As Rebecca worked for a fashion magazine and had hustled a lot that year, she wanted to chill out from that sophisticated and glamorous world, taking a tour of picturesque places like small villages, meeting people who made homemade wines and cheeses. The plan was to travel with her daughter, Julie, by land with just a backpack towards France.
So they went by bus from Milan, their hometown, to Turin. Discomfort set in immediately as their luggage was too heavy, causing back pain which worsened throughout the uncomfortable journey. Upon reaching the end of the line, the first order of business was to buy wheeled suitcases to stow the rucksacks. The second one was to rent a car for more autonomy while travelling. Rebecca wasn't great at figuring out trip planning and direction, and her daughter was even worse in these areas. Regardless of that, there they went!
Out of the blue, about halfway through, Julie expressed a strong desire to check out a sunflower farm, which brought back a beautiful movie scene that she had watched. However, according to the map, it had already been miles back, leading Rebecca to the French border in order to backtrack to the flower field. Although she almost lost her rag due to all the confusing signage, she didn't show her feelings because the goal was to have an unforgettable trip.
After sorting out the issue, they got to the hotel. Exhausted, finally thinking about getting the well-deserved rest, Rebecca lay down on the bed, and what a surprise she had! A huge full moon was shining through the skylight. To make matters worse, she had to put up with the sound of 'cruu, cruu...' made by the pigeons all night. As a result, she couldn't sleep a wink. Looking like a zombie in the morning, Rebecca decided to continue the journey by plane. Arriving at the rental office at noon to return the car, no one was there. However, they couldn't wait because the plane was set to depart in half an hour. So Julie had the idea of filming herself tossing an envelope with the key and a note containing the car's information through the glass service counter.
Oh, my goodness, what a mess! As soon as the plane took off for France, Rebecca suddenly squeezed her daughter's arm tightly, feeling a strong pain in her chest and struggling to breathe. Before passing out she exclaimed, 'I'm going to die.’ Losing control, Julie started banging on the cockpit door, screaming for help, and was held back by the flight attendants. When Julie realised her mother was lying down on the floor receiving cardiac massage, her panic worsened. Little by little, the mother came to consciousness, and the pilot went back to Italy, where Rebecca was taken to the nearest hospital.
Fortunately, it was just a stress peak due to the events of the last few days. They spent three days wearing only hotel bathrobes until their bags, which carried not only clothes but also their passports and money, could be handed back. Despite all the challenges, the trip was worth it because Rebecca and Julie had awesome times, getting to know mind-blowing places off the tourist trail that no travel agency could provide. In the end, they laughed their heads off, remembering all the events had been through.
