A Feeling of Comfort & Connection in a Crazy, Rushed Vacation

Traveling to and from Europe may have been one of the most stressful things I have ever done in my entire life outside of planning my wedding.

I'd love to write you out a list of dos and don'ts from my travels or even just a list of positive experiences, but I'm still recovering from what appears to be jet lag. I'm feeling very emotional, and it's usually best to keep your mouth shut when that is the case.

Nevertheless, today, as I look back, I must admit that one of my very favorite moments in my travels was running barefoot through Venice on a rainy Wednesday night to make it to a boat in time. (My shoes were too slippery.) For a brief moment, I was able to let go of all of my worries. The pavement was smooth and soft; the rain was transformed from gross to cleansing and refreshing. I didn't care about how I looked; all I cared about was being in the moment.

Then, back to the hotel I changed into a long-sleeved, clean shirt and put on my cute (yet abused) Target flats before making my way to a small room in the hotel where myself and the people I was with were able to chat about hotels, finances, and other random things over wine as the rain poured down outside. The combination of rain and late night talking resulted in a feeling of comfort, and the late night talking finally allowed me to feel temporarily connected and at ease with those I was wandering around Europe with.

Everything we did on our trip was very fast and impersonal. We weren't staying in places long enough to drink them in; we were gulping them down as fast as we could. In some cases, we were struggling to even breathe. It was constantly a race against time. While I'm grateful for the trip and experience I just returned from, I'm most grateful for those very rare moments of rest and connection that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.