But that’s okay
For over a year my husband and I have been planning a major trip to Europe. A cruise through the Mediterranean with stops in Greece, Croatia, France, Spain, and my main attraction: Italy. My family is from Italy and this trip was to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting the town where my grandmother was born. To see the churches that my great grandfather helped construct. As an architect, surely he understood that any good building, like any good trip, needed well-thought- out planning. I had days scheduled out by the hour, train schedules written down, hotels booked, so what happened?
I learned you can’t plan for everything. My mom was supposed to travel with us. It was to be a meaningful trip for the both of us. We were all so excited. We began walking more to prepare for long days off the ship roaming the cobblestone streets and exploring charming corners of ancient cities when she fell. She had broken her foot. While her foot is now on the mend, it did upend the trip for us all. Could I have still gone? Possibly. But she needed help around the house and that coupled with an unexpected surgery for my dad proved to be good enough reason to stay.
I was incredibly upset at first. Disappointed, frustrated, concerned I’d never get there. Slowly, I’ve realized, it may have been for the best.
There was a group of us going more than myself, my husband, and mom. My husband’s parents and his aunt and uncle still went. They were able to share their experiences, they learned a lot, and so I have I through them. Now, I’m glad I didn’t go. We would have jumped in with both feet for a 12 hour flight when I haven’t flown since I was a child. We would’ve sailed on an incredibly large cruise ship when I’ve never been on one before. We would’ve been rushed to see the village where my grandparents came from in order to make it to the ship on time. We, likely, would’ve gotten sick. Seemingly, almost everyone else did. We would’ve missed out on nuances and cultural details. We would’ve been rushed, crowded, herded along, and pressured.
However, through the hours of research I spent doing, I learned that it won’t be so scary to visit without a group. I won’t need a ship as a base. I found wonderful hotels for our family to stay in this year, I can do the same next year for my mom, husband, and myself. I researched many restaurants, and they were wonderful, but I’ve since learned that some of the best places can be the ones you stumble upon. We can slowly travel through a few stops in Italy, instead of one day per stop hurrying through 5 countries in 2 weeks. We can spend less time there total, making it easier for our dog.
All this to say, sometimes your trip may not work out like you think or at all. However, my husband and I took advantage of his time off. We took another trip we both wanted to take for a while- New England in the fall. We drove through multiple states and stayed for a few days in a beautiful small town in Connecticut. We took in fall foliage, rode a steam train, tried a lobster roll, and had a great time. So, take this as your inspiration that although traveling may not be exactly what you expect, sometimes it can work out even better.
Swoop Away Travels 