Making Dreams Come True

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to travel. I love taking in new places, cultures, and if I'm feeling brave enough, new food. I like to alternate my trips between domestic (exploring the US) and foreign destinations. I already left the country this year to explore Roatan. In a couple weeks, I will be down in the Redwoods - a place I haven't seen since I was a kid. I can't wait to get back there and do some hiking, photography, and lounging on the beach. While I often rearrange my travel list based on what sparks my interest, there is always one place that has, and always will, remain on the top:  ROME.  Rome is IT for me. Rome is what I MUST see in my life. I can't explain the pull I feel towards Rome. I am beyond fascinated, and always have been. I have researched traveling there numerous times, but it's a big trip. Something that requires more than a few days or a even a week, in my opinion. If I'm going to see Rome, I'm going to do it right. My intention is to see it twice, actually. Once without my kids, and then again with them when they are old enough to appreciate everything Rome is.

 

Over the course of the past few weeks, I have really dug into planning this trip. I figured it would be something that took a long time to plan, but it actually came together quite nicely. I tore through the VRBO website and finally settled on a fantastic apartment. I'm not kidding when I say it's right across from the Colosseum. THE Colosseum. The one thing I must see before I die. I'm not a believer in past lives or anything like that, but if I DID believe in that sort of thing, I must have had one hell of a life near the Colosseum because I just FEEL that place. Here is the view from the apartment:

 

 

Can you imagine what that will look like at night when it's all lit up?! 

 

I have been e-mailing with the owner and finally got the deposit paid. This trip IS happening. Across the street on the other side of this building is the entire Roman Forum. I'm glad I dug and dug and dug through VRBO because I can't imagine a better location that this apartment. I can walk to probably 75% of the things I want to see, and the other is all available via free/cheap public transportation.

 

So Rome will take up the first week of this trip. After Rome will be a couple days in the Tuscany area, and then a few days finishing out the trip in Venice. The euro rail system in Italy is incredible. I wish the US had something comparable. So much cheaper than flying! They really push big time for public transportation in cities like Rome, and one way they do that is by making it dirt cheap and highly convenient.

 

I can't wait to dig more into this trip and the planning. The first big step was obviously getting lodging secured. Now I can get down to fine-tuning the remaining details. I can hardly contain my excitement!