La Dolce Vita: Part I - Family Time Adventures and the Ever-Reliable Mommy Bag
As someone who’s written plenty on the importance of disconnecting from work, I was excited to see if my family could follow through on this during our bucket-list trip to Italy. More specifically, I wondered if my two grown sons—card-carrying members of the “Always Connected” generation—could peel their eyes away from their screens long enough to soak up real Italian life (well…as real as it gets in touristy areas). Spoiler alert: they did, and the results were pretty incredible.
One of the highlights came during a night in Sorrento at a cozy Italian restaurant with a line out the door for some of the best pizza we’d ever tasted. There was a sign—cheeky and proud—declaring they didn’t offer Wi-Fi. "We prefer you talk to each other," it said. I glanced at my sons (and my spouse), half expecting a revolt. But to my surprise, they set their phones down (aside from snapping obligatory food pics), and we had an actual, laughter-filled conversation—complaining about the heat and humidity in Sorrento, of course.
“Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour. ”
While they rediscovered the joys of face-to-face conversation, I rediscovered the ever-reliable powers of the Mommy Bag. You know the one. It’s not cute, it’s not trendy, and it could probably double as a carry-on. The small, stylish purse that holds nothing but a phone and lipstick? That stayed back at the hotel. Instead, I channeled my inner Mary Poppins and grabbed the trusty bag with all the pockets and room for every possible family necessity.
Need hand sanitizer? Check. Band-aids? Got 'em—used 'em! Chargers and a battery pack? Absolutely—3,000+ photos really eat through battery life. Snacks and water? Do you even have to ask? “Kalli Poppins” comes prepared for a full day of sightseeing in hot, humid weather! The real mystery is how my boys—grown men—still need me to carry a bottomless bag of tricks at the ready, no matter where we are in the world. Honestly, I’m convinced you could reach inside and pull out a full three-course Italian meal.
But the real magic of the trip was finding that sweet spot between tech and true connection. Sure, we used our phones for the occasional Google Maps “Wait, where are we?” moment (Venice, I’m looking at you), but the best moments? Those were spent just being present with each other—or watching my sons devour their way through Rome, Florence, Sorrento, and Venice. No buzzing, no screens—just good food, even better conversations, and the wonders of ancient cities.
Stay tuned for more about our Italian adventures in Rome, Florence, Sorrento, and Venice!
More from the La Dolce Vita Series
La Dolce Vita: Part II – Eating Our Way Through Italy
La Dolce Vita: Part III - Bringing Italy’s “Best Life” Vibe Back Home