Picture this: we’re in France- inexplicably the thirtieth country I’ve visited in my lifetime. I’m accompanied by my friend Melanie, a Chicago based screen and stage writer. To celebrate my accomplishment, Melanie and I have decided to head to the very top of the Eiffel Tower and take in the city from above. There’s a … More Reflecting on 30 Countries- An Interview
For our visit to Brussels, we were arriving by train and booked a stay at Hotel Indigo Brussel for its proximity to Brussels Nord. The short five-minute walk from the train station juggling our luggage was a godsend after a long day of travel. The four-star boutique hotel is bursting with greenery and brass tones, … More Hotel Indigo Brussels- A Hotel Review
As the most populated city in central Switzerland, Lucerne (or sometimes Luzern) is a must see for any visitors working their way through the country. Since we were traveling using the Swiss Train Pass, we stayed at the Waldstaetterhof, a comfortable three-star hotel located only steps away from the main train station. Since we were … More A City Stay In Lovely Lucerne
Impossible to miss, Fortress Hohensalzburg dominates the skyline view in Salzburg, Austria. While we originally did not intend to enter the Fortress, I do love a good viewpoint. Plus, the museum was a good way to try to dodge some of the rain we encountered in the city. Although there is a funicular that can … More Visiting Fortress Hohensalzburg
This may be a controversial opinion, but I love cooking when I’m traveling. Now, I understand that for the most part, a holiday is exactly that: a vacation from the ordinary, day to day routine at home- including cooking- but just hear me out! Now don’t get me wrong; I love going out to eat … More Food For Thought- Grocery Shopping While Traveling
One of my first big trips out of the United States was a big one- all the way from New York to Australia and New Zealand! As a huge Lord of the Rings fan, the majority of my time was spent in New Zealand with a brief three-day stop over in Sydney, Australia. Believe it … More Bondi Beach Day
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- if I do nothing but visit different churches on my next visit to Rome, I’ll be happy. When traveling around Europe, I try to make sure that I visit a church or two- they’re like jewel boxes of art and architecture scattered throughout the city. Even … More Church Hopping in Rome
As a born and raised New Yorker, the state’s namesake doesn’t often figure into my trip planning, but knowing that I wanted to explore cities outside of London, I made sure to add York, England to my trip docket this time around. Since it was around the holidays, York was bustling with crowds and there … More New York Meets Old York
My visit to Italy was already several weeks into our trip around Europe, and we hadn’t quite gotten around to planning our days the way we should have. This, of course, backfired pretty spectacularly when it came to getting tickets to visit the Vatican with less than a 24 hour’s notice.
Cue the frantic googling montage as we tried to figure out a way to get last minute tickets to see the landmark.
Visitors do not need to pay to visit Vatican City itself, but tickets are mandatory to visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums- the things I actually wanted to see! … More Visiting the Vatican
When I’m in the mood to stay at a hotel, nothing does it for me quite like a boutique hotel. Boutique hotels by definition are designed to feel small, intimate, and unique. Our stay at Torel Avantgarde in Porto, Portugal went above and beyond our expectations and to this day remains one of my favorite … More Torel Avantgarde- Porto