I can’t believe that it’s June already! Where has the whole month of May gone? I can’t believe my far-off, unplanned trip is only a few weeks away. Yeah, a few weeks away!

It’s going to be magical.

Up until today I didn’t have much of a plan; I was going to land in Northern Italy and somehow make my way up to Prague over a ten-day span. I’ll hopefully be meeting up with a friend here, some family there, and then linking up with a big group of my Dad’s fraternity buddies in the Czech Republic.

Aside from that, there was no plan. Often in traveling, though, (and in life) things happen for a reason. I mentioned that I might be stopping in Italy for a little to one of my co-workers. She ran off an returned with one of the archaeologists, who lived in Rome for three years straight. She fell in love during a short stay after college and just didn’t come back – and worked as a tour guide the whole time she was there.

I realized that taking this trip is exactly what I’m meant to do. The universe pretty much handed me an Italian tour guide on a silver platter, who was more than happy to help me out. I now have a full five-day list for roaming around Northern Italy – from Verona to Milan to Venice. What I fell in love with the most is the heavenly, pristine paradise that is Lake Como. Massive glittering lakes at the foot of the Swiss Alps, dotted with luxurious yachts and villas along its banks.

I’m so, so , so in love.

Yeah, this is a real place. On planet earth.