Sorrento, Italy was a milestone in our home free adventure.  Making it to Sorrento means we made it through Italian customs (there wasn’t any), negotiated our way from the Port of Civitavecchia to Sorrento using two bus lines, three trains, and successfully meeting our landlord on the other end.  Had it not been for our years of experience riding the subways of Chicago, we never would have made it on the Circumvesuviana train car in Naples.  Running past many train cars which appeared to be 110% full, we managed to push and shove our way onto the last car with our two large suitcases, two back packs and two carry-ons.  It may sound like we over packed, but I brought along 30 pounds of camera gear and a large tripod which required a large suit case.  Also, I packed rain gear for Ireland and Scotland.  Generally, the rule is to not pack more for a 6 month trip than for a several week trip.  However when packing for hot and cold weather as well as strenuous hiking trips, the volume expands.
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