moving to italy: one day to go!

Wow, it's hard to believe that TOMORROW we leave for Italy. It's been a wild last year of planning and it's kind of crazy to think that the move is finally here.

We've had a lot of people (friends, family and strangers included) ask recently how we are managing to move to Italy. Strangers -- including people that email us questions -- assume we are rich or somehow independently wealthy. While we would love for this to be true, it's definitely not. We are just two people with a dream of living abroad that set goals, were willing to sacrifice and made it happen. So much in life is possible if you just follow those steps. Goals. Sacrifice. Action.

Our posting will be spotty for the next week or so as we get settled. But, once we're back blogging it will be full of photos, stories and videos from Italy.

Arrivederci! Andiamo all'Italia!

moving to italy: the ups and downs of packing in advance

Good things about packing suitcases two weeks before you leave: limited last-minute stress over what you packed, knowing exactly how much in extra suitcase costs you'll have to pay, feeling like you have all new clothes when you eventually unpack

Bad things about packing in advance: wearing the same pair of pants five days in a row, not knowing what day it is (this happens when you look the exact same for days on end), waking up in the morning and realizing you have nothing clean to wear

Over a week ago we packed most of our clothes and toiletries into two suitcases. We were so proud of ourselves for checking this off the list so early. But now, a few days before we leave I think I speak for both of us when I say we feel pretty gross and unkempt. I will be SO happy to unpack next Wednesday.

P.S. It's a good thing we were able to see the vet yesterday...trying to keep today's original appointment would have been a mess!

Cowntown to Italy: 6

moving to italy: thank goodness we leave next week!

{photo found via the atlanta journal constitution}

Initially we planned to move to Italy this week. Thank goodness we opted for next week (full disclosure: the only reason we opted for next week was because we got more "bang for our buck" for our frequent flier miles).

The picture you see above is the Atlanta aiport, which is totally shut down and - as you might image -  restricting pet travel this week. Considering Rob is flying Delta through Atlanta to Rome, this would have been a total travel catastrophe.

Using my USAirways frequent flier miles was a total hassle and disappointment, but thank goodness for their crazy rules otherwise we'd probably be trying to move during a snowstorm!

Countdown to Italy: 8 Days

moving to italy: unexpected adventures

{awesome photo of Cary Grant found here}

When we move to Italy next week (OMG, did I just say next week?!) we are flying into Rome. We did this in an effort to minimize the number of transfers Winston would have to endur. We considered hopping on the train from Rome to Florence -- which is normally quite easy -- but decided that with 3 checked bags, two carry-ons and Winston, that could be really difficult and frustrating. So, we decided to rent a car.

Imagine my surprise when I'm happily clicking around American Express Travel and couldn't find an automatic transmission car for rent. My aunt (who lives in England and frequently travels all around Europe) was visiting at the time so I decided to ask her why this might be. "They don't really have automatic transmission cars in Italy." Ah, there's the rub.

For many people this wouldn't be a big deal, but neither Rob nor I know how to drive a stick shift. I eventually found automatics for rent, but at $650 for two days we quickly ruled it out as an option. So, I'll give you three guesses what Rob has been doing the past two weeks.

If you guessed learning to drive a stick, ding ding ding, you're right! Unsurprisingly, he's already gotten pretty darn good at it. We're renting a manual transmission for him to test out on Thursday when he drives to Harrisburg to get Winston's paperwork certified.

All in all, not a game-changing thing, but fitting driving lessons into an already busy schedule was a bit tough. We're thankful though, because I'm sure his newfound driving skills will come in handy if we ever want to take a driving trip around Europe!

Countdown to Italy: 9 Days

moving a pet abroad: prepping your pet's kennel for air travel

It's hard to believe, but in just 13 days Winston will make his journey from Philly to Rome, too! There are a couple (very important) things you need to do to ready a pet for travel. On the top of our list was getting the kennel ready and adding a wheel kit to make it easier to roll around in airports

In the video, Rob mentions the importance of drilling the holes in the back fo the crate, which had no openings. This is a common "horror story" that you read online -- people getting to the airport only to find out that their kennel doesn't qualify. It truly underscores the importance of doing your research before a move.

Next week Winston has his appointment with a USDA-certified vet and the next day Rob is driving to Harrisburg to get the paperwork certified. Who knew a 30 pound mutt required so much prep :-)