After my weekend with Jeff at the slopes, I had time during the week to talk to Andrew.

Andrew's answer to the question was simple, but seemed to ring true. "You need to develop some common interests with your partner to make that bond last a lifetime." He explained that he hoped that his future wife would have an interest in wine and fine dining. His parents, living in Boston, were fond of sailing when they had the chance.

As I thought about Samantha and I, I thought again about our trip we had planned to Tuscany. It seemed as though she was excited as I, so I reasoned that the time we had in the Tuscan hillsides would be a building block. She was additionally accepting of my career choice and even liked to ski. Surely we could find time thru my profession to explore the wine world together, and it may even take us to a place where skiing in the winter months would be an option. Samantha and I also liked the beach, so a place on the coast or at least a place with four seasons would be ideal for me when it was time to seek employment. However, that time seemed far into the future as of yet.

Andrew enjoyed sailing, but did not intend to return to Boston once he had finished school. He enjoyed the beach, but preferred surfing over sailing. His ideal destination was going to be San Diego, California. We talked at length about his desire to land a position there at one of their premier restaurants if he was so lucky; just like the rest of us, to obtain the sommelier designation.

We all dreamed that the four of us together would be able to pass all of the exams, but the chances of that outcome was slim...and we knew it. We were now close to wrapping up Italy, and then would move on to America, Germany and finally Australia. While I figured our study of New World wines would focus mostly on the top-five American states for grape production, there was much more to learn if we had a chance to pass the rigorous blind-tasting tests in our quest toward the sommelier designation.

We were now less than two months away from finishing our work in Vermont, and the question of my own competency with respect toward my long-term goals were coming fast into focus. After Italy, it would be time for a visit to Boston to see Samantha. By that time, I would have a firm grasp on the outlook from three of my most trusted advisors, and my father, about life and relationships.