I'm a lucky girl

Today's a WIN.

I worked all morning and finished my project for my folklore class and turned it in with plenty of time.

Oh ya, I also PURCHASED TICKETS TO ITALY AND IRELAND!!!!

Yup, headed to the motherland.  Why?  I'll tell you.  My mom is involved in (actually, she's the token president of) a family non-profit organization  that connects the descendants of John Blackburn who immigrated from Ireland around 1700.  I have no idea how she found it, but for the last five or six years she's attended the reunions held every other year in different places related to the family's history including Ireland once before, Gettysburg, PA, and Salt Lake City.  It's Ireland's turn again.  Last time she went I really wanted to go, but it was the summer before my senior year of high school and I'd already planned out all my camps for that very same time frame.  I'm glad I'm going now instead of then though because I'll appreciate it a lot more.

Wait, what about Italy?  Glad you asked.  Once I convinced Mom it was a good idea to go back to Ireland and take me with her, I suggested that since we are spending all this money go to clear over to Europe, we might as well take some time and see a few other places.  She agreed with my logic, and said we could go other places if I planned it.  GAAAK!  Can you say dream come true??  I was paralyzed with indecision for months, but this last week I went and talked to a BYU travel agent (anyone can use them, and it's free!) and she helped me figure out realities. I did more research over the weekend and we finalized the flights today.  We start in Milan, make our way south for 10 days, hop from Rome to Dublin, spend a week in Ireland, then head home.  

Meraviglioso!

I'm sooo excited for this trip, especially since I took an art history class last semester that covered the Renaissance.  I'm a study abroad nut remember.  All the best vacations are educational.  The should be called eduvacations.  Or veducational. Ha!