Reflections on our Summer
While the summer of 2025 is one we’ll all remember. I’m curious what you remember the most a decade from now. When people ask you what the best part was, you’re quick to answer London and Croatia because of the cousins. I love that for both of you so much.
Highlights:
- 60 days, 13 cities, 7 flights, 6 trains, 3 boats, and so many cars
- New York, Edinburgh, London, Paris, Lopud, Rome, Positano, Tuscany, Florence, Pisa, Rapallo, Milan
- Our 10 year vow renewals
- So many sights and memories captured in photos
- Spending every day together as a family - absolutely priceless
What worked well for us:
- Long stays in each location - the average was six nights
- No agenda or schedule each day (The Vatican, Pisa, and Statue of Liberty being the exceptions) - figuring out what we wanted to do at Breakfast, ending activities around Lunch, and having mellow afternoons through Dinner
- Beaches, Pools, Parks (with real kids stuff), and Zoos
- Limited luggage and using flush and fold once a week
What I wouldn’t repeat:
- Crossing the 50 day mark was the line when we were all ready to be home
- Regional trains (Trenitalia) in Italy were horrible (I’m sure you’ll remember the pickpockets) - I’d only use them for day trips without luggage in the future
- I worked from an iPad and not a laptop - it was barely functional and a mistake
Changes for next time:
- The hard sided roller luggage worked great for us moving through airports and train stations - but they were so hard on trains, and loading cars
- I’d skip the trains and just use planes and hired vans to move around
- Probably duffle bags would make more sense, but we’ll see
- I worked from an iPad and not a laptop - that was a mistake and I’ll always carry a laptop going forward
- While getting on to/off of the trains were a chore, the ride with us at the table was great - there’s probably a better train situation where that’s the focus in the future
What’s next:
Something about this trip really made me really appreciate the US. We have so much we can do and see in the States that we’ll probably not plan anything major outside of it for a while. Your Grandparents are getting older and older and maximizing our summers in Los Angeles will be a priority.
It’s tough because I know how limited our summers are as a family. I’ve been thinking about going to Africa on safari for my 50th birthday in a few years. This is really the last of my bucket list places to see, and a place where I’d want to spend 4-6 weeks with you together. A single destination for 1-2 weeks with reasonable flights will probably be normal for us going forward.
There’s a saying when raising children. “The days are long but the years are short.” It’s so hard to believe when you are holding your newborn child and trying to survive sleepless nights. All of a sudden nine years has flashed by in an instant and you don’t know what happened. Cherish and take advantage of every moment you get.
I hope we’ve managed to inspire you both to do something similar with your families one day.