That monk is so  fucking up that bell right now.

That is how Jason woke up on this day. Today is Friday. Today is Jason’s 32nd birthday. Today we woke up in Rome. Here we are…one week in and still loving life and each other. I don’t think either one of us could have anticipated what a hell of a week we’ve had!

Even if we hadn’t been leaving for Paris one week ago, it still would have been an unusual Friday. In a rare scenario, we woke up together and started our day. We should have respectfully packed the evening before, but instead we chose to catch up over a few glasses of wine. And that brings us to the first of our holiday Fridays.

Friday 5.18.2012

Packing, laundry, Iona petting, talking, work, email, phone calls, trip logistics, repeat, repeat, repeat. We make it to the airport and the light but distracted mood we are both in changes once Jason starts getting work calls. An irrelevant bartender, a couple of drinks and an understanding girlfriend set the path right again. Soon we have the patrons of the wine bar at RDU entranced in our storytelling and engaged in our imminent travels.

A quick stop in IAD and we are headed to the City of Lights. Although ensconced firmly in coach, our entire flight crew finds us delightful and caters to whims we didn’t know existed. Attitude and pretty are catching qualities.  Our wine is comped and when they run out of red in the back of the plane, the delightful attendants sneak us glasses from first class. Jason and I spend the first 5 hours of the flight talking and planning and talking and laughing.

Fifty-four minutes before we land in Paris, I turn 40 in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am over the Atlantic sitting next to the man I adore and being sung to by the flight crew of United #103. Oh, we are also presented with a warm sweet roll and two mimosas, again courtesy of this perfect crew.

Flash-forward a week and now we celebrate Jason’s turn to 32 in our hotel room in Rome. As midnight strikes back home, we clink our glasses over local Chianti and we tuck in to bed. While my birthday is over (more tales to come), his has just begun. In the meantime…off to dinner, to drinks, to the Vatican we go. Not so bad for a Friday. A festive Friday in Rome. Buonjorno!