Understanding that I was in the land of pastry and love, Colleen and I figured that rather than exploring the tourist-dense sights (which she had already seen), we would go on a journey, a two day journey through the streets of Paris. This journey would lead us to a land of paradise. A land of {Read More…}
Arriving in Paris met me by utter shock. As I slowly ascended from the subway station, my eyes began to wander to the beautiful Parisian apartment buildings, the charming cafes, and the elegant clothing shops. I immediately knew that I would leave my heart here. We wandered toward the Notre Dame sector and were greeted by {Read More…}
The “farewell from Florence” festivities continued as Friday rolled around. It would not be a day reserved to reflect, but rather to be filled with lots of people, trying to make as many last minute memories as possible. I made my way through the Mercato Centrale, where I first fell in love with local food {Read More…}
How am I expected to just get up and leave? It feels like it was just last week that I stuffed two suitcases full of sparkly shoes and puffy dresses, left my room a wreck, and wore my winter sweater because it wouldn’t fit in my luggage. I don’t understand how I can be packing {Read More…}
Sometimes when you live in a foreign country for an extended period of time, your appreciation for certain “homey” things gets the best of you. For me, the thing that encompassed “home”was the fluffy buttermilk pancake with maple syrup. Both of which are NOT Italian. So rather than pout about it, we decided to turn {Read More…}
I had been traveling around Europe for almost 4 months and I was yet to find that “place.” You know, that place where you never want to leave, somewhere that is unexplainable and unfathomable: a place where you want to be stranded forever. I hadn’t found this place, until I arrived in Interlaken, Switzerland. It’s magic. Described as {Read More…}
I’ve gone on and on and on about how I’ve learned to appreciate my home, how much I love my family, and how excited I am to see them. But today, I made a home here. I’ve learned to develop friendships and make a home in a place that will never be my actual home. This {Read More…}
The day has dawned. The hour has slowly dwindled. The time has finally come. My plane ticket to Italy has finally been earned. The culmination of my baking career is now…valid. According to my father, that is. Today, I learned how to make pizza. Homeade pizza. Italian pizza. It was kind of like a self-realization {Read More…}
I had been looking forward to this trip since I started my travels throughout Europe. My mind was focused on feasting until I felt miserable, drinking hot mulled wine, and being tantalized by shiny lights and market stalls. In fact, my budget didn’t really seem to matter when it came to this trip. I was reminded of this {Read More…}
There are those times in life when you are personally challenged Have you ever had a time like that? Maybe you promised yourself that you would run a 5k when you turned 60, you challenged yourself to get a specific job promotion, or you tried to cook your first Thanksgiving turkey (AND invited your mother-in-law). At some point {Read More…}