Pretty soon the Italy section on our family map will be covered with red pins! There is no denying my excitement for this trip! It has been two years since our last great adventure to Scandinavia, and two years, at this stage of our lives, seems like both a blink of an eye and a lifetime of change. We just wrapped up our school year, and I, like so many other parents, fell into the shocked and weepy category when I compared the first day and last day of school pictures. The physical changes were shocking – Tipton is waaay taller than me now, in high school, driving and equal parts goofy and responsible, as all 15 yr olds should be. Lincoln is no longer baby-faced, active sunrise to sunset and has finally discovered the love of a good book. Physical growth aside, the kids are evolving into amazing humans, and our family travels will only further that area of their development – especially if we don’t kill each other along the way!
I’ve got about 7 lists going at T-minus 2 days. It is possible I will have 7 more before our departure. Fingers crossed every box is ticked before we step out the front door. In some ways I feel preparations for this trip have been easier even though I planned this one without the help of a travel expert. This will be my 4th trip to Italy, so maybe that’s part of it – familiar territory and all that. We are hitting some places I have not been before and this is the first trip to Italy for Bryan and the kids, so that’s exciting. We have some friends joining us along the way, so every person will have a travel buddy that is not a family member for several sections (read: maybe we won’t kill each other after all).
We’ve geared up with some new pieces since older ones landed in the travel graveyard after our last trip. The Itinerary is lined up and Mapped out with a little wiggle room for downtime. We’re keeping the Sacks simple and the Packing List light for the Italian summer weather. We’ll be covering the country from tip to tip via planes, trains, automobiles and boats. Follow along with us as we sample every flavor of gelato, drink wine, limoncello, and coffee, study the amazing architecture, bury ourselves in ancient history, swim in both salty and fresh water, hike 5 villages and eat, eat eat our way across Italy!
Next up…And We’re Off!