If you had asked me two months ago if I would be writing about spending my birthday at a beach volleyball tournament in Vienna, of all places, I wouldn’t have believed you. I mean, when I think about Vienna, I think about opera and classical music and art. I think about three-layered lattes and chocolate […]
Yes, I Went To Vienna to Watch Beach Volleyball with Austrian Airlines Read More »
I wasn’t a dog person until I moved to New York. I didn’t grow up with dogs (or any pets larger than a rodent, for that matter), and I never really knew how to interact with them. Spending time on Bali in 2011 and being cornered by barking street dogs on a nightly basis didn’t do
The Best Halloween Dogs in Hamilton Heights, Harlem Read More »
One question I get asked on a daily basis is, “So, what’s your favorite place?” I’m not a fan of having to answer that question constantly, but I understand why people ask me, so I have a quick go-to response: “My favorite countries are Croatia, Italy, South Africa, Thailand, and Japan.” But that list is
Finland in the Summer: Quirky, Isolated, and Pretty Read More »
Last year, I spent a week hopping around Germany’s Bavaria region in December, exploring several different Christmas markets. What a great trip! I knew I’d have fun, but I was genuinely surprised at what a relaxing and delightful week it was. How could you not enjoy a week of holiday spirit, mulled wine, and delicious food? At
How to Plan a German Christmas Market Trip Read More »
I can’t believe it’s only July and I’ve driven the entire length of the Florida Keys three times this year. Last year, the Florida Keys were one of my top most wanted destinations, mostly due to Bloodline. So in February Cailin and I planned a girls’ road trip from Orlando to Key West and back again.
A Sizzling Summer Trip to the Florida Keys Read More »
This year I achieved a long-held travel dream: visiting Christmas markets in Germany. It’s crazy that I haven’t done this until now! I remember visiting my first German Christmas market, albeit in another country — it was during my semester in Florence in 2004. The market was set up a two-minute walk from my apartment
Christmas in Bavaria in 25 Photos Read More »
When New Year’s 2014 rolled around, I didn’t think I would be visiting Germany at all this year. How wrong I was! By August, I had visited Leipzig, Wilhelmshaven, Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck, Berlin, Potsdam, and finally Cologne and Brühl. With the exception of Berlin, they were all new destinations for me. Cologne closed out my summer of
Rocking Out at Cologne Music Festival Read More »
August is a sacred month to Italians. It’s tradition to take the whole month off — unless you work in, say, the hospitality industry, as someone needs to serve copious scoops of gelato to the ridiculously good-looking, speedo-clad Italians who use this time off as a reason to flock to the seaside. But there’s more to
Coming Home to the Carpino Folk Festival Read More »
If summer has a perfect sweet spot, it can be found in Finland. Forget the gray, rainy, temperamental weather of London, Paris, Limerick, and Cologne, the days that could easily have appeared during any other month of the year. Forget the sweltering days of Dubrovnik and Ljubljana, where going outside was akin to hurling yourself into a
Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival: Sweet Notes in a Warm Finnish Summer Read More »
I’m spending this summer visiting quirky and unusual festivals throughout Europe. My first festival trip took me to Ireland and Limerick, City of Culture. My second took me to a very different destination and a country I had yearned to visit for years: Slovenia. Allow me to introduce you to Ana Desetnica, the street theatre festival
Ana Desetnica: Ljubljana’s Incredible Street Theatre Celebration Read More »