Every once in a while the universe, or in this case the company I work for, gives you a gift. And you sit there stunned for a moment, wondering if they’re serious. And then the shock starts to wear off and you think “oh my god! how did I get so lucky?”

This week I found out that I might get to go to Europe this fall for work. It wasn’t for sure and if I did get to go I was expecting to go to London where I’ve been several times. This morning I found out that I’m going to Milan, Italy in late October. Seriously.

I’m so excited I’m not even sure what to do about it. I’ve never been to Italy and I’ve always wanted to go. Of course, work will take up the first 3 days I’m there, and that’s the only part of the tab my office will pick up. But, how do you go all the way there only to turn around and come back? You don’t. I’m going to tack on 6-8 days of personal travel to take advantage of this special gift of a plane ticket to Milan.

Now the only issue is figuring out how long I can realistically stay. And then deciding what to do with my time. So many ideas come to mind…

Venice. Florence. Genoa. Cinqueterre. Siena. Pisa. Turin. Wow.

What do I want to see? What kind of trip do I want to have? I could tour a city or three and see the museums and landmarks. I could head out to the Tuscan countryside and go wine tasting and stay at a farm. I could go hiking along the Rivierra.

I went to the bookstore after work and bought two Rough Guide travel books. And even though I have to book my plane ticket soon, I’ll probably spend the next 6 weeks trying to decide what to see, only deciding at the last minute.

So, if you were offered a chance to see Northern Italy (say Pisa and north) what would you see? If you could only go one place or experience one part, what would you do?

This is your chance to live vicariously through me, and me through your dream. So have at it. Leave me your ideas and help me figure out the best way to use this time to create unforgettable memories and recharge my soul.