) to meet Larry the Cat at 10 Downing Street. But I did talk to a guard, heavily armed, mind you, who assured me Larry had already made his daily rounds.
Another highlight for Rachel was getting to hang out with George and his friends without mom and dad. This was priceless for her. They knew all about Rachel, and she now thinks they are all her besties, too. They had an outing to Primrose Hill, where you could see all of London. We were so happy that Rachel had this time with this incredible group, who embraced her as much as she embraced them.
After visiting the British Museum, we headed to the Borough Market, which was overwhelming. Rachel had traditional fish and chips. Our time with George ended there. When we said goodbye to George, she cried. She said they were happy and sad tears.
Paris: Magic, Macarons & “Happy Tears”
Our trip to Paris started with kindness. A Eurostar staff member, moved by Rachel’s warmth and politeness, upgraded us to first class. It took just a little over two hours for the Eurostar to make it to Paris. We enjoyed seeing glimpses of the French countryside.
We retrieved our bags and snapped pictures with our Eurostar friend. We took the subway to our stop, and when we walked out of the metro, turned one corner, and Rachel got her first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. She gasped and whispered, “This is magical. It makes me want to cry happy tears.”
That became the theme of Paris: happy tears. From standing on the Eiffel Tower’s glass floor (another big thing for Rachel to do), to enjoying fresh macarons (finally, in France!), to seeing the Statue of Liberty’s sister across the Seine — Paris touched our hearts. We ate at Terra Nera from the Emily in Paris show.
Some of us ate escargot, toured Notre Dame, admired the Mona Lisa, and walked the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. I loved this and looked up photos of it when the American troops when they marched in the victory parade after they freed Paris in World War II. Very emotional. At Sacré-Cœur, we overlooked all of Paris and took in one of the most breathtaking views we’ve ever seen. Rachel purchased herself a raspberry beret, the kind you find in a second-hand store. We were also at Notre Dame at the same time some of our good friends from our home church were there, and saw other friends from our church in the Paris airport.
One serendipitous moment? Realizing our Airbnb was just around the corner from Rue Amélie — the setting of one of my favorite historical fiction books, The Room on Rue Amélie. It felt like Paris was whispering little stories just for us.
Inclusion Beyond Borders
We had some powerful conversations on this trip, but the one that stands out the most was with two women from Turkey working with the Paralympics. They were complimentary of Rachel’s speech and confidence, telling us that kids with Down syndrome in their country don’t receive the same educational opportunities and early intervention services. We exchanged contact info, hoping this trip won’t be the end of our shared learning.
One important and encouraging realization: while some countries aren’t known for robust disability rights, we found incredible kindness and accommodation in both London and Paris. Many places gave Rachel discounted or free entry along with a caregiver (also free), no questions asked. And on crowded trains, someone always gave up a seat for her. Inclusion matters – and it showed.
The past six months of working in disability policy have been challenging. But this trip reminded me: this work still matters. We’ve come a long way, but there’s so much more to do. We must protect—and expand—the rights and opportunities for people with disabilities in the U.S. The rest of the world is watching. We need to be the light.
I know this was supposed to be a fun birthday/travel recap, but we’ve been advocating for nearly 26 years. It’s woven into our DNA.
And to Rachel: You are still lighting up rooms and towers. You are still my best teacher. Of course, you are still my baby, Rachel.
And I will always love you more.
#TheSassySouthernGal #BigBirthdayAdventure #InclusionMatters #HappyTears #DownSyndromeAdvocacy #MastFamilyTravels
