I always love this time of the year when I get to create some time and space to reflect on my past year. The things I am grateful for, the moments that were most challenging, and the new memories created. Sometimes life is happening so fast, you don’t even realize how much has happened until …
In Italian, la passeggiata can be translated to an evening stroll, a common daily activity for Italians. Strolling over the uneven cobblestone roads on a warm summer evening to have apperitivo and or gelato with friends before dinner…or for me, it was often alongside the country roads, seeing where my explorations of a new dirt …
As 2018 comes to an end, I feel as if I’m standing on the edge of so many new beginnings and dreams. It’s hard to even think about what’s happened over the last year to re-share because I am so excited for whats to come. But 2018 was incredible. Through practice, patience, and a whole …
If there wasn’t enough reason to love La Distesa more than I already do, Musica Distesa was the perfect reminder of what I love to live for. Three glorious days of food, wine, friends, art, and of course: MUSIC. For those who need a little crash course reminder of what Musica Distesa is, it is …
With a wonky birthday week, Chris wanted to take me somewhere. I was secretly hoping for a trip to Harry Potter Land, but Chris said I’m on my own for that. Haha. Ok fair enough. So we ended up in Nanaimo, Canada! I have never even heard of Nanaimo before, but it’s a cute little city …
Before I embarked on a two week tall ship training program, I spent the weekend with a dear friend of mine in San Francisco. I’ve never been a big fan of California, but then again my only real exposure to it has been Los Angeles (gag) and the Cali transplants that are taking over Seattle. …
As a hopeless romantic, I live for real-life movie moments. My last day in Skagway did not disappoint. I thought we were heading out for the boat tour we had to miss at the beginning of the trip, but when we pulled up next to the airport without a dock in sight, I began to wonder. …
What’s amazing about Alaska is that glaciers fill your backyard on a regular basis. I mean what do you do with a 2 hour layover in Juneau? Visit a glacier of course. Meet: Mendenhall Glacier. As part of the Tongass National Forest, the far too easy access visitor center is a mecca for tourists during …
One of the reasons why I dislike short vacations is that not only do you have to be efficient with your time, but if something goes wrong (which it usually does), your options to try again are limited. Unfortunately, our first full day in Skagway was interrupted by the worst weather Skagway had seen all …
You would think after swimming through seas of people in India, that I wouldn’t be so unnerved by large amounts of people, but I guess I wasn’t excepting to feel that way in Alaska. Because it is rather unnerving to see 10,000 people descend on a small town of 1,000 people in a matter of …
Feel the crisp, clear air. Take a deep breath. Listen to the billowing winds, close your eyes and it feels like you might be standing on the edge of the world. Ah….ALASKA…a relief from the seemingly relentless Seattle summer heat this year. After a good two minutes of this bliss, a gust of wind reminded …
Because they kept me grooving all night. They are amazing! Check them out.
Since the magical moment I fell in love with New Orleans (it only took one night), a piece of my heart yearned to be back, yet knew it wouldn’t be long before I would be. Lucky for me, one of my best friends is getting married this year and she chose New Orleans for her …
But you’re JUST a woman, single, and young! How/Why are you here? You don’t know HOW many times I heard one of these words with that exact question while I was traveling. It kind of still amazes me that people have such a hard time I could be any of these three AND traveling, let …
Today is Mother’s Day. Besides the general I am thankful for my mom, who has gone through more than I could ever imagine to have to go through in my life, I am so thankful for everything in my life now. Today also marks the year that I have been home since my travels. It …
There are not very many places where I can think of particular souvenirs I aim to bring home. I prefer to stumble across my sentimental items such as saving corks from special bottles of wine in Italy or prayer scarf from a student in India. But there was one thing I knew I wanted from …
I’ve never been to Texas. Never really thought I would ever go, even though it seemed like one of the most obvious places every American should go to. I mean…it’s TEXAS. Big haired, boot wearin’, tex-mex and BBQ eatin’ folk was what I was expecting. And I wasn’t too far off. While I’ve heard Austin …
My home was recently invaded and unfortunately, my most prized posessions were stolen. My photos. Lap tops and electronics can be replaced, but not my precious precious photos. 13 months of my life abroad stolen. From my laptop AND the backup external hard drive. I could never afford cloud storage space due to the high …
It doesn’t surprise me at all that among the beautiful places Italy has to offer for a wine fair, that I would end up in the foothills of Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. Located on the east coast of Sicily, 3,329 meters (10,922 feet) high, Etna is the largest active volcano in Italy. Because …
The idea of going home has left me feeling a bit out of sorts these days. When I first bought my flight back home, I was excited to tell my close friends and as soon as we started making plans on what to do when I came back, this deep feeling inside of me began …
Another one to check off the list: Sicily. I have always dreamed of Sicily…there is something about the romanticism of the island that had always attracted me. There was something about reading about fishing boats, the Mediterranean Sea, and sun that made Brandon and I talk about running off to Sicily together…someday…maybe. Lisa and I had talked …
I have been looking forward to this time of year for a long time! San Michele, the area where La Distesa’s vineyards are have a peculiar feature about them. Every year, as Spring arrives, wild tulips bloom everywhere. I missed this phenomenon last year as I arrived the week after the tulips died off. It’s …
My Sicilian vacation can be summed up in three words: Food, Wine, Beach. From my experience, that’s all that matters there. Because when you’re not stuffing your face with food and wine, you’re swimming it off in the Mediterranean Sea. I was especially excited to dine in Sicily because it is where I have always …
Taormina After spending the morning swimming in Taormina, Giovanni, Lisa, and I went to explore the ancient greek theater of Taormina. This was quite a different experience. I went for my first Gonadola ride from the parking lot to reach the town. That was exciting and terrifying at the same time after Lisa told us …
After a crazy first day in Marsala, Giovanni and I opted for a much more relaxing morning. Instead of touring more vineyards, we went down the road for some sun and beach time. We swam in three different bodies of water that day, and unfortunately the morning started with the worst location of all (it …
