Stupid And Crazy: And The Winner Is...?

Italy.

It looks like you all have spoken, and have chosen Italy as the random country I will be taking a trip to. I'll pretend I'm not ridiculously excited that Italy was the winner, but between you and me? Fantastic choice.

I'll admit my mind is running away with me just a little bit. I can envision myself now; sipping red wine with a plateful of spaghetti while rendering an exquisite freehand sketch of the Colosseum, saying something brilliant to passerbys like, "Ringrazio la mela dopo la mezzanotte".

In reality I'm pretty sure the phrase above translates roughly into "Thank the apple after midnight", and I'll probably be so hungry, tired and lost that I wouldn't recognize the Colosseum even if I ended up sleeping next to it. Eh, all minor details.

But before I get to ahead of myself I'm afraid I have some news for those of you hoping you to get a blog from me in a week or so from my return trip: it looks like I will be postponing my trip until the spring.

Complete bummer, right?

Not exactly. Life happened and I had to account for it. Here are the main reasons the trip is being delayed:

1.) Our roommate is moving out. In two weeks. To move in with his ex-fiance, from 4 years ago, that he just got back together with 3 weeks ago. It all happened pretty suddenly, and my boyfriend and I can't afford the rent on our own. We might have a more affordable a place opening up by October, but it's all still up in the air. I simply can't justify spending $1060 on a plane ticket to Italy when that money might be all that's standing between us and being evicted.

2.) Then after school starts (September 7), there's no vacation options of any kind until December, due to my full-time internship. I've been approved to take 23 credits this fall so I can graduate as soon as possible, and when you're taking that kind of course load, a day off is a luxury you can't afford. Plus, it would be a pretty lousy trip if I was stressed over school the entire time.

So when is the best time to take a trip to Italy? According to one family member who has traveled there numerous times (and the Internet): Spring. March-Aprilish. Apparently it's gorgeous, the weather is in the high 60's-low 70's (Fahrenheit), and there are no tourist crowds to compete with. August-Septemberish? Excruciatingly hot (90-100 F), fanny-pack photogs everywhere, and not to mention a little bitty holiday known as Ferragosto where everyone heads to the beaches and central Italy basically shuts down.

I think I may have actually dodged a bullet.

So what have I learned from all of this? My first rule of planning a trip: calm down. I was so excited to go I probably would've gone at the worst time of year. By worst I mean hottest. I can handle cold, I'm a Montana girl, but too much heat and I start melting like the Wicked Witch of the West. Plus, this way I may even save some money instead of spending and then scrounging to make up for it.

The point is, it's an expensive ticket. Why not get the most out of it? My trip is set for the Spring, thanks for voting!

But in the meantime, please vote in the poll on the right as to which activity you are most interested in learning about. (See this post for explanation). You choose, I do!