I think I'm still processing this trip. I told you I was in a photography funk, and when I finally looked at the 1,000+ photos on my memory card, I was, "meh." Seems a shame, doesn't it? Honestly, this vacation was so... weird. All little things, but if something could go wrong for me, it did. I lost my favorite sweater (more on that later). I slammed my knee into a stainless steel bench at Termini Station in Rome. I slammed my toe into the back of a bus seat on the ride from Sorrento to Positano (causing much icky blood and the loss of my big toe nail...TMI, I know). I had two migraines (one on the flight back home, so triple UGH). See? Little things, but they add up.

And then there's the mom factor. My friend Kim and I were talking about this at lunch. The mom factor says that the mom never gets to do the things she really wants to do. I know I sound incredibly bitchy right there, and I promise I don't mean it that way. We had an absolutely amazing time, and I'm so grateful for all we did. But when we went to get fried artichokes in the Jewish ghetto in Rome it was simply too hot to make the trek. And when I finally made it to Positano, it stormed and we had to grab the last boat out at the early (rainy) hour of 5PM.

Neel will read this and (likely) think I'm being whiny, and my dad will read this and worry that I didn't have fun. Not true! (Well, maybe a little whiny.) No one can fault the fact that it was the hottest week in Rome, ever, and no one can fault the storms that moved through Positano. Everything we did do was spectacular and amazing, and I'm so grateful for every moment we had. I'll share them in the coming days (with all the lousy photos -wink-), but there's no mistaking the fact that Violet's death threw me off my game (And I promise, I'll stop bringing up the dead dog. After one last post, which I'm not yet ready to write.)

How's this for horrible? I did not buy a single souvenir. See? Clearly not thinking straight. (And I'm starting to think Neel and I need to go to Positano for our 20th anniversary... Next October, Neel!) But you know what? It was amazing, and there were spectacularly wonderful moments each and every day. I just figured I'd better get the negative stuff before sharing the good stories. Except the one about my dad, the pigeon and the steps of the Vatican. That's kind of a negative story, but I'll be sharing it later anyway.

Bet you can't wait.