Four Dreams, Seven Cities, One Unforgettable Italian Summer

We turned a corner in Rome, and there it was. The Colosseum, massive and ancient, standing at the end of the street like it had been waiting for us. Our hotel was so close that we could walk there on a whim, and we did, night after night, the ancient stones glowing under the evening lights. What a dream.

This trip had been a long time coming. When Cosette was accepted into the La Musica Lirica Opera Performance Program and Zoë into the Orsolina28 dance intensive with Johan Inger, we knew we had to build something bigger around these opportunities. This wasn't just about lessons and rehearsals. This was about experiencing Italy as a family, seven cities in all: Rome, Florence, Venice, Rimini, San Leo, Novafeltria, and Moncalvo. I won't lie, the logistics made me nervous. Two performance schedules, four people, countless trains and buses. But we were determined to make it work.

Each of Us Found Our Moment

For Zoë, the magic happened the moment she arrived at "The Eye," the open studio space at Orsolina28. She had seen photos and videos of that room for years, dreaming of dancing there. When she finally stepped inside, surrounded by new friends from around the world, she said it felt unbelievable. Watching her face in that moment, I understood why we had planned this trip around her passion.

Lilly found her breath taken away at San Leo. We climbed to the top early, before the crowds arrived, and stood in the quiet morning air taking in views that stretched forever. There was something about that stillness, the grandeur of the mountains and ancient fortress walls, that made us all pause. We were so grateful we had made all our bus transfers to get there. Another small blessing.

Cosette fell completely in love with Novafeltria, a small town just outside Rimini. Mountains to climb, rivers to swim in, and a community that welcomed her with open arms. She loved the deep appreciation for music there and felt enriched to be part of it. She called it the perfect place to call home while away.

The Surprise That Stole the Trip

One afternoon in Florence, we happened to be near Galileo's house and decided to take a hike up the hill. After arriving, we spontaneously kept walking, and that's when we stumbled upon Forte di Belvedere. We hadn't planned to find it. We hadn't even heard of it. But there it was, a fortress with a charming terrace where we bought drinks and played cards with a deck of Florence playing cards we'd just picked up. From that terrace, you could see all of Florence spread out below, the Dome rising above the rooftops. It was one of those moments you can't plan for, and maybe that's what made it perfect.

The hotels our travel advisor chose truly added to the experience. The one in Florence was exactly our style, with a pool and a sweet little garden. The Rome hotel, right around the corner from the Colosseum and Roman Forum, gave us those stunning late night walks to the ancient sites. And having help planning all the trains and buses? That gave us peace of mind for what could have been an overwhelming amount of travel between performance schedules and sightseeing.

The Moments I'll Keep Forever

For me, every time we stepped into a new city, I was in awe. But the moments I hold closest are watching my daughters perform, Cosette in opera, Zoë in dance. Those were full of magic. To see them doing what they love, in places they had dreamed about, surrounded by artists from around the world? That was everything.

This trip changed us. To see sites in person that we had only ever known from pictures and textbooks, to feel the weight of history under our feet, we felt so lucky to experience it together as a family. And now that we've taken our first trip to Europe, we see just how big the world is. Ireland, Austria, Greece, France, Australia, Japan, and definitely back to Italy. The list is long, and we're already dreaming.