We will be off to the land of...


...pasta, bread, gelato, Galileo, Michelangelo, and naked statues.  Ciao, Italia!


Why, you ask?

~ when G started his new job this year, we decided to set aside the signing bonus for a family trip because...

~ when we first got married we decided to try to value experiences over things.  To love the old clunker cars but make memories.  Plus...

~ we feel the clock ticking as Lauren has only two and a half more years of high school until she leaves for college.  There's so much we want to still do as a family (before everyone splinters off to their own lives) so we decided to do our best to tackle one or two items on the list.

~ G's company closes during Christmas week.  Perfect time for travel but...

~ it was too expensive to fly somewhere warm and beachy...airline tickets alone would have eaten up the entire travel budget.  Thankfully...

~ a few months ago we found a great deal on flights to Italy, leaving on Christmas Day (cheaper even than flying to Florida) so we booked them, which was thrilling because...

~ we've always wanted to go to Italy. Part adventure, part culture, part eating extravaganza, part history lesson. To top it all off...

~ we invited my parents to come along if they wanted.  They wanted.  Three cheers for a three generation trip to Florence and Venice.

It's going to be chilly, not that warm, basking holiday we were originally thinking about.  And the economy's current condition (and the weak dollar abroad) means we'll have to be very careful.  But...we're doing it.  Gulp.  Decision's made and we're embracing it.

Thank you for all the guesses.  I had a grand time imagining going to each and every one of them.  In fact, I think the people have spoken and now we HAVE to go to Prague, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, England (twice), Scotland, Ireland, Denmark (several times), Mexica, Guatemala, Holland, France, and Cyprus.  How many times do you think G can change jobs and get a signing bonus????

Liz, you nailed it! Email me your address and keep an eye on your mailbox.

*Italy pictures via Flickr.