I do believe we are finally going to make it to Italy. We have been traveling for nearly 30 hours now and 4 different planes. Starting with our initial departure from Phoenix to the mechanical issues with our second   jet in Atlanta, to our delay in Amsterdam, and now our final leg from Paris to Florence….wow what a journey this trip has been. Heaven knows if our luggage has kept up with us????

Again, why do I do this???? I swear at least three times today, or should I say today(s), as the first day is now close to approaching day 3, I thought to myself, damn why do I do this to myself. But then when I arrive in Florence and hear the Italian language, and see the beautiful architecture, and eat dinner in front of the Duomo, and see the happiness on my travelers faces, or that first bite of amazing gelato, etc. etc. all of those frustrations and speedbumps from the journey fall away. What I have come to recognize from this trip is that this trip is like life itself – condensed into 14 days. Just like this trip, life has its speedbumps, its delays, its mechanical issues, but you carry on and you keep pushing forward to that perfect sunrise over the Umbrian hills, or that marvelous plate of pasta.

My life has been this trip, that is an understatement. Two marriages, businesses, business deals, surgeries, children, graduations, births and deaths, new loves and heartbreaks, and that’s only the start. But like this trip, I push through the roadblock and I stay on this journey as it has led me to so many amazing places and allowed me to meet so many amazing people.   I cannot imagine if I hade the attitude – “Oh, it’s too much trouble.” Or, “ too many things can go wrong.” Or what most people do, “I’ll just go on someone else’s trip.” Or better yet, and sadly so common, “I’ll just rent a movie about Italy and watch Life on TV!” I choose to live life – see where it takes me. As I always tell everyone – there is no TIVO in life.

And so I will keep doing this trip – both the trip to Italy and this trip called “life”! I hope you enjoy our blog and our trip inspires you to live life, fall in love, try something new and different, and venture out of your comfort zone. You never know what you are going to get!