Ciao Bella

I have been planning on taking a long road trip during summer 2013 to visit friends and see family. Well, while talking about this with my mom she mentioned that I should hold off. She and my dad are thinking about taking a family trip to Italy during the same time as my theoretical road trip. As much as I love my friends and extended family, I would much prefer going to Italy. Mom knows how much I love to plan trips, and has given me the go ahead to start planning my family's Italian adventure. I can't wait to show my family so many places with which I have already fallen in love. 

Me in Rome in 2009. 

The trip would probably fall in late June which is perfect timing in my eyes. It would hit at the halfway mark for the deployment. I really hope this works out. I love planning trips and think this would help make the deployment fly by. By the time we got home and I returned to Fort Drum, it would be almost time to start thinking about homecoming and redeployment.

I am so excited! I have been planning up a storm and bouncing off the walls since yesterday. Obviously, the reason that Lane can't also go is sad. However, I think this will be a good chance for my nuclear family ( sans Lane) to have a chance to reconnect. We haven't all been together in years.