WRITTEN by JOHN MORRIS
Milan to Roatan… back to shorts and flip flops!
Winston Churchill once said, “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.”
Nothing could be truer with my wife and me. While we spent hours and hours planning our Italian adventure, we ended up following very little of it… as usual.
You see, if we’re not as happy as we thought we would be in a particular area or town, we make a change. It often means a bit more expense, but hey – it was our vacation, so we wanted it to be the very best it could be.
This particular trip was more difficult to plan because we traveled in winter rather than our preferred spring or fall. But it was the holiday season and we were overdue to get back to see the family. We mixed family time with some getaway time and in the end, we blended it well.
I… and sometimes we… got see things and places for the first time which is always exciting and a fun adventure.
One of my favorite days was our last day (why is that always the way?) when we ventured to the majestic Lago Maggiore. We took a spur of the moment mini lake cruise and it was absolutely magical!
Our return journey was a pleasure (as much as long flights can be) mostly thanks to United Airlines.
I can feel my Roatan traveling friends cringe as I write this, but they really outdid themselves. They changed our flight in Newark to avoid a seven-hour layover without charge… gave us free wine and snacks in economy class because of you-know-who’s birthday… corrected seat assignments… and checked bags to be sure we did not pay anything extra.
I only have one complaint. The temperature inside the planes on the way over was perfectly lovely and cozy. Coming back, all flights were like an ice box. I guess I will never figure this one out. As I type on the final leg from Houston to Roatan, my fingers are numb and my wife’s nose is as cold as Frosty the Snowman!
Word to the wise – when traveling in winter, bring your own throw blanket. You will thank me.
And so, this one is in the books. I feel closer to my wife’s family than ever before, my Italian improved a bit and I ate and drank the most wonderful food and wine.
I look forward to arriving in Roatan as it is Saturday and the airport is the place to be!
Remember the scene in the movie Love Actually, when everyone arrives back in Heathrow? It’s not much different on Roatan.
We are already planning our next trip to Italy. We have a better idea where we want to go next time… and where we do not need to go again. One thing is for sure… I want it to be warm.
And that’s enough planning for now!
P.S. It’s a balmy 82 degrees right now on Roatan… and in case you’re wondering, the first thing I did when we got home was ditch the shoes and socks, and exchange the long pants for shorts!
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