We got to Italy.

It was a trip we had envisioned taking back in September 2019 for our good friend’s wedding. Kidlet had turned 6 months and we were ready to take her on her first international adventure. At her 6 month well visit, we casually shared our plans with our pediatrician and his response was up there with words no parent ever wants to hear – “I wouldn’t do that if it were my baby.” Kidlet was too young for a measles vaccine and apparently there was a measles outbreak in certain regions of Europe that we’d be passing through. So I went alone to the wedding and we vowed to do the same itinerary as a family the following year. But then covid. And then kidlet’s diagnosis. By the time 2022 rolled around, we decided not to let fear paralyze us, and off we went. Our travel itinerary: 

Geneva > Verbier > Milan > Puglia > Rome

But that’s the simple version. It was actually a flight into Geneva, 2 trains and a gondola to Verbier where we stayed for 4 days before taking a 6-hr private van ride to Milan and catching a late night flight to Puglia where we’d wait hours for a rental car before finally driving off with a questionable carseat to our beautiful Trulli house about an hour away. We stayed in Puglia for 5 more days, driving around to the most beautiful scenic towns southern Italy had to offer. After maxing out our relaxing time exploring the coast, we drove 5 hours to Rome to see how many landmarks we could take in, in just 3 days. It turned out to be a lot.. Trevi Fountain maybe 3x because the kidlets wanted to throw out all the wishes with every last coin we had.

Was it a lot for them, especially our youngest? Sometimes. Did we ever once think any part of it was a bad idea? Absolutely not. There is nothing better than experiencing travel through the eyes of our kidlets – our youngest especially, our delayed walker..to see her traverse the Switzerland and Italian terrain..to see her want to do all of the narrow, ancient steps of the Roman Colosseum all by herself..to see her get after bread and fondue after a full Swiss day of adventure and same with the pizza and pasta in Italy. It was priceless. Our question has been answered. Kidlet will go wherever she wants on this globe. We hope to have front row seats for most of it when she does.