Susan's annual trips to Italy over the last 15+ years have created enduring connections and a sense of belonging to a country she otherwise had no connection with. A rear-view mirror perspective opened her eyes to the underlying role that every-day aspects of Italian life have played in fostering those connections--the ties that were binding it all together for her, and her to it. Travel was the vehicle and Italy her teacher, helping to illuminate how we are all wired for connection, how we crave a sense of belonging, and how simple human encounters can feed our soul.