Andrew and I intended to host a family trip to celebrate our 60th birthdays in a few years, but a light bulb went on last year, and we thought, "Why wait? Let's go now."

We offered each kid enough money toward their airfares to cover flying to Europe. We also offered to pay for accommodation in Puglia, meals, and car hire. The offer was extended to the kids' partners, too. They all jumped at the opportunity.

We had a blast traveling together

We all gathered in Puglia 10 months later. We rented a complex with a pool near Alberobello and Martina Franca. We hired two normal-size cars rather than a massive van (too hard on narrow roads). We visited a town most mornings and sunned ourselves by the pool most afternoons.

We spent a wonderful day together at a beach club, Lido Gandoli. Another day, we went for a swim at a public beach in Monopoli. We did two long drives to Matera and Lecce and were rewarded for our efforts both times with stunning architecture and history.

We had leisurely lunches at local restaurants. By arriving when they opened for lunch, we never had trouble getting a table big enough for all of us.

We had breakfast and dinner at our rental, which meant a few trips to the supermarket, but it saved us money and allowed us to try local produce.

Breakfast was self-serve and clean up after yourself, which worked. Dinner and setting up and cleaning the table were done on a rotation. Eating at home made for much more relaxed meals. No one had to worry about what they drank or about driving home on the "wrong side" of the road on poor roads with no street lighting. We had a big outdoor setting, and we had slow dinners and chatted. Sometimes, we played family quizzes.

We went indoors after dinner a few times to have family movie nights. One night, it was "Gladiator." Most of us had seen it, but it was fun to watch it together in Italy.

We laughed, we ate, we drank, we played games, we swam — it was divine.

It wasn't perfect, but it was absolutely worth it

It was worth traveling with our adult kids — or "kidults," as we sometimes tease.

Was it perfect? No. But families aren't perfect, and every relationship involves compromise.

For me and Andrew, sharing time with our kids and their partners without the distraction of work was wonderful. It likely won't be long before another generation joins our family (we can't wait to be grandparents!), but babies will change everything. Andrew and I really appreciated this time as a group of adults.

It was also lovely to observe our adult kids interact with their siblings and partners. All you want as a parent is happy, healthy children, and to see them all basking in the Italian sun was joyful beyond words.

Two of the kids are back home in Melbourne already, another will return home next week, and the last will join at the end of the month. When we're all back in Melbourne, we'll make pasta and reminisce about our wonderful Puglian holiday — that time when we all got gastro!

Our bond as a family unit is that much tighter. There's no price that can be paid for that.