It was time for me to upgrade to a better backpack — and I could not be more delighted with my new Osprey Sojourn 25-inch 60L pack. Why Upgrade? I will always cherish my 40L REI Venturi Backpack that I bought back before I started traveling long-term in 2010. It was fantastic for backpacking Southeast […]
I Love My Osprey Sojourn Backpack! Read More »
On my latest trip to New York City, I visited Brooklyn Heights for the first time. It hadn’t been planned that way, but Brooklyn Heights is where the Brooklyn Bridge ends up, so I ended up there without planning ahead. I love Brooklyn. In fact, it’s where I want to live! Someday, when the joys of
A Brief Taste of Brooklyn Heights Read More »
It took several trips to Italy before I realized how much I enjoyed small town Italian life. Once you get out of Rome, Florence, and Venice, and even beyond my beloved Bologna, the atmosphere changes enormously — especially when you visit the cities that foreign tourists get to see. Not all of the towns pictured
Photo Essay: Small Town Emilia-Romagna Read More »
Let me tell you about Emilia-Romagna — an Italian region that is so dear to me. It’s not as famous as Tuscany. There isn’t artwork on every corner like in Florence, nor does it buzz in the way that Rome does, nor is it as picturesque as Venice. But there’s something so warm about Emilia-Romagna.
Magical Moments in Emilia-Romagna Read More »
This question was sent to me and other travel bloggers a few weeks ago. I was about to post mine when another travel blogger, Audrey of That Backpacker, posted the same question on her blog. Though I initially didn’t want to publish a question already answered by someone else, after much consideration, I’ve decided to publish
Ask Kate: How Do You Divide Travel Expenses As a Couple? Read More »
I’ve had an ongoing fascination with tiny nations and semi-autonomous regions in Europe — Monaco, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands. How do their citizens define themselves? What’s it like growing up in a place where you’re one of, say, 30,000 citizens? I learned more about this on a day trip from Bologna to the tiny nation
San Marino: The Tiny Nation Surrounded by Italy Read More »
Whenever I visit a new country, a few things initially jump out at me — whether it’s the flat toilet bowls of Austria or the fact that you’ll be charged if you don’t turn away the bread that arrives on your table in Portugal. I made my long-overdue first visit to the land of windmills
Sexy Dutch Design and Architecture Read More »
I walked into Bologna and felt my heart swell with happiness. This was the city I loved so much — a part of Italy that is breathtakingly beautiful yet rough around the edges, home to some of Italy’s best food but still pretty cheap, cultural and enthralling and incredibly conveniently located — yet still off
Bologna la Rossa — Scenes from a Red City Read More »
The best photos have everything to do with timing. Maybe it’s waiting for the precise moment for your subject to be in the perfect position; maybe it’s a case of waiting for the best lighting of the day. In this case, it was when a storm arrived. After four days of searing heat and bright
Storm Arrives in Paris Read More »
Las Vegas has played such a big role in my early twenties. It’s where my initial travels (and adventures) as an adult began. But above all, these are the memories that I keep closest: Dressing Up and Taking a Limo to In & Out Burger Every time my friends and I go to Las Vegas,
The Top 3 Las Vegas Experiences Read More »