Thoughts on my Tour

Would I do this trip all over again knowing everything I do now?  Absolutely.  Even knowing that I would catch a 6 week-long cold on the flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis on the return.  I am still basking in the glow of la dolce vita months later.  Others in my work and home life have joined in on the excitement and are still asking me about the trip.  A few are already planning their own tours based on my experience.  One is learning Italian due to my excitement over the language.  It is a pleasure to share my love of travel and learning with others.  The more I travel, the more I find in common with people across the world, even in the midst of what on the surface appear disparate experiences.  Travel can bring us together and I look forward to more of this in my future.

What would I do differently?  

Extend my trip if possible on the backend (not feasible this time around, but I will ensure I do next time).  Given that about half of the cost is the flight for these tours, I plan on routing through an airport in a location I would like to visit but is not on the tour itinerary like Iceland or Paris.  Due to layover schedules, I will be spending some time in Helsinki, a place that was not even on my bucket list.  I plan on using that 18 hour layover to catch up on some sleep and then experience a traditional Finnish sauna, which I bet will be much needed after the tour in Poland.  I am also researching seat cushions for flights as the airline seats are thinner than ever and bruised my tailbone going and coming (I learned I was not the only one on the trip, though I did have the longest distance to fly), but may book business class for the flight over the Atlantic Ocean in the future instead.  

What am I continuing?  

Daily Italian lessons on Duolingo.  Not only will it prepare me for subsequent trips (yes, multiple as I loved the country that much), but also is good for brain development as a neuroprotective factor.  It takes 20 years to fully learn a language's vocabulary and I have time to learn this one well.  I plan to start branching into watching Italian TV and movies with English subtitles to assist in learning further later this year.  I am also staying in contact with several tour members that I grew to love.  Not only are they wonderful travel companions (maybe another trip together in the future, friends?), but also lovely souls who are incredible human beings.  

What have I started since the trip?

I have started learning traditional Italian cooking!  I discovered a group of scholars formed the Italian Academy of Cuisine to preserve the traditional recipes that were starting to disappear in their cookbook La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy.  I had no idea the extent of what I was ordering, so you can imagine my surprise at the 2,000 recipes that weighs 6 lbs, 4.8 oz when it arrived!  I am also delving into another PBS show with Lidia Bastianich's recipes and TV episodes.  I ordered vegetable seeds from Italy and a traditional Italian vegetable garden book to support this effort.  I strongly suspect this learning project will take years to complete, which is perfectly fine from my point of view.  There is a good deal of variety in 20 regions within the country!  I have also used olive oil for things I haven't before including making a very simple olive oil lotion using 3 ingredients: olive oil, beeswax, and water.  I imagine the ripples will continue for years to come from this trip and in ways I have yet to anticipate.

Where am I going next?

I will be going on another Rick Steves' Europe tour in 2024: the Best of Poland tour.  I already have plans lined up with friends for the Greece and Southern Italy tours in subsequent years, but may sneak an African safari in there with friends I met on the Ireland tour.  The desire to explore, learn, and experience is endless and I fully intend to immerse myself in each and every experience.

Arrivaderci, Italia!  Until next time!