Drama. Trauma. Apprehensions and worries.

I was feeling all of that as I raced to get ready for a family trip to Italy with my two daughters.After a lot of coordinating schedules, we made plans to fly to southern Italy and Sicily to see the area where my grandparents lived before they came to America.It's something I've wanted to do all my life.I wanted to go decades ago when my mother and sister went. But when I was working and busy raising a family, I had neither the time nor the money to go.To tell the truth, it was something I didn't think would ever happen. But there comes a time in life when one finally asks the question: If not now, when?Realizing time was running out and I can't take for granted that I will have the health and stamina to do the trip in later years, I decided the time was now. I thought it would be perfect for my daughters and I to discover our ancestral roots together.Andrea is much more of a world traveler than I could ever hope to be, so she volunteered to make all the arrangements.She arranged for the flights, booked places to stay and made arrangements for tours to places we wanted to see.I thought it would be far easier to book with a touring company, but none went to Squillace, the little area in Calabria where my grandparents once lived. Andrea said we could do it ourselves.As we got closer to the time we were to leave, she kept saying, "Are you excited?" She was.Maria and I were more stressed than excited, and my anxiety was in the red zone.It didn't help matters that for a while it seemed like Maria wouldn't have her passport in time to go.She applied in plenty of time, but unknown to her, the application was denied and put aside because she had sent in her hospital birth certificate, not the one from the state.She had to take a day off work and travel to Pennsylvania to get the state birth certificate. And even then, the passport never arrived until the day before we were leaving.Like I said, there was plenty of trauma and drama that was added to by Mount Etna.When I first saw photos on the Internet of Mount Etna erupting, I was impressed with its fiery beauty and thought it would be worth seeing. We booked a tour to combine a hike around the mountain, a cable car trip that would give us a bird's-eye view, and a chance to walk through the lava tunnels.A few days before our trip, we saw frightening photos of 10 scientists, tourists and a television crew who were seriously injured in a violent explosion when fast moving lava erupting from Mount Etna hit snow. One survivor showed a graphic image when he held up his jacket covered with huge holes from flying lava ash.At first, I thought, what are the odds it will happen again? But when we got there our local guide informed us the lava eruptions weren't as random as I thought, and earthquakes were happening every day."If you were in a lava tunnel during an earthquake, a collapsed cave might seal you in," he said.We took his advice and canceled walking through the lava tunnels.Aside from that, 10 days in Southern Italy and Sicily proved to be something so special I will never forget it.During the entire trip I was like a hungry cat lapping up a saucer of milk as I savored every second and every incredible scene.The most memorable moment was when, after a lifetime of longing, I got to walk through Squillace on ancient cobbled streets where my grandparents once trod.I was moved to tears when the first thing we saw when we arrived in the old village was a sign for Anna and Tony. I thought the moment was like God winking at me because Anna and Tony were my parents' names.There are certain places where it's easy to picture yourself happily living there. Squillace was one, and Matera, home of centuries old cave dwelling, was another.If you're ever planning a trip to Italy, put Matera and its extraordinary cave homes on your list of "must see." I was thrilled to be able to stay in one.Once part of Italy's shame, the cave homes are now one reason for Matera's fame. Starting centuries ago and continuing up until 1950 when the disease-infested cave homes with no indoor plumbing were condemned, people actually lived in those dwellings, along with their animals.One by one, the cave dwellings are being rehabilitated and are a constant draw for tourists.Another place I can highly recommend is beautiful Taormina in Sicily. From its stunning coastline to its incredible Greek colonial ruins, it's a photographer's paradise.In fact, point your camera in any direction in Sicily and you'll be rewarded with captivating scenery.While there was trepidation on my part getting ready for the trip, all that changed the moment the plane landed. It's one trip that will never be over because it will linger forever in grateful memory.Isn't it special when we find something was definitely worth the wait?Contact Pattie Mihalik at

newsgirl@comcast.net.