Way OT: All Roads Lead to Rome--My Trip to Italy

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).

[jbowman]

Hi everyone!

I don't want to be too self-indulgent, but thought I'd share some details of my recent trip to Italy. As some of you know, I took 29 students to study art history in Italy for two weeks. I was looking forward to the trip (three words: gelato, Campari, Labello!), but was also dreading it (I would be away from Ellie and DH for two weeks as well as have the responsibilites of looking after the well-being of 29 people). I am thrilled to report that the trip was a success--not b/c the students really liked Italy (which they did), but b/c I never raised my voice! I am absolutely convinced that the only thing that prepared me for the trip was motherhood. Had I not needed the patience of a saint for the past 17 months, I couldn't have done it.

We started out in Rome, my favorite city in the world. I had lived there several years ago, and it was *bittersweet* to be back since I have changed so much since I lived there. That said, it took no time for me to get into la dolce vita: all of the walking, the perilous street-crossing, the *krazy* traffic, the gelato, and the art (oh yes, the real reason I was there, LOL). Of course keeping track of 29 students was like herding cats and running around Rome/lecturing about art in the blazing sun was tiring...the fact that I was in the early stages of pregnancy (and feeling seriously nauseated each time I moved) didn't help too much either. Months before the trip, I had dreamed of enjoying a Campari with a good friend of mine who lives in the Eternal City. Alas, LOL, that was not to be! Fanta Orange, anyone?!

Unable to imbibe, I indulged in serious gelato, pastry, and retail therapy. I consumed a ton of gelato! The first day I was in Rome, a guy working in a gelato store gave me a free cone & then it was all over. As I said in a previous post, I would order a second cone just as I was finishing my first (the students stared at me in amazement). It seems that the only other things that helped my nausea were pastries with orange marmalade in them. I also found that purchasing some expensive luggage at Mandarina Duck helped my nausea enormously ;).

We visited Pompeii, Assisi (which everyone adored--it is the Italy that everyone dreams about), San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Florence. No problems on the trip, although we did have to stand in line at the Uffizi for 3 hours (indeed a small price to pay, especially since admission was free the day we were there). I ended up bumping into a good friend of mine at the Bargello in Florence--and then we met later for drinks (Fanta Orange strikes again).

Although I missed my family desperately, it was great to see the students' reactions to the Villa Borghese, the ruins at Pompeii, the Basilica at Assisi, the complex at Pisa, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. I only hope that I can someday tell my child, "you don't remember, but the first trip you took was to Italy."

Thank you for indulging me :).