There are some GiGi ideas that start small.
And then there are the ones that make you think, Oh my goodness…am I really going to ask this? 😉❣️
Taking my granddaughter Tyla Lu to Italy was definitely one of those!
Tyla was about to celebrate a very special milestone—becoming a teenager on July 4th 🤩 during the year of our great country’s 250th anniversary. 🇺🇸❣️ And I kept thinking about what an incredible gift it would be to mark this time in her life with something she might remember forever.
Not another present.
An adventure.
And not just any adventure.
Italy! 🇮🇹❣️
Great Auntie Shawna & Blue had been my amazing tour guides on my trip to Italy the year before, and now an idea was beginning to take shape. What if Tyla came with us this time? Great Auntie Shawna, cousin Blue, Tyla Lu, and GiGi.
Four girls.
Suitcases.
Passports.
Italy.
Oh my goodness! This could be quite the Italy Girls Adventure! 🇮🇹❣️

But first, of course, GiGi had to ask Mom and Dad.
I told them that I believed this could be so much more than simply a fun vacation for Tyla. It could be an opportunity for her to experience history, culture, art, food, faith, and another part of the world in a way no classroom could ever quite duplicate.
I also wanted them to know something even more important.
Their daughter would be my first priority.
I promised that we would stay together, that everything would be carefully planned, that I would keep them updated, and that I would honor whatever expectations they wanted us to follow.
And then I waited for their answer.
When it came, I could hardly believe it.
“Tyla is good to go!”
They told me how excited they were for her to have such an amazing adventure. They immediately started talking about passports, documents, and all those important details that suddenly make a dream feel very real.
But tucked inside their message was something that meant even more to me.
They admitted that allowing their daughter to travel so far away from them was very tough.
And then came the words that touched my GiGi heart:
“We trust you very much.”
That meant everything to me.
They were entrusting me with one of the most precious people in their lives, and I knew exactly what a privilege—and responsibility—that was.
Tyla and I had already talked about the expectations. We would stay together. We would look out for one another. We would make good choices.
And, of course, we would have FUN!
The answer was officially YES.
Tyla Lu was going to Italy with GiGi! 🇮🇹❣️
But a GiGi Adventure this big doesn’t begin when the airplane takes off.
Oh no.
The adventure begins the moment you start dreaming about it together.
And we had a whole lot of dreaming, planning, dinners, lunches, packing, shopping and anticipation ahead of us before those four girls ever boarded that plane. ✈️ ❣️
Our Italy Girls Adventure had officially begun. 🇮🇹❣️
⸻
And ohhh did the dreaming begin in the most joyful ways!
Some of our very favorite planning nights were when we would all gather together and watch YouTube videos of the different hotels we would be staying in across Italy. 🇮🇹❣️ It made everything feel so real and exciting—like we were already walking through the lobbies, opening the windows, and imagining the views we would wake up to.

Capri 🇮🇹 ❣️
We would sit there together saying things like, “That’s OUR hotel!” and “Look at that view!” and the excitement just kept building and building.

Positano 🇮🇹❣️
Then one evening, we turned our planning into a full-on Italy fashion show! 💃✨


We put on fun runway music, rolled out our suitcases, and packed them like we were already leaving the next day. One by one, we modeled what we were planning to wear in Italy—twirling, laughing, and showing off our outfits like we were on a real runway. It was absolutely hilarious and so special at the same time. 🇮🇹❣️
Another beautiful memory was a special lunch we shared where each of us received matching travel surprises—shirts, bags, jewelry boxes, and shoes all coordinated for our Italy adventure. 🥰❣️ It felt like we were already part of a little travel team, getting ready to explore the world together in style and unity.
And yes…there was even a very special “beauty prep” moment too—Tyla Lu and I got our nails done especially for Italy! 💅🇮🇹❣️ It felt like one more little way to get ready for something magical, and we laughed the whole time imagining all the photos we would take with our “Italy-ready” hands and 💕


And then there was something very meaningful that tied both of our Italy trips together.
On my previous trip, I had found a book that I thought would be perfect for us to read during our travels. So on this trip, I wanted to do something similar for Tyla Lu.
At the airport, I went searching through a newsstand, hoping to find something special we could all share together on the journey.
And there it was.

A book I had never seen before… and sitting right there on the shelf were exactly four copies. 📚❣️
One for each of us.
It felt like one of those little “GiGi God moments” where everything just lines up perfectly.
It was perfect. 👌😍❣️
And just like that, our Italy Girls Adventure felt even more connected—four girls, four books, one unforgettable journey ahead. 🇮🇹❣️

GiGi Will L💝VE You Forever &
LIKE You for Always, Proverbs 17:6❣️