THE BACKSTORY

This trip was supposed to happen in September 2020 but, as we all know, the pandemic had other plans. It was a special trip because my mom was joining, as Italy has always been on her bucket list. Since rescheduling to April 2023, we were able to recruit my dad to join us. This was his first trip outside of North America (and my mom’s second, as she visited me in Granada, Spain when I studied abroad).

Traveling domestically, much less internationally, is very difficult with certain medical conditions, so we were all very excited that my dad has stayed healthy and could be joining us. Long story short: become an organ donor. You could be the reason someone is able to take that dream trip and not remain tied to where they live and where their medical team is.

Some additional context

For those of you who don’t know my parents, you should know that they are saints and deserve nothing less than a perfect trip to anywhere in the world. Since June 2020, they have been living with my dad’s high school friend’s kids, after he unexpectedly passed away and their mom had passed away several years prior. My parents are the most selfless, giving, and kind people I know, so we wanted them to have a wonderful and well-deserved vacation. This trip was made possible by all of the kids - we came together to cover all of their costs. A huge thank you to Michael, Matthew, and the entire Poker family for helping make this trip so special.

EXPLORING ITALY

We visited Rome where we toured the Vatican and Colosseum and ate lots of pasta. We explored Florence where we took a pasta class, tried Florentine steak (it was over three pounds!), ate the best gelato of our lives, purchased cool leather purses, and enjoyed a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo. We relaxed in Salerno where we ate delicious Naples-style pizza and hopped a ferry to Amalfi where we tried all things Amalfi lemon and fresh seafood. My parents took a day trip to Pompeii where they enjoyed an engaging tour with an archeologist and Daniel and I took a bullet train to Naples and found some incredible pizza. It was a great trip and really fun to be able to explore Italy together.

Italian Inspiration

I always find so much inspiration and joy in exploring different cities and cultures. I hope you enjoy this photographic peek into our adventures:

BONUS: Travel-Inspired Artwork

I have been working on a new collection of travel-inspired stickers that will be added to the Lettering Works collection in the coming months. Here’s a preview of a couple of the designs: