When I was younger, I would travel with my mom to various places. She was often busy with her church, work, or friendships, and we would go to conferences, festivals, or events that allowed me to explore, work, and play. One minute, I might be dressed as the “happy tooth,” teaching children how to brush their teeth or riding bikes in a new tourist spot. One particular adventure, we went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, to spend the night and attend a Renaissance Fair the next day. They offered a camel ride. Mom paid for the ticket, and I climbed on the camel to ride. I felt tall, adventurous, and full of possibilities. Later that year, we went to a women’s conference. Mom purchased the book from the speaker, and the author signed the book. The author commented, “I would travel the world.” Mom reminded me of my camel ride and how she felt that I was born for adventure and travel.

My adventurous spirit took me down the roads of college, marriage, children, and careers. Through the years, I’ve lived in various areas of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and then back to Virginia. I’ve lived in Hanover, Gloucester, Richmond, and Chester in Virginia. Each move had its purpose and reason that would either advance my husband’s career or mine.

As we raised our beautiful daughters, Victoria, Vivian, and Valentina, we often traveled with them, and my husband’s eye for detail and smelling the roses brought joy to traveling and experiencing new things. They’ve continued this tradition, and we enjoy being with our grandchildren as we travel with the next generation.

So, why this book? I love to journal and write. It is compelling, and I am drawn to express my thoughts and happenings through words. Words are powerful. They change us. They help us to remember and to celebrate. They invoke the ability to connect with others and provide the fertile ground for love and belonging. 

This book is about our trip to Italy. Our long-awaited trip to anywhere in Europe would advance our experiences and set us off on a new way of connecting as a couple. We traveled to Mexico and St. Kitts as a couple to work in missions and support communities. I went to Hawaii to learn scuba diving in 12th grade with my school. However, we had never been to Europe. We started dreaming about a trip to Europe when wedding anniversaries would come up. We’ve been married for 35 years, and it felt like one of those years allowed us to celebrate with an overseas trip. Our first step was to renew our passports. We checked that off the list, and then a worldwide pandemic occurred, and for three years, we put off any travel. We gave up. Or at least, I did. I just didn’t have it in me to dream again about Europe. My father passed away during the pandemic, and just like the rest of the world, survival and the mental health crisis hit our home. Family moved in briefly, and a grandchild was born during this time. We began to dream again as we worked towards hope and a new way of viewing the world and our home. 

My oldest daughter’s trip to Disney and how she planned and saved inspired me. We were initially going to travel with them. Instead, we supported them with our contribution and then turned our hearts towards each other to dream again. To go without fear, guilt, or worry about leaving.

When we returned from Italy on October 25, 2023, at 6:40 P.M. Virginia time and 12:40 A.M. Italy time, we were overjoyed with memories and accomplishments. The next day, I called Verizon to notify them that we were back in the country. One true thing about travel is that you marvel at the people you meet. Their stories and how they helped you see things differently, or even helped you with directions when you were lost or helped to translate. This continued as I spoke to Becky from Verizon, letting her know that we were back from Italy, and she asked how the trip went.

I shared my consistently overwhelmed feelings with her and how I was still crying from the experience if I began talking about it. “Your first time?” she asked. She explained that it never gets old and that she traveled all her life because of her mom’s influence. Her mom passed away two years ago. Her mom desired that her daughter not visit her during her last years in hospice because she wanted her to remember her as the person who embraced life with enthusiasm and spontaneity. Every story Becky told me made me say, “I can’t believe you are saying this to me!”  She even shared how her mom took a friend to a country to ride a camel. “I just showed up at the friend’s door and told her to pack.” her mom explained. She did this when her friend shared that she had never ridden a camel. Her mom made it happen. Becky lived in England and traveled all over Europe because of her mom. She said her mom’s faith and generosity to others were solid and led her way in living her life. Her mom bought a little house in Greece that she rented during a visit. She seized the opportunity when the man said he needed to sell it. The house was given to her children to visit upon her passing. She left the legacy of travel. 

Jet lag caused me to be up, and a podcast episode caught my attention. The description was about how a trip to Ireland changed a person and his relationship with his wife. I was enthralled and validated as I listened. The message also confirmed Becky’s suggestion of going to Ireland. I laughed when she shared this because my youngest daughter wants to go there when she graduates college. I’ve started a new working folder called “Ireland 2026.” In the folder, I shared information from the podcast episode. I will close out this chapter with a poem he read on the episode that he described as “bringing me to tears.”  Tony guided him and his wife on the fields of  The Burren in Ireland. He stopped the tour and began to read this poem:

“Everything is Going to be All Right”

Derek Mahon

How should I not be glad to
contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the
dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the
ceiling?
There will be dying, there will
be dying,
but there is no need to go into
that.
The poems flow from the hand
unbidden
and the hidden source is the
watchful heart.
The sun rises in spite of
everything
and the far cities are beautiful
and bright,
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the
clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all
right.

Travel takes your mind and soul to places of peace and beauty. You can close your eyes at any moment, transpose yourself to that special place, and remind yourself, “Everything is going to be alright.” 

I decided to take all my videos and make a montage. In order to hear the full video, click on play then "watch on YouTube". It's so cool to listen to the tour guides, our conversations, and visit the places again. We watched as a couple this morning and started tearing up as we recalled the blessings and adventures! I find it so interesting that videos and pictures are truly more meaningful to the people who can recall the event. At one point, I could even recall the smell and the senses of the moment. We love going through the days and journaling. 

We decided to avoid taking a chance on traffic in Washington, D.C. We stayed at a hotel that offered overnight accommodations and could leave your car in their parking lot. We selected ParkSleepFly and stayed in SpingHill Suites by Marriott in Ashburn, VA. This location offers a complimentary shuttle to Dulles Airport. The hotel was approximately 9 miles from the airport.

We worked a full day, and we had all our bags packed and ready to go. Fortunately, we were by a fantastic shopping mall. After checking in, we went to The Lost Fox. Their unique menu and cozy setting with a fireplace were just what we needed to ease into the reality of our trip! The following day, we enjoyed the hotel’s breakfast, which was included, and then visited the local mall to find a crossword puzzle book for our long plane ride. We also found Christmas gifts! 

We could check in 24 hours beforehand online, and they also recommended getting to the airport 3 /12 hours before flight departure. Check with your airline about their regulations about luggage, seating, and checking in, and ensure you have your passport with you and ready to show at any moment.

The Glimmers

At The Lost Fox, they served our food on a plate with my dad’s initials. Between the music playing and his “presence,” some of our travel anxiety was eased. It was the perfect place with music that made us smile and sing. Look for these connections when you travel.

The Relationship

One of the little shops in Ashburn was specifically to support local artists. As we walked around in the shop, I noticed a card that had the hymnal page on the front, “It is Well.” I purchased that for me. It spoke to my heart. To know and believe all is well. Parish was still shopping, so I went outside; he came out and said that he had purchased a surprise for me. As he was describing the artwork, he pulled out the card. I smiled and then pulled out the same card. Yes, my love, I did love this card. Unaware that I had purchased the card, he bought the same card for me as a gift. This made both of us smile. For all the differences we may experience, we know deep inside that after 35 years, we truly know each other. This is to be celebrated.

The Good-byes

When you go away for some time, you naturally find time before you go to ponder and create events to celebrate your love for family and friends. We were meaningful in our gatherings before we went. We prepared the house and essential papers so that those helping out while we were gone felt ready and confident. 

Many friends would text us and call with well-wishes just before our plane took off. This was so meaningful. One friend sent an audio message of herself whistling a song, one of our inside jokes. Parish sang, “Oh The Streets of Rome” back to her.

Our driver took us to our location, and we researched local cafes to sit and have a snack. We had an incredible coffee shop right down the street from our booking with lunch and morning pastries that melted in your mouth. We chose to keep costs down by staying in smaller rooms with great reviews. Except for Rome, we decided to always stay in a place close to the train station so we could walk versus taking a taxi or Uber. 

Where we stayed: Four Elements, in Monti, Rome

We used Booking.com for almost all of our bookings. They offer a variety of places from hotels to Bed and Breakfast. You can download the app and organize all your bookings to show your booking number and address quickly. I also printed and had all my bookings in order in a file folder. I had them organized by location and time. I put the sheets for that day in my carry bag and have them ready for scanning or showing my receipt. 

All activities were scheduled on our first day in Rome later. Allow time to rest and for airline delays.

We took an Uber to the Vatican, the best way to get around in Rome. We used Viator for our tour experience. Our Uber driver shared the area's highlights on our way to the meeting location. We wanted to play it safe, so we got to the meeting place a little early. Right next to the flower shop was a restaurant. One of the employees was standing outside, encouraging folks to come in for breakfast. We had not had breakfast, so we sat outside and ate a lovely breakfast with bruschetta. The restaurant was called Pizza House a Roma dal 1975. We laughed because it was the restaurant our driver from the airport recommended.

After the Vatican tour, we walked to an intersection where it was convenient for the Uber driver to pick us up. We returned to freshen up for our evening walk to Trastevere, Campo De’ Fiori, and the Jewish Ghetto. The Vatican tour was at least 3 ½ hours and very crowded. Our tour guide was genuinely knowledgeable and guided us through the crowds with great care and compassion. 

Watch the YouTube Video of Day 4 in Rome!

Today, we leave Rome to head to Florence! This will be our first train ride.  We took an Uber to the train station. Because this was our first time at the station, we got there 30 minutes earlier. When arriving at a station, you wait for the electronic board to show you the train number, time, and platform from which you will leave. The tricky part is that they only show you the platform number about 5 minutes before the train's departure. With that being said, please know your station's layout. Are all platforms on one level, or do you have to go to another level for certain numbers? Getting there early, you can see the layout and be ready when your platform number is shared. We also had the Italian police stop us and ask for our passports. This was random and a little nerve-racking; however, it seemed to be the norm as we traveled across the country. Random checks took place, so have your passport ready. This was our first time seeing the countryside from the train window! So beautiful.

Where we stayed: Little Suite Fortezza

This was a little one-bedroom apartment with a sitting room, kitchen, and washing machine. After a few days of traveling, we selected a place with a washing machine to wash our clothes. Remember, we only traveled with a carry-on bag so we could walk from the station to our place. This was so easy and important! The walk to the little suite introduced us to Florence! They greeted us at the suite and gave us many wonderful gifts like champagne, toiletry items, laundry detergent, and other delicious snacks! We had breakfast each morning in the suite because of their generosity; however, a delicious coffee spot with pastries was right down the street.

We packed a lot on our first day. We decided to not only see David at La Galleria Dell’accademia di Firenze, but we included a walk in Florence that would lead us to a walking food tour, Taste the Flavors of Florence: Food Tour with Florentine Steak.  We used Viator for most of our bookings because you can schedule and hold but cancel if needed up to 24 hours before the event. Thankfully, when we showed up, we were escorted to the museum with our tour guide and skipped the long line. I would recommend a tour guide for this museum. It is a smaller museum, and she cleverly saved "David" for last.