My Story
2007 was a life-changing year for me. Starting in February of that year I began planning a 2 week trip to Italy with friends. I had never been to Italy or even Europe before but as I began to research hotels, sight-seeing activities, train schedules and restaurants in Rome, Venice and our other planned stops, the excitement began to grow. I read as many books as I could find about Italy, her history and her people. I found films at our library that I borrowed over and over again. Anything with the word Italy or even the colors of red, green and white together caught my eye. I bought my first Rick Steves Italy guidebook and it became my constant companion. I even began learning some Italian words.
The excitement I felt when walking along the streets of Rome for the very first time has never left me. The wonder and awe I experienced when we stumbled upon the Pantheon that first night is one of my most cherished memories. The architecture, the language, the delicious food and wine, the history, the welcoming Italian people and most importantly the gelato made a deep impression on the German/Polish girl and I fell completely in love with Italy!
After returning home, I missed Italy and longed for the chance to travel again to Europe. In October of that same year, my husband's job required him to move to England indefinitely. My collection of Rick Steves guidebooks began to grow as we spent our weekends traveling to countries we had only previously dreamed of visiting. Not only did we explore all corners of the United Kingdom, but we ventured to Poland, Austria, Germany and even Switzerland and Spain. We traveled to France often and we made our way back to Italy as many times as we could.
During those 4 years that my husband worked in England, I grew to love traveling. I looked forward to planning itineraries that would include the most charming hotels and authentic experiences I could find. We often tell the story of when we visited a restaurant in Avignon, France. The restaurant was tiny and there were only 8 or so tables in the dining room. The menu was entirely in French and we could understand very little. The owner although not speaking much English himself spotted our dilemma, he asked a question in French loud enough for all the diners to hear and the entire room pitched in to help us. "Sanglier" we came to know was the "pig that lives in the forest" and "Pigeonneau" we learned was the "little bird that lived in the city". So although we could speak little French and the restaurant owner and patrons could speak little English, we had a wonderful meal with people that felt like friends.
I enjoyed planning adventures with our friends and family that came to visit. My first group trip was for 10 members of our family. We started in Paris and made our way to Normandy before heading south to Provence. For a week we rented a home in a small French hill-top village called Ansouis. There we immersed ourselves in village life and spent our time exploring Provence. I found that my detail-oriented nature and love of planning made our trip successful and my family still recalls fondly our time in France.
Eventually I began helping others plan their own adventures and I found that it was something I loved to do. My passion for traveling and attention to detail helps me make the efficient use of your travel time but I also plan knowing that sipping a cappuccino in the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica or wandering the narrow, ancient, cobblestoned streets of a small village with no particular destination in mind is just as special and memorable.
Whether you join an escorted tour or Footprints helps you plan your own dream trip, my wish is that your will discover your own passions and be willing to let it change your life, as it did mine.
Buon Viaggio!