We spent two weeks of the last month wandering the streets of Rome and Florence and it. was. dreamy. Sorting through these pictures makes me wish I was drinking an espresso next to the Arno instead of organizing our pantry, but I’m thankful we are home in one piece! Especially when traveling abroad, traveling with a toddler can be intimidating, but I am always pleasantly surprised by how well Quinn adapts to the jet lag and changes in her routine. In reality, I was the limiting factor on this trip. After having back surgery in February I still need to rest periodically to keep from over-doing it, but we made the best of the situation by stopping as often as necessary at any one of Italy’s endless supply of cafes and gelato shops.
Each day we’d explore the city, walking aimlessly through the cobblestone streets. I fell in love with every old door along the way. Ryne and I have been to Rome and Florence before, which gave us the delightful freedom to roam without feeling obligated to see every famous statue and museum during our time there. Instead, we ate pasta guilt-free, drank way too much wine (just kidding that’s not possible), and consumed our body weight in gelato every chance we got. 
I was so thankful that my parents were on this trip with us. They took Quinn periodically so that Ryne and I could sneak away for an afternoon stroll or a night-cap at the rooftop bar. Quinn played with her aunt and happily forgot we existed. It was a win-win 😉 I’m hopeful that it won’t be long before she starts making real long-term memories of these trips taken together as a family.
