We’ve all been there. Halfway to our exciting destination and the sinking feeling that you forgot something suddenly comes to an epiphany when you realize you left something super important at home. Even worse! You are in the middle of your trip, digging through your bag for something until you finally come to terms with…
Tag: Backpacking
Backpack Italy with my 10 or 14 Day Itinerary
Italy is a must-see destination for a lot of people but because there are so many amazing places and sites to see, it can feel a bit intimidating. I know that when I was planning my trip there was a lot of pressure to “not miss anything.” For some this may be possible, but for…
Exploring Naples, Sorrento and Everything in Between
I managed to have the most perfect timing in regards to weather during my entire trip. I watched, feeling very lucky, as a massive thunderstorm descended on Rome while my bus pulled out of the city. The last stop on my Italian tour was Naples and the surrounding villages lining the Gulf of Naples. I…
Visiting the Smallest Country in the World
My last full day in Rome was dedicated to the Vatican City. I pre-booked a tour of the gardens to start off the day and I’m so glad that I did. The gardens are actually over half of the entire state at 57 acres/23 hectares (the state itself is only 110 acres/44 hectares — that’s 1/8 the…
When in Rome
I arrived in the capital city at about 6 pm after concluding my Tuscan adventures in Siena and checked into the fanciest hostel of my life. I quickly put my stuff away, filled my water bottle and headed off to cross one of the smaller “must see’s” off my list. I started with the Spanish Steps…
Exploring Tuscany by Train
Using Florence as my home base, I decided to get a feel for some of those iconic Tuscan villages nearby. While my drivers license is no longer valid in Europe to be able to do the classic “rent a car to drive from village to village” thing, I still had an amazing experience by rail….
Kicking off my Italian Adventure in Florence
I hopped on a bus bright and early from Milan to Florence hoping to see some beautiful Italian countryside along the way. While parts of it were beautiful, I was overall not super impressed and was a bit surprised when the majority of the road between Bologna and Florence was actually tunnels underneath the Apennine Mountains….
Packing for Italy; my First Ever Livestream
If you didn’t already know, I booked a two week backpacking trip around Italy departing the day after my last exam (fingers crossed I don’t have to do any retakes). If I was going to be living in Italy for the last 5 months, I figured I had better take the time to see the…
Why you Should Backpack Scandinavia this Summer
When you hear Scandinavia, do you think of snow, Santa, killer healthcare, and a bunch of tall, ridiculously attractive blonde guys? Yea? Me too, or at least I used to. Back in 2015 when I was studying abroad in Berlin, I decided to take my very first backpacking trip to the Nordics. I made the…
Finland is my Happy Place – A Weekly Photo Challenge
I really had a hard time trying to pin down my favorite place since I have come across so many beautiful, peaceful, memorable, and sentimental places in my lifetime. My host mom in Berlin’s home was very high on the list as well as the sand dunes and Columbia River where my parents used to…
My Way of Everything 