With the holiday season wrapping up the excitement of the general population has subsided, but not for us! Today is the day that we leave for Italy. Preparing to depart has not gone without its bumps. As required by the Italian government, a PCR Covid-19 test must be completed and result in a negative within 72 hours of entering Italy or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours. Many of us scrambled to find available time slots to receive the test and others had to deal with cancelled appointments. Unfortunately, a few members of this group will be arriving late due to Covid-19 exposure or for testing positive. Although we have all taken extra precautions to isolate ourselves, some things aren’t easily avoided. But we look forward to having everyone together! Tutti insieme! Additional measures put in place in Italy is the use of KN95 masks indoors and outdoors. This is different from here in the US, especially in Minnesota, and finding these masks meant we had to resort to Amazon or dig deep in our local hardware stores.

We are all excited to explore more of the world these next three weeks and cannot wait to share our experiences.

Buon viaggio – Mandy