Exciting trip!!

Dear readers, I have exciting news! Older Daughter and I are on our way to EUROPE!!

Younger Daughter (our Navy daughter, for those who don't know) has spent the last few years on shore duty stationed in Naples, Italy. She's been begging us to come visit for a long time. Now, just ahead of a planned change in duty stations, Older Daughter and I are actually taking her up on it. (As YD put it, it's our last opportunity to stay in Europe for free.) She is paying for the whole trip, an incredible act of generosity. We've had this trip planned since last October.

I've never traveled abroad before, much less to Europe, so this is an entirely new venture for me. I actually had to get a passport.

I had to buy a suitcase larger than the small carry-on bag I had been using when visiting my parents. I purchased it online and accidentally got one that was comically HUGE.

I mean seriously, I could fit my entire wardrobe into this thing, with room left over. Well over half of the suitcase is empty. Fortunately there's room for Older Daughter to put some of her travel things in it too. I'm seriously considering stuffing bubble wrap into the empty spots just to secure things.

We're in for a week of excitement. Younger Daughter has an itinerary all planned for us, including a visit to Herculaneum and an overnight trip to Rome. Heavens, I can't believe those exotic names are just dripping off my tongue.

We'll be in Italy for a week, plus travel days bracketing both ends. Older Daughter and I will be flying out of the Spokane Airport, then changing planes in Denver before heading for Munich, Germany, then a quick hop to Naples. After we arrive, Younger Daughter has already informed us we must stay awake until such-and-such local time before she'll let us crash into bed, to help adjust our internal clocks.

Don chose to stay home on this one. He's already been overseas during his own Navy days, and he's even more of a homebody than I am. Besides, someone has to take care of the property and animals.

You can bet I'll take you along every step of the way, dear readers, though I won't make any guarantees that I'll put up a new post each day since we're likely to be very busy. I told Younger Daughter that even cobblestones are exotic to me, so she shouldn't be embarrassed if her old mom drops to one knee to photograph those humble wonders.

Italy, here we come!