​Weathering the Storm with the WP#210

It is nice to be home, yes, I said it and I mean it. It is nice to be home and that is here in Rome where I return on Sunday night and Rosa was there to meet me at the train station and together, we came home. I have to tell you that it was very nice being in Vienna and the #ASTA Cruise Expo was a successful trip, but as I mentioned in the last blogpost, I was not as excited about being on the road as I once was. Yes, it was exciting to see friends and colleagues and it was nice to connect with new suppliers and river cruise representatives. Even received awards for past deeds from my consortia which were brought across the pond to me. A nice gesture, but for the record, awards are not a motivation for me, happy clients are and so, yes, the experience in Vienna was good and even did a little sightseeing, had some good food and even learned some things, so it was a success, but I am glad to be home.

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If there was a downside to the experience, except for the first day, it rained most of the time, so instead of doing more walking, although, there was a lot of walking between and on the 16 ships present from different cruise lines, it was Ubering around, if that is a word, and the temps hovered around freezing, but is never snowed, but it was, in defense of the time of year, still winter, and as I write this back home in Rome, still winter for a few more days, but it is the 1st month of the 2nd year of our marriage and we are good. I did, however, the second day back come down with a massive migraine, the likes of which I had not experienced before, and it knocked me out all Monday, and lingered even into Tuesday, so I stayed home from teaching, but back at it later today. ​

It should also be noted that I am going to be flying to London for a couple of nights next week, first time flying since Rosa and I went to a wedding in Sicily last summer, so it will be a real test of my passport and Permesso di Sigiorno. The only time my passport was asked for on this last trip was at the Vienna hotel when I checked in, but at the FCO, it will be a different story. I expect to have to show both, and that leads me to the conversation about the documentation. The European Union, for all those traveling to this continent have delayed the ETIAS requirement until next year, but I have heard that it will start to be implemented this October, so for those of you traveling before that from countries not requiring a visa to enter the Schengen, you have a reprieve for now, but by next year, and keep your eye out, it will be a requirement. The UK already has their UKETA in place and yes, I have mine and I know most, if not all of my clients to the UK in part or in full have it, and if not, get it. The cost is 10 GBP per person, good for 12 years and takes about minutes of your time online.

Beyond that of my time in Vienna and the three trains and about 12 hours of travel back home, the migraine that befell me on Monday and into Tuesday, and getting ready for a quick trip to London, life is normal again and I am happy about that. I have clients currently traveling in New Zealand, Tanzania, the UK and so Croatia and Slovenia, with a quick dip into Trieste, Italy.  Come April and May, then they arrive is droves until about September which is nice. I am also receiving new requests and feel that like year, it is going to be a good year again and spring is about the spring here in Europe, hopefully. And for those who do not know, Europe goes on Daylight Savings Time this weekend, so there is a two-week difference between Europe and the States when it comes to that. ​

Whatever else is happening between the two continents, I try to minimize the impact of the geopolitical world but having been in Vienna with many friends and colleagues, the commentary was shared. For me, I need to know, but I am not going to let it overwhelm me. My responsibility is to my clientele and my family and that is my focus. The impact, at least for now, has not been felt here. Rosa and I buy local for the most part and if we needed something that came from across the pond, I guess that would be a decision we would make. Also, what impacts my clientele, will impact me and my business, but for now, and this year of 2025, it does not seem to be impacting people’s desire to travel. Perhaps, it is driving people to travel more as an escape from the turmoil and insanity that our world finds us in right now. I hope the ships rights itself depending on your point of view. ​

For me and this point in my professional and personal life, as before, I just want to be happy and have a happy private life and successful professional life, so what I need to know, I keep up with and I try to keep the noise to a minimum. Hopefully, in the long term, not too much damage will be done and perhaps or made permanent and then the pendulum will swing again. I appreciate those that read my meanderings each and every week and wish everyone a happy spring as it is about to start and there will be a greening of the world again to get us away from the craziness that this winter has brought upon the world. Living in Italy has given me a very different perspective on life and the events of this past few months can’t be allowed to ruin my happiness here at home. Stay safe, healthy and most importantly happy, if you can and thank you.