September 24, 2026. 

The world is a beautiful place. After a trip across the pond, I can attest that beauty comes in many forms. What I have discovered is that the warmth of the human spirit far outweighs anything adverse. Natural beauty, virtually untouched for millions of years, is ever-present, meeting the eye in breathtaking vistas and farmland meandering toward mountains and the seas. 

And then there was Italy... Traveling as a family clan, we found joy in each other and in the blend of mutual wonder at sights and flavors, both tangible and intangible. And, you know, people pick up on joy. 

We found a restaurant. Ida, the chef and owner, came out to talk with us before our meal.  She and her partner served us, and as the night wore on, they kept entertaining us even as bedtime beckoned and our group fragmented; two stayed behind as Ida and her partner sat down with them to share glasses of wine and stories filled with laughter. No Yelp review could ever express the magic and memories of that night. 

You see, people like to be seen. They want to be engaged with eyes that look at them with interest. No one does that better than my group. They bring joy to strangers who don't fear their interest (I think Lorenzo at our hotel wasn't sure how to take it all). I find that my family's positivity gives a stranger pause, wondering why the hysterics coming from our table are something they might tap into. 

I guess you could say I am proud to have shown up to dispel the perception that often goes with travelers to foreign countries. Kindness goes a long way. Believe me, we checked ourselves a few times when we saw people who fostered that attitude.

 It might have been me who riled up the most ill will, like when a woman slapped me on the arm to get my attention while I was looking at clothes. Oh, and definitely when the Autopark cashier didn't speak English and didn't understand what I was saying, so she took me by the sleeve to point it out. Honestly, the translator app fails when you have five people in line behind you; even though you say ham and cheese louder and louder, it isn't understood. 

 Yesterday, as I saw our Delta team from Detroit getting onto the plane, I breathed a sigh of relief. These were my people from my homeland. They get my slang and gestures.  I won't apologize for lifting the window blind as we flew over the Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes to take in the beauty that is so uniquely our home. 

Be it ever so humble, there is no place like it.