I take travel planning very seriously. So seriously that when my vision starts to blur, I take it as a sign that I’ve maxed out on planning for the day. From flights and Airbnbs to the infinite number of TikTok-recommended “must-see” activities, I had a vision for the dream family European vacation.
The travel plan was ambitious: fly from Nashville to Milan, spend three nights exploring Lake Como, make our way down to the Italian Riviera, return to Milan (with a day trip to Verona, naturally), then fly to Vienna before ending our journey in Prague.
Simple.
Now, while this itinerary was preplanned, a family trip would not be a family trip without a sprinkle of spontaneity. After all, that’s what makes a story interesting. People want to hear the juicy bits.
Not that Bellagio, Lake Como, wasn’t one of the most beautiful places ever. We were fortunate to spend our time visiting stunning villas and roaming uphill cobblestone streets. We would have aperitivo overlooking the lake and wander into little shops (rarely buying anything, but looking nonetheless).
They want to hear that our Airbnb was about a 20-minute walk from the city center… uphill… with no sidewalks on the winding roads, drivers who were both fast and furious, and taxis that were harder to come by than you’d think.
They want to hear about the time we finally got a taxi in Bellagio.
We told the driver our drop-off address, and she said she knew exactly where it was. My mom began to pull out her phone to show the directions, but the driver insisted she didn’t need them. The ride was scenic, with our driver pointing out must-see destinations on her GPS. The vibe was carefree, and we felt the accomplishment of securing a taxi (the daily challenge).
However, we began to notice that the driver was taking us a way we had never gone before.
My mom looked back at my brother and me, mouthing that this seemed wrong, but we reassured her to trust the driver. I should have known, though. Moms are always right.
So, of course, we arrived at the wrong destination.
When we explained to the driver that this was, in fact, not our Airbnb, the vibe completely changed. What was once relaxed became increasingly panicked. The driver had another ride! She had to get to them! We were still 10 minutes away from our Airbnb, and she wasn’t about to leave us.
Gulp.
Right?
Okay, corny writing aside, the point is that we were very anxious now.
The taxi driver pulled out quickly, and we heard, “Madonna Mia!” followed by a string of other Italian pleas. She hit the gas, and the next thing we knew, we were flying. Zooming our way around the windiest and steepest roads ever. I’m from Tennessee and I have seen my fair share of country back roads. This was worse. Much worse.
You could have heard a pin drop in the silence.
Each turn felt like beating the odds. I was afraid to breathe.
We began to slow down because there was another driver on the road. My mom broke the tension (or attempted to) by saying, “It’s frustrating when you’re in a hurry and stuck behind a slow driver.”
Silence.
My brother and I side-eyed each other.
The car pulled away, and we were back in the action sequence. We glanced at the speedometer, and she’s pushing 35 as we zigzag up a mountain. My seatbelt worked overtime to keep me in my seat.
We finally began the last trek up the hill to our Airbnb and all let out a breath of relief. The taxi driver pulled onto the gravel driveway and whipped out the card reader. My mom paid, we said our thanks, and we exited with shaky legs. We made it alive!
You seriously had to be there.
That is a story I will carry with me forever when I think about the first time I went to Europe with my family.
In Lake Como, we stayed just outside Bellagio and took day trips to Menaggio, Tremezzo, and Lenno. In Bellagio, we visited Villa Melzi. In Tremezzo, we visited Villa Carlotta. In Lenno, we visited Villa del Balbianello (the Hayden Christensen Star Wars villa). The views were spectacular, the gardens were lush, and the architecture was grand.
10/10 on the villas.
Overall, I learned that no matter the stressors of a family vacation, being able to be present in the moment is so grounding.
My brother and I came up with a phrase to say whenever we were overcome with 1) hanger (hungry + angry), 2) tanger (tired + angry), and 3) hot + angry (which is basically hanger again?).
We would say, “Look around you right now.”
And it actually always worked.
Because there is no reason to be crashing out in such a gorgeous place.
Sometimes it was even funny when we were in less aesthetically pleasing locations, such as the Milan train station (the train area, not the beautiful station itself). We’d look around and just feel grateful to experience another part of the world.
That’s my recap of Lake Como! Stay tuned for our journey to the Italian Riviera… I did find my love in Portofino!
Ciao for now? (I missed saying that! Iykyk)
Madeline in Prague 
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