The best cure for jetlag is to just keep going. My father, sister, and my brother in law arrived from Oklahoma this afternoon to visit me and we didn’t stop moving. Water taxi home from the airport, drop off luggage a quick sandwich on the corner near my house in Venice, and we walked to the Piazza San Marco. Before this year neither my sister nor father had visited me in Europe - now - their 2nd trip this year they were Venetians experts. I smiled as I listened to Missy happily chatter telling her husband “and this is Caffe Florian where you can go inside to the bar and order the best almond croissants” and my dad points and says “it’s Accademia bridge we must be near Toma’s house.”

I hired a guide Alvise - who was beyond incredible - to take us on a tour of the Basilica San Marco and Doges Palace. When we entered the Doges Palace dad was stunned - “This is what’s behind that enormous facade?”. After our tour we walked to Taverna la Fenice to meet the Dutch Boys. My father wanted to say thank you for that adventure they’d shown him this summer on their boat and it was so fun to see my dad being friends with my friends. He loves them. And he excitedly chattered about his life. This has been a hard year losing family members but you realize life is short. I love my life but it’s not been easy being here alone - on the other side of the world alone. I didn’t feel seen by my family. They knew the me who slept on their couch when I came visit in Oklahoma for 20 years, not the me who has navigated life living in foreign countries, who speaks 4 languages, who knows her way through dark alleyways that made my dad ask “are you sure you know where we are?”.

And now… this- my life in Venice is part of their life, part of our families collective history. Part of their realities. As a child my dad took me on adventures - into the pastures and on back roads. I am an adventurer because of him. Now I’m taking him and my sister and her husband on an adventure. Now I’m sharing my life with them. I feel seen. I feel a sense of connection that I haven’t had my entire life.

OUR SPONSOR:

Truly Venice is a trademark owned by Property Solutions, a Swiss based company that operates as an agent for property owners wishing to lease their properties for short and long term stays. The company was founded in 2007 by a small entrepreneurial team that sees a great opportunity in offering people all over the world an alternative accommodation to hotels going beyond the traditional tourist trip.

We aim to offer a personalised service, organizing restaurant bookings and taxi services, finding the appropriate meeting and exhibition space as well as offering flowers, special wines and food baskets. Property Solutions is a customer focused company that values your ideas, comments and thoughts. We encourage you to give us feedback on any aspect of our business, whether it be about the website, the service or one of our apartments.

WEBSITE: www.trulyveniceapartments.com

INSTAGRAM: @trulyveniceapartments