Destination, Rome - Thursday, November 12, 2009

In December 2007, just before my mom passed on, I announced to my sister that, if Mom died, I was going to travel to Italy. I reasoned that after dealing with her three month ordeal in the hospital, I should finally make the trip I had been dreaming of for years. A few months later, my brother and sister-in-law expressed interest in going, but then changed their minds. So, my plans to go in 2008 failed and I found myself at Brigantine beach rather than in Florence.

In December 2008, however, my brother and sister-in-law’s interest in the trip re-ignited and we began to seriously consider some really appealing cruises. Something odd happened during January though. My brother, who definitely carries my father’s genes in that he is ever in search of a "great deal", started sending us e-mails about cruises to less than desirable places. You have to understand that the goal was Italy, so a trip to Egypt or Turkey was just not an option. My sister and I grew more concerned as the cruises became more and more exotic and the number of days in Italy grew fewer and fewer. By February, we knew we had to "reel him in." So, one Sunday, we staged an East-West coast planning session via the internet and our cell phones. After much discussion, my brother conceded to research what a two week stay in one Italian city would be like. So, we chose Rome. Then the challenge was to find a suitable hotel. Finally, my brother found a beautiful one near the Metro station and the Colosseum. As we all viewed the website, Steve found enough amenities to consider the hotel a "good enough deal." So, it was settled.

Originally, my brother wanted to travel during the month of April but neither my sister nor I felt ready to travel that soon. When we decided on the two week stay, we chose November because the rates would be less expensive. The amazing thing is that none of us knew at the time what would happen in the next two months. It was in April that I was diagnosed and I either would have had to cancel the trip or would never have been able to enjoy it. Nor did we have any way of knowing that I would finish chemo three weeks before our scheduled vacation, giving me enough time to recuperate after the last treatment. I truly believe that God had a hand in the planning of this trip guiding us without our conscious knowledge. The timing is just too precise for me not to think this. Anyway, no matter what anyone else thinks, I am grateful as I would not have wanted to travel while in the middle of the chemo treatment. So, in a few short days, I will be saying, "Arrivederci, Martindale's" and, "Ciao, Roma."