Travel Dreams: Celebrating 40 Years with the Trip of a Lifetime

For our 40th anniversary, we decided to skip the fancy dinner or sparkling jewelry and do what our kids’ generation gets right: choose experiences. We’re headed to Italy—two glorious weeks of la dolce vita: 8 nights in Sorrento and 4 in Taormina, Sicily. Just typing that makes me want to twirl in a linen dress while holding a gelato.

This is a bucket list trip, yes. But it’s also a celebration of everything we’ve built together—and a promise to keep learning, laughing, and saying yes to what lights us up.

Why Now?

Because “someday” isn’t promised. After a couple of years in caretaker mode and deep dives into brain health, it felt like time to look forward to something magical.

We chose Sorrento and Taormina for the coastlines, café life, and slower pace—not crowds and chaos. (2025 is a Jubilee Year, so we’re saving Rome/Florence/Venice for another time.) And yes, we picked Taormina before realizing it was a “White Lotus” Season 2 location—just a happy coincidence.

Our Plan (Besides Eating Everything)

• Lemon grove tour — when life gives you lemons… limoncello

• Vespa ride — iconic, must-do! Note to self: wear a scarf to trail in the wind behind me

• Boat tour — for that “I’m in a movie” moment

• Day trip to Capri — Blue Grotto, I’m coming for you

• Pompeii tour — history + volcano = interesting day

• Day trip to Ortigia — lunch and dinner… and gelato

Why Travel Planning Is My Favorite “Brain Exercise”

Travel isn’t just fun—it’s brain food. The brain loves novelty + challenge, and trip planning delivers:

• Learning — a few Italian phrases, maps you can picture, legends of Vesuvius and Etna

• Problem-solving — stitching drivers, ferries, and tours without losing your cool

• Attention & memory — noticing the details: architecture, flavors, small daily rituals

• Flexibility — plans shift; you adapt; your brain gets stronger (and not everything needs to be “efficient” to be meaningful)

Bottom line: treat planning like practice reps—for curiosity, calm, and confidence.

A Tiny “Learning Prompts” List (steal this!)

Use tiny prompts to keep your brain engaged—one phrase, one detail, one surprise—every day.

• Order coffee and a pastry in Italian (no pointing)

• Spot three architectural details and look up their names

• Ask a local for a non-touristy view—and go

• Read one historical plaque; snap a photo; write one caption sentence

• Try a new citrus (Sorrento lemons are not regular lemons)

• End the day by naming one surprise you want to remember

Brain-Friendly Travel Habits (That Still Feel Like Vacation)

Pace the week: alternate big touring days with slow café mornings so your brain (and feet) get recovery time.

• Walk a lot (hello, 10k steps without thinking).

• Sleep like it matters (darker room, earlier screen-off).

• Eat Mediterranean on the Mediterranean (olive oil, seafood, veggies, beans). Dessert? Yes—slowly and joyfully.

• Hydrate, and take it easy on alcohol on big touring days.

• Build in white space— wandering time beats a rushed museum.

The Accessory Situation Is... Serious

There’s the itinerary—and then there’s the unspoken itinerary: what goes in the suitcase. I’m fairly sure I need a separate bag for accessories. Hats, sunglasses, scarves, a small shoe rotation… a woman needs options. I’m packing light(-ish) so I can come home heavy. #priorities

Come Along

Have you taken your dream trip yet? If not… what are you waiting for? Start small—pick a city, learn five phrases, put a date on the calendar.

I’ll be publishing a post-trip recap with our brain-savvy itinerary, hits/misses, costs, and what we’d tweak next time. If you want a heads-up when new posts go live, use the white “Notify Me!” box in the footer.

Stay curious, friends.

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