La Dolce Vita
4 mins read

La Dolce Vita

We survived the 10 hour flight to Europe, a 4 hour layover and a road trip to our Villa.  Surprisingly, this trip was more difficult than the one I made with Rain and Shaya to visit David in Africa. Afternoon flights to Europe are the most difficult.  Even though the redeye seems disruptive, trust me it is the ONLY way to go when traveling abroad.  My kids were up the entire flight. We arrived in the morning Paris time, which means we all missed an entire night’s sleep.   During the layover in Paris, my son decided to make the seating area a track- which his sisters enjoyed timing his speed round and round!  All I was thinking was, “Yes, wear him out!!!” Neriah finally crashed out on her sweatshirt/makeshift pillow across the cleanest spot she could find, and the rest of us (including Rain) rocked on.  Rain became our copilot as David and I made sense of a VERY crude map and Italian directions to our countryside villa.  Good news is we made it, and even better it was well worth the schlep…

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I can hear the sounds of Italian chatter, God I wish I spoke the beautiful language, pots are clanging in the kitchen, and the smell of fresh garlic is circulating through the house like my roses on a windy day.  There is such beauty here, and every peak around the property looks like a postcard.  David is salivating at the architecture; he tried his best to immolate the old Mediterranean style in our home.  Now I see first hand what inspired him from his childhood in Europe.  It’s simply beautiful, and I so mean SIMPLE in the most wonderful way.

 

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Truth is that I needed to travel far away to really check out with my family.  I snuck down to the parlor while the kids were fast asleep, and David is watching the final game of the World Cup.  Our friends are playing backgammon on the iPad and I am so inspired that I had to write and share this feeling.  I am totally relaxed, and thrilled that my children are able to experience a different slice of life.  They have asked for their computer and video games a few times today. Like most of us, it will take them some time to adjust to the R&R.  My goal is to take a tech break, bond with the kids and show them how to relax in an environment that is far from home.  We are here together, with another family whose girls go to school with mine.  We are enjoying the views, talking, bonding and swimming.  Thank God for the pool because it is hot as hell!

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Tonight for dinner, the house prepared an incredible home made pizza cooked in an outdoor authentic pizza oven; I saw the dough rising today on the kitchen counter. Won’t find that in my house, LOL! I desperately wanted to hang in the kitchen and pick up some Italian tips from the grandma working there.  It’s so tempting, but so is the down time with my family.  We are discovering things about each other every day.  It’s sweet and sad at the same time.  If any of you read one of my early blogs called “He’s in Love With Another Woman” then you know that my son and his Nanny have a thing going; if the competition were ON, I’d be SOL!!!!!  So this trip it’s just the family, actually our Nanny is part of our family – but we are only counting on each other for the summer.  I can’t say that I’m not exhausted after packing and then moving in for 6 people, and romance has taken a back seat, but I love this and all of us need it.  I’ve said it before; it truly takes a village to raise a family.  I am watching my older girls raise their young siblings, its beautiful, and I am so proud of them.  Being far away from what we know day-to-day is teaching us a valuable life lesson.  I know this time away will make many memories; they’re all annoyed with my constant picture taking.  But, I don’t really care, I know they will thank me later.

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Ciao…

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