When I was 26 and my mom was 52, we went backpacking together in France and Italy. We took the train, hitchhiked, stayed in youth hostels – the whole thing. It’s not that I’m abnormally attached to my mom – really. The year before I’d done Europe with my best friend, backpacking, youth hostels, Eurail pass. But every time I’d see something great or funny, I’d be thinking, I wish mom could see this. Because she’d never been overseas, but would have loved everything. […]