We might win $200,000 a year for 5 years to travel the world. I mean so might the other million people that entered the competition but hey? We could right?
We entered a comp this week and so we were talking about all the places we could travel. Got me thinking back to our trip to Italy. Next Sunday marks 6 months since our return from our glorious time away.
Back story on why we went to Italy. When Nathanael was 19yrs old he served a mission for our church for 2 years. You send your application away and they send you back an area that you serve. It could be in the same country you live or anywhere in the world. This is something you don’t get a say in you just go where you personally are needed. Nathanael was sent to Italy and to learn Italian. When I met Nathanael one of the things we spoke about was his mission and where he had served. He shared with me how he always wanted to go back once the Temple was finished being built. Right then I jokingly said to myself “He must be the one” haha. This was after talking to him for a mere couple of hours. Guess it didn’t end up being a joke. Italy was always a place I wanted to go. Something about it spoke romance and depth.
When we married in Aug 2012, the temple had an expected finish date of late 2012. So off to Vanuatu we went for a quick one-week honeymoon. We planned on going to Italy for a month when it was ready. Next notice we get is that the temple would be finished beginning of 2013. No biggie right? Just a few more months. Then we received notice that there was no current date and to sit tight until more information was given. Fast forward to March 2018….and FINALLY we were told an absolute definite date of March 2019!
You might be wondering why we waited for the temple to be finished instead of just going earlier. For us and our religion the temple is a special and sacred place. Having one in Italy was an incredibly special occasion and one that we didn’t want to miss. Sure it would have been so much easier to go when we didn’t have an almost 3yr old and be 30 weeks pregnant but that’s a sacrifice we were willing to make to be there and see it complete.
So off we go. Leaving behind for the first time our little Annabelle at almost 3yrs. She stayed with my mum and dad (Grandma & Granddad). We hadn’t spent a night away from her yet and now we were to be away for almost a month. The day before we left we finished our breastfeeding journey and were set to go. I cried when we were on the train heading for the airport. My entire last 3years have been spent day and night caring for her every need. I wondered if she would be okay. Would she cry every night asking for us? Would she forget us?
On the plane I had a small panic attack. The reality of being away from her hit me. I knew that I was going to be okay. I knew that I needed this time away. I knew that she was going to be fine but watching the hours tick over and the distance grow between us really confirmed just how far away we were. I couldn’t just turn around and go home if she needed us. I had to commit to the month away and let it be what it would be. So here I am 29 weeks on a plane, quick, shallow breaths, struggling. I needed to write. I started writing exactly how I felt. I’ve not yet looked back on that page I wrote but am curious as to what it says. *Reminder to self, dig it out and have a look.
To let you know how Annabelle went…she did NOT miss us at all. She went on an 8hr road trip to Rockhampton for two weeks and lived her best life with her cousins. She then returned home to Grandma’s house for a few days where the cousins followed, and then by the time they left she only had a few days solo with Grandma and Granddad before we returned. Each time we called her she wasn’t interested in talking to us. She was far too busy having fun. This was a blessing to reassure us but sometimes it truly made me feel like I was replaceable. Luckily when she saw us at the other end she seemed genuinely happy to see us and for a couple of weeks after she would always be touching us. Deep down I knew we had a special bond forged with love.
Our time in Italy was beyond amazing. A culture so rich with history, religion and architecture. What an incredible experience, it’s such a shame I won’t ever experience anything like that again. I never want to fly that far again. Fun fact: I am the biggest travel sook ever! I hate the ‘travel’ part. Being tall and pregnant spending 13hrs on a flight with a 4hr layover from 12am-4am and another 10hr flight followed by 8 vomits during our decent, I think I am done for life. Especially on a plane. No matter how hard it is you cannot just get off and take a break and do another few hours. You are committed and that feeling of being trapped was crippling. So leaving being a big sook behind, our trip was fantastic. Filled with great food, ciambelle con crema (Donuts with custard), trains, breathtaking sights and scenes, so many stairs, obscene lack of seats and bathrooms (two essentials for a preggo) and of course quality time with my husband.
There are so many memories, photos and adventures to share that one post couldn’t possibly do it justice. I think I will break it down into smaller posts. Our trip was broken into blocks of time, our first being Milan/Lake Como/Switzerland, Rome/Temple followed by Florence/Bologna/Venice, then Napoli/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii/Isle of Capri, after that we had 5 days in Rome and finished with Pisa/Cinque Terre/Saronno. I’m so excited to document this adventure of ours and to share it with you all.
I’m also thinking of writing about what to, and how to pack for an overseas holiday? Did you guys want to see my travelling hacks and hear about how I packed for my pregnancy while away? Or perhaps the do’s and don’ts of travelling while pregnant? Let me know in the comments below.
Il viaggio. Ti lascia senza parole, e poi ti cambia al narratore.
Travelling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller – IBN Battuta
Have you been to Italy before? What did you love?
Love Sarah Kay, xx
