Today has been the most spectacular part of our Italian journey. I am sitting on a terrace at a dear friend’s villa in Sardinia overlooking the Porto Cervo Harbor. The yachts are rolling in, traffic is scarce, and there is a peace in the wind that is blowing through us. This is exactly what I dreamed of when I imagined us leaving our paradise in Malibu and taking this long awaited family vacation.
We are sharing time with friends of 20 years, the kids are swimming, David is thick into a backgammon game and Shaya is shooting imaginary “bad guys” with his water gun. A village peddler made a house call today. My girlfriend and I bought gorgeous, authentic pareos and ponchos, my favorite kind of beach cover-ups. Too bad I was shopping for 4! My girls are developing quite stylish taste, but their island look is irresistible. Actually, I like to look at it as a savings, although David begs to differ. “Look at how much money I saved!” I boasted, knowing that I would have spent 10 times the price had I have fallen in love with the same pieces anywhere else in the world. My dilemma will be finding the way to get everything home. I am crazy about the hand painted pottery and kitchen table accessories. These are such great keepsakes to transform my kitchen into a colorful Italian cocina.
My children are sun kissed with cocoa skin now, and I cannot take enough pictures everywhere we go. I am trying to capture these moments so I can fill my walls back home with priceless summer memories. These days are as good as they come! Watching my children is strangely different here, in a special way. My 8 year old is learning how to raise her little brother, my 10 year old is calmer than I have ever witnessed her, and Rain, my 3 year old, is trying to keep up with all of us. A change of pace, and a change in energy are changing many things. Sometimes I look at my family and can’t believe they are all mine. The reality is different here than it will be when I take them all home.
There is harmony in moments that could have been a disaster…
Here is the scene at one of the MANY airports – Rain is happy to be in charge of her own bag and her brother’s bag. Shaya – as lazy as can be – has hitched a ride on Sierra’s carry on. Honestly we are all helping each other, or we would not make it.
We are counting the days; wishing time would slow down. I am missing my loved ones back home a bit, but here in Italy I could not ask for anything more.
