I began my trip with lots of planning, overthinking and excitement!!

2/7/19

I began my trip with lots and lots of planning, overthinking, excitement, sleepless nights, staying up till two in the morning looking at Airbnb‘s. On February 7 I stuffed all my clothes in a bag and got the house ready to leave for two weeks. I set I the heater on 50 degrees, on vacation mode, I set the hot water heater off, on vacation, fed the cats three days worth of food, bought them a special bowl so the water doesn’t freeze, put a heating pad in their bed and got somebody coming to feed them on a regular basis. I think it’s the first time in my life I’ve been able to leave the house completely clean when I left!

My kitchen as I left home

This picture was taken in Italy of my relatives.

Studying travel books and Italian!

It’s a snowy day and I’m leaving some heat on because the temperatures and Libby are expected to be down to zero this week. But I am excited I’m heading to Italy where the temperatures will be between 50 and 68° the first I’m heading to Kalispell to finish getting ready with my daughters help and run a few more errands before I fly out on Monday morning!!

Lots of snow as I left home, heading to 50 degrees!!!

In Kalispell I found this amazing vest with zippers on the pockets and inside pockets too. It would squish really small to go in carryon luggage. And with zipper pockets i wouldn’t have to carry purse. I’ve been hearing there are lots of pick pockets there so I want to be prepared so I don’t have to worry about it. I got my international drivers license, in case I decide to rent a car.

I brought all my "carly's" so the girls could help me pack!

Sunday I went to church with Martha and the gist of what I heard:

We are created in his image

When we love beauty in nature, loving creativity, enjoyment of family, travel, loving freedom, music, ambition, hopes, dreams etc. we are like this because God made us like him. Those things in us are good, he created them!!!

God loves beauty and I believe He has opened the door for me to go see it! At first I wondered if this trip would be ok with God. But as God provided and made a way, He told me he’s going with me! I’m not going alone! It’s me and God!

Monday morning 5:15 am!!!

Mark got up to bring me to the airport on this new beautiful exciting morning 😊 with temperature this morning is at 3° and it is still snowing. I am leaving in my Birkenstocks and I have two bags and a container of tea.

I woke up this morning to check to see where they placed me for seating because since it’s such a cheap flight you cannot pick your own seating. Since I have trouble with nausea on planes I usually like to pick over the wings since that’s where the less least bumps are. I was so excited when I see that they placed me exactly over the wing and on a window seat!!!

I felt again so extremely blessed! Like God was telling me again that He’s with me as we go. 😊

(So another HUGE miracle for me, is that the entire trip I never dealt with nausea through out all the plane rides! I have never had that happen to me before! Another miracle to be sure!)

I have 2 full days of travel ahead, but here starts my crazy adventure! I'm going to Italy!! Where my grandparents were born! Running on adrenaline!