I’m home! Captain said it felt like I’d been gone a month.

It took me a full week to readjust.

I mostly readjusted the minute I made physical contact with my children, but it took me this long to sit down and write a blog post.

Two-hour pasta lunches with a bottomless glass of wine followed by three-hour dinners with a bottomless glass of wine is really not a sustainable lifestyle. But it was an amazing way to spend a couple weeks!

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean just south of Corsica and west of Italy. It has a gorgeous coastline, stunning mountains, long lifespans and an ancient heritage of amazing food unique from mainland Italy.

I explored Sardinia with travel designers from Italy, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Germany, Ukraine, Russia and one from twenty minutes up the road from me.

Those countries, all in the same group, may make you pause. I did. They’re all amazing people and I was lucky to spend time with them.

I also feel lucky that I was well received. Americans are not the most beloved right now.

And I thought for sure I’d be the only Jew of the group “working” on Rosh Hashanah. I was nowhere near my temple, but I did join the virtual children’s service for a minute between meetings.

Lo and behold I was lucky enough to find out that my new friend from Venezuela is Jewish! A Jewish Venezuelan is not a combo I was expecting.

I was distracted by my news feed and our politics that lack basic human decency. It feels like everything is spiraling downwards. I kept trying to refocus: my bowl of pasta, my delicious espresso, the sexiest cooking class I’ve ever taken.

I mean that. I was looking decidedly not sexy, but our teacher, she was another story. It’s called pasta therapy:

At home I cook occasionally because we need to eat and because if I try to serve one more peanut butter and jelly sandwich there may be a mutiny.

But for me, being sexy and cooking never happen simultaneously.

As I fumbled through making fancy pasta shapes, I was definitely in the moment, so it may deserve its therapeutic claims.

Last year I traveled to Croatia for work, carry-on only. BIG MISTAKE. I left home without an ounce of room in my suitcase. I received so much free swag and people at home were waiting for things and I had NO ROOM.

I vowed not to make that mistake again. For Sardinia I checked a small bag and also had a small carry-on. Both were half empty in anticipation of lots of free goodies.

Clothing-wise I still only packed as much as I would’ve if I’d been traveling carry-on only. For two weeks I planned to rewear everything twice if not three times. As I am always happy to do.

If I can enjoy a month-and-a-half overland safari alternating between two shirts, then the amount of clothing I took for Sardinia was really overkill.

But it quickly felt inadequate. My previous travel style collided with my current travel style.

Not only were my new friends wearing new outfits everyday, they had a nice outfit for daytime touring (which I would’ve called nice enough for dinner) and then an even nicer outfit for our lovely dinners.

I was taking my daytime outfit, adding a sweater and earrings and calling it my new dinner outfit. I kept wishing I had taken a medium-sized suitcase.

After a phone call home bemoaning all my decisions, I headed to dinner wearing my favorite dress for the third time. One of the women exclaimed,

“I love your dress! Is it new?”

No! Not only is it four years old, but I’ve already worn it for two other dinners this week! Proof that no one is paying as much attention as you think they are and maybe my suitcase choice was ok after all.

I left home with an idea that I’d like to buy a new dress if at all possible. As the week went on, it started to seem like it might not be possible.

The days were relaxing in the sense that I was walking around beautiful Sardinia, eating amazing food and talking to wonderful people, but there was very little free time with which to shop.

Near the end of the first week, we checked into what would be my favorite resort of the trip. As we walked into the lobby, in the store window, there was a beachy, floor-length, pink and white dress that was calling to me.

I said “I’ll be back if I can!”

I got a free minute and I dashed into the store. I peered around. Nothing resembled that dress. I peered back out at the window and asked the shopkeeper,

“Is that dress for this store?”

“Yes! It’s our last one and it’s your size.”

How does she know my size? I give her a skeptical look. She adds,

“It’s a medium.”

Ooooh she’s good.

Next thing I know, the mannequin’s arms are on the ground and the dress is in my hands. As I began the checkout process the kind woman asks me,

“Do you have Global Blue?”

“What?” I have no idea what she’s talking about.

“For your tax refund?”

“Tax refund?”

She looks perplexed and I feel like an idiot.

So now I know that it’s possible to get a tax refund on purchases over a certain amount. In Italy it’s over €70. Every country has a different amount.

The shopkeeper is so incredulous she asks me,

“How come you’ve never used Global Blue before?”

“I guess I haven’t done that much shopping.”

The truth is I haven’t done much shopping at the price point required to receive refunds.

The woman shakes her head and admonishes me,

“Italy is very good for shopping.”

“Yes, I see that.”

My suitcase fit all my wonderful freebies: wine, liqueur, jewelry, reindeer-skin luggage tags, candles, chocolates, bags and I bought two stuffed flamingos for my children. Sardinia is known for its flamingos. I did not know this.

My exploration of Sardinia was followed by an intense few days of one-on-one meetings with luxury travel suppliers from all over the world. It was simultaneously exhausting and energizing. There are endless, amazing adventures to add to your list!

Now I’m home, I caught my breath, I emptied my small suitcase and I am packing it back up.

We’re off to NYC for RB’s 6th birthday!