Benvenuti- Welcome!

This isn’t the way I imagined starting my blog. The world seems to be in chaos right now and the thought of a lighthearted blog detailing my passion for Italy and desire to help others realize their travel dreams seems so trivial and utterly useless right now. But at the same time, it also feels very needed. I’m not going to lie, I’m in a funk. I’d normally describe myself as an introvert that flexes to extroversion when needed, someone who mostly prefers to work alone, and someone that enjoys quiet moments where my mind can run wild with creative thoughts. The Stay at Home orders should have been my ideal situation. But right now, I find myself desperate for human interaction, pleasantly distracted by any sound or movement out my window, and so sick of being stuck inside a home that once felt like my refuge, but now feels like a 24/7 office.

My mind has always wandered to daydreaming of Italy- reminiscing about past trips and planning for future ones. I find that even more so now. I’ve always joked that, “I go to work every day so that I can go to Italy for two weeks each year.” It’s the one place that I feel like my true self, completely unedited for everyone to see. It’s really hard to daydream about a trip with all of the uncertainty in the world right now. As I’m writing this, our June anniversary trip to Puerto Vallarta was cancelled and we should have been in Greece right now celebrating the baptism of my friend’s baby.

Normally, as soon as I book a trip, I go into countdown mode. I often torture myself with recurring thoughts that the day of my trip will never arrive. Sadly, that’s exactly what has happened this year. It’s so frustrating to finally get to the day of your trip and not be able to leave. I completely understand that it isn’t safe to be traveling right now, but I find myself hindered by the fact that we can’t even make future travel plans.

I’ve visited Italy ten times (twice by myself) and I’ve helped friends, family, and co-workers plan their dream vacations there as well. I’m a foodie, a wino, and an art historian. I love cooking, hiking, photography, history, culture, and having life-changing adventures. I’ve learned so much about myself and the world by traveling and I want to inspire others to do the same. I love sharing my passion for Italy with others, but the idea of writing about it in a blog (strangely) never really occurred to me. Nearly two years ago, I was in Breckenridge, CO for my friend Molly’s bachelorette getaway. It was an amazing weekend spent with old and new friends. While on a hike, some of us were talking about how interesting it was that one of the other guests had created a successful cooking blog. My friend, Lydia, suggested that I needed to start a blog about Italy and then proceeded to convince me why other people would be interested in what I had to say. I haven’t been able to get that conversation out of my head, so after talking myself in and out of this idea, I’m finally going to do this.

I had dreams of posting from faraway locations this year and sharing up to the minute tips, photos, and stories on this blog. From the looks of it, that isn’t going to happen in 2020, so I’ll need to fall back on what I already know and love. While the majority of this blog will be centered on Italy, I will also share my insights and adventures in other European countries and Mexico. I’m hoping it will be a fabulous mix of travel tips, secret gems, recipes, photography, and a glimpse into my life.

Last year, I made sure that I rubbed the Porcellino’s nose and threw my coins in the Trevi Fountain– it might sound crazy, but I know these things guarantee my return to Italy. So, I’m starting this blog for myself and anyone else that needs to daydream right now. We’ve all got some extra time on our hands and maybe the thought of traveling in the future will bring us some much needed happiness. Are you ready to join me? Andiamo– “Let’s go!”

-emily