Here in early May of 2019, Mike and I are preparing for another Study Abroad trip with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida State University (OLLI at FSU).  This trip is called "A Walking Tour of the Amalfi Coast," although the "walking" part is probably a little misleading.  Of course we will walk, but that doesn't really mean that we will "hike."  We will stroll.  We will rest frequently.  We will poke around Pompeii and take frequent water breaks. And we will ride a lot - by bus, train, and ferry.

We will travel with a group of dear OLLI friends. We're all definitely in our third thirties, and some of us are halfway or two-thirds along in that span. We all have various physical complaints: sore knees, wonky hips, aching feet. We need naps from time to time.

BUT - we are avid knowledge seekers.  We drink in the scenery, frequently forgetting to take photos. We ask questions, driving local guides a little crazy.  We bring along an instructor on these Study Abroad trips, and Bill, our teacher for this one, is a doozy. He's even teaching a sketching class in May so that even the least of us (that would be me) will know how to maybe sketch an arch, a pediment, a wave, a rock.  I am determined. And Bill accompanied us to Florence, so he knows what he's in for.

We bring to this trip much group experience.  Some of these OLLI friends have been pretty much everywhere and their bucket lists are full of strange goals (visit a home in the Northern Territories and have dinner) and obscure destinations (follow the path of the film-makers in Bruges).  That fact makes this group an absolute blast to hang out with. And pretty much everyone is willing to sip an adult beverage as the day grows short, and to talk endlessly.  Talk.  That we are really good at.

First, of course, we must get ready.  We've already checked our medications and made sure we have an ample supply.  Good dog-loving friends will take care of our Trudy.  We have purchased new, very comfortable walking shoes (and have broken them in).  Now that we're a month out, we will let our bank know that we will be away.  We are watching the 10-day forecast for the Amalfi Coast and will get the last guess for the weather before we pack anything.  And we have tickets - for a play, for a tour, and maybe soon for a boat trip around the Isle of Capri.

My plan is to keep this blog going both during our prep time and, of course, while we are there. Frankly, it's the only way I can remember which days match which photographs. And there's just something about sitting comfortably at the end of the day

with a glass of wine and a billion-dollar view that really gets those juices flowing.