The Countdown is On!

Three years ago I decided to go to Italy.  I bought the Lonely Planet book at the time, I found some maps, I started to read up on the sites and history of the country.  I always wanted to visit Italy - there is something magical and romantic about the pictures and architecture of the nation, not to mention the idea of fabulous, fresh food and wine at your fingertips.  


Needless to say, I haven't quite made it to Italy - jobs changed, financial issues arose, and other travel plans and life experiences occurred.  But, in one month from tomorrow, I will be leaving for Rome, for a 3 week excursion to that beautiful country.  And I am so very excited.


Because we have a whirlwind itinerary planned, I felt that starting this blog as a sort of diary of our travels as well as a way to really share with family and friends our experiences was an important planning aspect of this trip.  We have returned from other vacations with the excitement and thrills of the experiences only to find we can't quite remember what we did each day, nor a true in-the-moment way to describe how amazing the trip really was for us.  My friends, Jason and Capri, have been blogging about their extraordinary travels for years and I thought I would follow in their footsteps.  


Bryan has allowed me to starting counting down sleeps as of tomorrow, the one month mark before our flight out of Calgary, so I am going to take him up on that!  I've gone through the budget this morning to make sure I can account for all the hostels, flights and tickets I've purchased in the past few months.  I have a couple more train reservations to make and Bryan is going to look more into scuba diving locations while we're there, but I think most of the accommodation and travel arrangements have been made to date.  I recently purchased my duffel bag (with wheels!) and some good walking sandals, so we should be doing some practice packing one of these nights to determine what we need to pack and what we may still need to buy.  

The Duffel bag I will be taking with me to Italy, from MEC.
It's 100 L so lots of room!

I am looking forward to this trip so much, for many reasons.  One, I've been dreaming of Italy for years, and been planning this trip for over 3 of those years.  Two, neither Bryan nor I have had a real vacation since last April when we went to Puerto Vallarta for a week.  We are both feeling the need to get away, and the stress of his job has really been getting him down.  I hope that this 3 weeks away from the office will refresh him and give him the motivation he needs to make some changes with his situation.  But, he does a fantastic job at work, so I understand why he is so dedicated.  


Some days I worry that I am romanticizing this vacation too much, and that in some way I'll be disappointed, especially when it's over.  But, I am trying to hold some perspective in that it is just a vacation for now...but I will be scouting out job opportunities and chances to take up residence over there!  There seems to be a large demand for quaint, cozy hostels!  


So, one month, one day until we leave for Italy - June 7, 2012 - June 29, 2012!


So excited!!