Why would a grown woman cry in the middle of a piazza?
Not from pain. Not from fear.
From beauty.
A couple of months ago, in Lucca, I stumbled onto an impromptu open air opera performance in a piazza.
No stage. No tickets.
Just a handful of singers who opened their lungs to the afternoon air.
And right next to me — this woman. Maybe sixty. Maybe seventy.
Standing so still, eyes wide. And then the tears came.
She didn’t look embarrassed. Didn’t wipe them away.
She let them fall.
Because sometimes the right notes, in the right place, at the right time, break you wide open.
That’s what travel can do.
It can grab you by the heart when you’re least expecting it, and remind you why you left home in the first place.
But here’s what most people do instead:
They stuff their itinerary to the gills.
They rush from monument to monument.
They worry about schedules, train changes, and where to eat, until their brain is fried.
And they leave no space.
No space for that moment. The one that might catch you off guard, leave you breathless, make you feel something so real it’s almost too big for your chest.
You deserve a trip that hits you like that woman in the piazza.
You deserve to feel Italy.
Not collect a spreadsheet of “done” things.
So here’s what I’ll ask you today:
If you’re already sketching out this year’s dream trip — and your head is swimming with train stations, day trips, check-in times, home base options, museum lines, trattoria choices, all the should-we-shouldn’t-we details…
Pause.
Protect some room for wonder.
Because you might not even know how to build those moments in, but you can absolutely set yourself up to welcome them.
And you’d better believe they are worth it.
Moments like this don’t come with a line on the map. They happen in the gaps.
Leave room for the gaps.
Alla prossima (until next time),
P.S. — I just completed eight beautiful 2026 Italy itineraries for clients this month. My February schedule is filling up quickly, with two more spots available for 2026 or 2027 trip planning. If you’re planning a trip, let’s chat.