Spring of 1992 was my first trip off the continent of North America. A big deal from a boy from Posey. Now 30 years later and having been blessed with showing the world to our kids. Katy and I are visiting Italy for the first time. Not sure why we have never been. Maybe it is the fact that one develops a common affection with an area, for us, that is Scotland, which makes sense since we have a lot of Scottish in us.
Traveling to a new country is like golfing on a new golf course. You do your research, read reviews, look at the layout and scorecard, and even talk to folks that have played the course. This research might help you mentally prepare for a particular hole or anticipate how the greens will roll. But once you experience the course, you will look back on your research and maybe agree on some points but have a different perspective on others—no right or wrong answers. You now have your understanding of the course. There may be holes where you laid up, and the next time you will not. There might have been times when you over-thought a shot. But the key is that you play. Same for traveling. It doesn’t matter the size of the country, small or large. You will not experience everything, so be in the moment and enjoy what you are seeing.
For our trip to Italy, the first question is how long and how can we maximize our first-time experience without exhausting ourselves. Our goal was to pick a few spots and give ourselves time to explore. So we went for five nights in Florence, three nights in Cinque Terre, and eight nights in Rome (with one night in Naples). That’s the plan. We know there is much more to see and experience in Italy, but that will be another course for another day.
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