Taking my mom on a budget trip to Italy for her 60th birthday wasn't easy, but we learned so much about each other.
Matthew Harding
Aside from some brief visits to neighboring Canada, my mother had never been anywhere outside the United States.So, for her 60th birthday, I surprised her with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, somewhere she had always wanted to visit. And I, a seasoned traveler, would be her plus one.I planned a busy three-week itinerary that would take us from Rome to Naples, down to the "tip of the boot" and around Sicily, where my great-grandparents were born and lived until the early 1900s.My mom and I are very close, but I was nervous about spending three weeks together on a limited budget. Plus, since this was her first time traveling abroad, I knew she would be attached to my hip.Turns out, I was right to worry. Still, I'm glad we went.Adapting to my mom's limitations with limited funds was challenging
My mom loved going to St. Peter's Basilica, but wasn't as thrilled about visiting other historical landmarks.
Matthew Harding
