The Gift of Travel

Dear Simply Juicy Traveler,

I wrote this piece back in January and never posted it.  Now that the snow has thawed, I thought it would be a good time to share the the wonderful experience my daughter and I had celebrating her "Sweet Sixteen" this past July.

___________________________________________________________________________________

I spent most of this past Sunday in my pj's, glued to my laptop.  My older child, a freshman at Skidmore College, had just left for Saratoga Springs, NY to begin his second semester.  Feeling a little melancholic, I was busy searching the Internet for inspiration about my next few travel posts. In the next room sat my 16-year daughter,in front of the family computer, listening to a song that was about to pull at my heartstrings.

My eyes began to well up as I heard "Your Song" (the Moulan Rouge version) and was reminded of the powerful experience that Kelly and I had together in Italy this past summer.  The last time I'd heard this was the night in Venice when I realized how profound an impact this trip would have on Kelly, myself, and our relationship with each other.

While most of her friends enjoyed big "Sweet Sixteen" parties, Kelly chose a trip to Italy.  After many "discussions" with my husband about finances (mortgage, college tuition, etc) and whether we could afford such a trip (contrary to popular belief, I don't get to travel for free), he acquiesced and agreed to let me take Kelly, and her friend Amanda, to Italy for her 16th birthday.  He and my son would stay home with the dog, while we embarked on a "Girl's Adventure" through Italy.

Choosing a multi-generational tour, we traveled with 7 or 8 families of different configurations (some  kids were with both parents, while others were accompanied by a single parent or grandparent) from Rome, to Orvietto, Florence and Venice.  We spent a week exploring ancient sites(Roman Coliseum, Cysteine Sistine Chapel) renown works of art (the Pieta, the David) and natural wonders (the canals in Venice).

We traveled the Italian countryside by deluxe motor coach and fast speed train (the Eurostar), ventured through the underground tunnels of Orvietto, enjoyed a gondola ride through the canals of Venice (while being serenaded by an Italian musician and Opera singer), watched a master craftsman create Murano glass figures and sampled different flavors of gelatto...everywhere we went.

The culmination of this wonderful journey occurred two nights before our Italy departure, on a waterfront balcony in Venice.  Intending to take a quick nap after a busy day, I inadvertently fell into a deep sleep sometime after 7pm.  My daughter Kelly, her friend Amanda and the rest of the kids from our tour group sat on the beach in front of the hotel, waiting for the fireworks extravaganza to begin.  Waking suddenly at almost 11pm, I had just enough time to jump out of bed and throw open my shutters.

What followed were 30 minutes of awe-inspiring fireworks, perfectly choreographed with hauntingly beautiful music. The event was created by a wealthy Venetian business co-coalition with a light display so stunning, I was moved to tears. And although we were not standing next to each other, It was at that moment that I realized the powerful connection we created by taking this trip together...a connection that will last forever. The trip, it turned out, was as much a present to me as it was for my "sweet-16" daughter, Kelly.