Here I am, fleeing the chaos yet again. I once wrote about longing to return to a time when travel could be more about wanderlust and less about escape, but alas, that time is not now—in fact, I’ve never felt further from it than I do at this moment. Will that time ever return? I’d like to think it will, but until it does, I’m deeply grateful that I have the luxury to treat myself to some respite.
The last time you heard from me, I was finishing a trip through the Baltics and preparing to return to a “house full of holes”—the result of a water fiasco that occurred before I left for my trip (it’s usually nice to return to your own bed after a long trip, but far less nice when you’re returning to months of home repair). I’m happy to report that after several months, all of the holes were fixed, which cleared the way for several more months of tackling home improvements that were planned before the water disaster occurred. In total, it was seven long months of house-related chaos, but I have the satisfaction of saying it’s now done. During that time, I was thankful to be in this “pre-retirement” phase of life, which allowed me the opportunity to focus on the tasks at hand without the distraction of work (not to mention the luxury of thinking of work as the distraction!).
If you recall, my last trip included my first “true” cycling trip abroad. I had a wonderful time seeing the Baltics via bicycle, but ended it thinking that if I ever did it again, I’d want a different (lighter) bike and my own bike pedals (I’ll spare you non-cyclists an eye-rolling explanation). As luck would have it, the perfect opportunity presented itself not long after my return when I discovered that members of my cycling group were planning a cycling trip in Tuscany. Although I’ve traveled through Italy before in my pre-blog days, I couldn’t pass up a chance to experience it via bike, so here I am in Lucca—the “City of Art” (aka the “City of 100 Churches,” so take your pick)—in the heart of the Tuscany region. Tomorrow I will meet my cycling friends to kick off a trip full of bikes, food, wine, and coffee amidst the gorgeous Tuscan countryside. After the cycling portion of this trip, I will say arrivederci to my friends and embark on a solo exploration of the Umbria region and Naples, which are parts of Italy that I haven’t yet experienced.
If you’re also craving a momentary escape from the daily drama, I invite you to follow along…
tales of wander 
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