After Thoughts from the Plane

I have no job, no money, no plans, no ideas, but I have an experience. I learned A LOT. Other than the obvious, the wine making process, the regions of wine in Italy, Italian language, I learned a lot about myself and other valuable life lessons. (Yes, brace yourself, this is the time of the blog where I write the “moral of the story,” my deepest reflections on life…you get the picture and you knew it was coming.)

- Be spontaneous. You don’t always have to follow a plan. Sometimes when you do just exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it, you end up with the best experience you could’ve ever imagined.

- Know where you are going. Know how to get there, and BE THERE EARLY.

- Pay it forward, always.

- Take a chance and talk to strangers. Chances are they are more interesting than you, and they might give you some insight on how to live your life.

- When in France, claim Italian. When in Italy, claim American. And when in Switzerland, be prepared to speak fluently in whatever language you claim.

- Don’t wait on someone else to take you; go on your own.

- Plan your trip, make your decisions, make your life about YOU.

- Don’t drink heavily the night before you have a flight; Airplane hangovers suck.

- Have faith in yourself, even if others don’t think you are able, trust your own judgement.

- In Italy eat pizza and gelato. Drink Prosecco.

- In France eat cheese, the smellier the better, with crusty bread and tiny pastries. Drink Bordeaux. Oh, and drink your coffee from a bowl.

- In Spain eat fish and avoid desserts.

- Swiss fondue and chocolate were good, but not mind-blowingly good.

- Hungary actually produces some really good wines.

- Friends will always be friends, no matter what the distance.

- Don’t drink and cry, it makes for a nasty scene.

- Don’t regret, just learn.

- Always have your standby person who can see/hear you breakdown but won’t tell anyone else so that you can keep a strong appearance. (Thanks Sis, love you!)

- Family is important, and will always be the reason for coming home.

- Don’t forget God. He watches you and protects and guides you safely home. Without him this trip, this life would not exist.