Wanderlust Diaries: Adventures of an Enthusiast

  This quote...gosh, it says it all, especially of what I experienced on our excursion to the Island of Capri. Where to I start? Seriously? How does one write all this down? The emotions, the beauty, the food. It seems almost overwhelming. As I sit here overlooking the ocean from our Airbnb, it is currently raining, and it allows us to take a break and breathe. I am grateful for this time to reflect on what an incredibly magical day we had.  It started in downtown Sorrento. The forecast said it was only going to be 77 degrees, well, it was already hot and humid, but it didn't stop us from enjoying our first cappuccino and this amazing Italian pastry filled with  pistachio goodness. Our tour guide for the day was Mama Marcella. She was a complete doll. She truly took care of us this whole day and made sure we had a great experience.  Right off the bat while we were waiting, a lady (she was from America) approached me and asked me about my purse. We began talking and I...

Good morning my friends from Sorrento, Italy! It's hard to believe that we are here. I kept on asking John, has it sunk in yet, and finally, well, it truly has. This adventure started out a bit rocky, if I was being honest. My goal was to get us to this beautiful place unscathed.  From our delayed flight in Louisville and almost missing our connecting flight in Philly - we were down to the minutes folks, and we were the last to board our flight to Italy. Personally, I have never run harder in my life, looking like a complete idiot in this crowded airport, sweat dripping down my face, with my backpack bouncing up and down - that felt like a 50-pound weighted vest along with dragging my carry-on down the Philly airport (that place was HUGE!). Huffing and puffing, we made it to our flight to Naples. Whew.  The flight itself was wonderful. It almost didn't feel like you were on a plane. Except for the economy seats after several hours of sitting felt like eternity (seriously, more...

My mother is from Naples, Italy and when I was young, my mother used to "drag" me to Italy with her to spend the summers there with her side of the family. (Sigh) Those memories were the very best. I remember running through my great Aunt's vineyard with the other kiddos, climbing Mt. Vesuvius (that's right, the VOLCANO!), eating the very best food, and sitting for HOURS at the table with family and friends, chatting, laughing and loving life. I was the observer to all this beauty, and I never want to forget those memories.  Something my grandpa always used to say was, "Life is beautiful Claudina..." as he sipped on his grappa after an amazing meal. We would hug and laugh and smile and I understood exactly was he was talking about.  Many years later, our family will begin our Journey Through the Boot in less than 24 hours. My husband I have always talked about going to Italy...yea, when we have our 20th wedding anniversary....or that year or the next...and w...