I've been here acouple of years ago when I was living in California.Now I'm in Mississippi and planning a trip to Italy for my 50th birthday. I figure if I can survive a hurricane by myself, Italy alone should be a breeze.

Well welcome back Kendall!
Is this your first trip to Italy? We've had lots of solo travelers. You'll find lots of tips.
Where in Mississippi?

I live in Hattiesburg, MS. We're about 66 miles from the coast and about an hour and a half from New Orleans. It's quite lovely here and the people are very friendly. This will be my first abroad and it seems like a huge logistical puzzle. I'm having trouble figuring out where to start.

Hello Kendall,

I grew up in south Mississippi so I am familiar with Hattiesburg.

When are you planning to go to Italy? What are your major interests in Italy? Art, History, scenery, food?....... it's all there and you can get overwhelmed if you don't do some planning which included the realization that you can't do ALL of the things you want to in even a few trips. You should decide what things are REALLY important to see/do and plan some extra time while you are seeing/doing those to discover the culture and the other charming things that you can never find in guide books.


SlowTalk is a great place to get hints and ideas.

Bill

I plan on going either spring or fall of 2009.
I enjoy everything,but especially eating and meeting new people. I plan on taking it very slow with a few days in Venice,a couple in Florence, then a week somewhere in Umbria or Tuscany. I'm not sure if I should flip it though.

Sounds like you are in the right place. The Italy board has more than you'd ever want to know about Venice, Florence and Tuscany.
Check out the trip reports. they are a great way to see what others have done, where they've stayed, where to eat. Slow photos are also a good way to get to know an area.
Have fun planning!

I've been scouting this sight for the last couple of years. There is sooo much information that choosing where to go is almost impossible. Every time I think I've decided where, I read about yet another incredible place. It makes my head spin.I think I need someone to slap me and tell me to just make up my mind.