Monday westward bound

My alarm is set for 7am plenty of time to get to the airport and return Giorgio, who, btw is diesel fueled and has a bit more get-up-and-go than his twin brother Lorenzo. But it is 6 and I can't go back to sleep from my 5:30 wake up. I'm sensing a pattern beginning, so I'd better change time zones to get my body back on my regular 7am wake up schedule. Hehe 

Re-created garden in Pompeii

I love technology (most of the time).  I get to use paperless boarding passes for my flights today. So handy! Then I get to the airport and when I check my bag find out that I need paper boarding passes. Oh well. 

Ceiling detail in the gymnasium at Pompeii. 

During my trip I have seen people that look like people I know. I saw Kurt Morin this morning. He even got in a Jeep and drove away. I saw Ryan Cronk twice...in the same day. I saw Raj Tripathi. He was my impromptu guide at Pompeii. And one other person who I met at the Enzo Ferrari Museum. He was the one who told me about the Maserati parade in Modena. Nice guy from Norway. Then the lady in front of me on the train talking all about Italian food looked like my Great Aunt Ellie.  Funny that almost all these people are men. :) Just another instance of the humanity of all people.

Tent site overlooking Lake Garda

I got to the airport in good time and without incident to me or Giorgio...although in a bit of stop-and-go traffic the person in the Audi in front of me was texting, I think, and rear-ended the person in front of him.  Neither of them was having a good morning and luckily we were only going about 3 mph, but the crunching noise of bumpers is the last thing anybody wants to hear during their morning commute.

I would like the blue Ferrari please. 

Then of course there's always the hurry up and wait thing that happens at airports which sucks people into the Dolce and Gabbana store and forces them to buy $1500 socks.  I guess I was just a little surprised to find so many high end stores in the gate area of the Rome airport and only one souvenir shop and one place to eat, unlike JFK where there are a million places to eat and 2 other shops.

Writing this on Thursday morning, after arriving home in the middle of the night between Monday and Tuesday. I'm still having difficulty with my body clock being completely messed up.  I don't remember the adjustment being so difficult from previous travels...but I'm also the one who complains when we change one hour for daylight savings. 

Things I learned (or remembered) on this adventure:

* Vacations are like life...in order to experience them fully, you have to participate in the adventure, not just read the blog and look at the pictures.

* Don't text and drive (see above)

* There are good people everywhere.  I met quite a few people who were just nice, good people.  It is sometimes difficult to remember that most people in the world want the same things.  They want their children to grow up, be educated, be happy.  They want to feel secure and at peace.  Those feelings have nothing to do with politics, race, country of origin, or monetary wealth.  At the core, we are all the same.

* Pizza is delicious.

* Being out of your comfort zone is essential to growth, but it sure is nice to come back to familiarity.

* I need to sit on the beach and watch the sunset more often.

* It is important to take care of yourself with quiet time to reflect on your life's path (see beach and sunset comment above).

* Gratitude (I'll leave it at one word otherwise you'll need tissues and a bit of popcorn)  

And finally...

Public appreciation is in order.

I think the biggest, most heartfelt thanks go to my sister-in-law Kristie.  When my brother is at my house taking care of Mom, she does her job AND his job in their family. Kristie, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Then there's my brother, Mike, who takes good care of everything here at my house, including the dishes and laundry which were all done when I got home (even clean sheets on my bed). I appreciate that I can go and feel comfortable knowing you've got it all under control.  

Nellie finally warmed up to Audry, to whom I am grateful for taking care of the house and my dear little puppy.

I need to add gratitude for those who slipped me a bit of cash, which made my trip more enjoyable. I won't name names, you know who you are.  Thank you.

And finally, thank you all for going on this amazing journey with me.  I never felt like I was alone because I knew people were reading about my adventure and sharing it with me.  Thank you.