Traveling Sister

Jenny and I met the first day of college. Our eyes locked, and the same thought went through our heads: "That girl could be my sister!" Our mothers thought so, too. So on this trip, we're just going to go ahead and pretend we are, and drive the Italian men crazy by tossing our blonde curls.

Jenny is a world-class beauty, one of those Daisy Buchannan-types who slays with her eyes, who men swoon for and women get jealous of. I do not, because I know the truth about her: she is also the world's second biggest geek. (I am the first, of course.) She is also very generous in sharing her beauty tips. She is so generous, in fact, that she is actually bringing along all the beauty products, so we have more room in our suitcases to fill with smuggled stinky cheeses.

When Jenny had her Nth birthday, she had invited me to go to Thailand with her and some girlfriends and ride elephants. I couldn't make it happen, but when I saw a package tour appear in my email (I'd entered for a free trip to Italy and got on a mailing list), I popped the question. She jumped at the chance! She's that kind of adventurous, citizen-of-the-world kind of gal, unafraid of travel. Just the sort of person I need to drag me away from my lovely ruts. 

Jenny and I love to hike. We share a passion for natural beauty. As a matter of fact, when we are alone in the wilderness, we have been known to stand at a sunset or a dewy meadow, throw our arms open, and shout "BEAUTY" in the most rapturous tones. We are also both artists; I am happiest with a pencil, but she studies classical realism in a school where it has been taught the same way for 400 years. She has spent the last eleven or so months painting an egg. (It's a really amazing egg, though.) So I'm a little worried when we get to those art museums we might lose ourselves in the moment...

We met at HomeRoom for mac & cheese to plan and scheme. Where the world's most beautiful waitress served us every week and colluded in our adventure.

"You know how, in Eat, Pray, Love, and all those other books, women go to Italy to put their lives back together?" I said at our first brainstorming meeting, "Let's go and have a delicious time because there is nothing wrong, because we are well."

"Let's make it our plan," she said, "to stuff our eyes with art, and our bodies with good food. Let's gain ten pounds."

"It's a deal," I said, "Ten Pounds in Ten Days!"