My tips on how I survive traveling (semi) alone with GAD and PTSD I (usually) try to keep an air of happiness and excitement to my posts. I want to share the wonderful things about traveling and living abroad. I’m experiencing so many things in a few short months and years that I could only…
My Meerkat Meeting
Sam circa 1993 was a Girl Scout and in my troop we each had animal names. I don’t remember why or what the purpose was, but these names followed us for a few years. My best friend was otter and I was meerkat. My mom tried to convince me to be muskrat for the 1976…
Firenze’s Phenomenal Food
Besides the amazing museums, architecture and general feeling that you’re walking through history, my favorite part about Italy is the food. Everywhere you turn you can find delicious pasta, melt in your mouth gnocchi, pizza unlike anything you’ve ever tasted and of course gelato to make you drop to your knees and praise the ice…
Five Must see Pieces of Art in Florence
As the birthplace of the European Renaissance, Florence has awe-inspiring works of art and architecture at every turn and it’s impossible to see them all in a short trip, but this past weekend, we tried to squeeze in as many as possible. Traveling my friend Kaitlin, who’s a photographer and fellow artist (and our husbands),…
Lyveden House…a dream interrupted
Deep in the English countryside stands the shell of an Elizabethan garden lodge a symbol of a dream that was cut short when it’s creator, Sir Thomas Tresham suddenly died in 1605. Tresham’s dream wasn’t just to have a fancy garden lodge, but to stand steadfast in his Catholic faith in a time where Catholics…
Getting Happy with a SAD lamp
SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder – a disorder with symptoms similar to depression that occurs regularly at certain times of the year, usually in winter when days are shorter. On my second day in England, a relatively sunny Mid-May day, I was informed that soon enough, the skies would darken and it would be a good…
New Year, New Domain, Big Dreams
“I’m not sure when it’s time to stop saying Happy New Year…so… Happy New Year.” My wonderful yoga teacher, Sam said with a grin as she greeted us for the first yoga class of the 2019. And I guess she’s right… when do we stop saying “Happy New year”? When do we stop chasing those…
The Magic that is the Bruges Christmas Market
“This is like walking in a fairytale.” -Zoe on our ventures in the Bruges Christmas market. And really… she was right. Bruges, I’m sure, is a magical city any time of the year. But at Christmas time, with lights strung from the trees and medieval buildings the whole city is enchanted. (I’ll write more on…
Finding Dunkirk’s Winter Market
Dunkirk’s Winter Market was a pleasant surprise for us. Intending to head into Belgium for their Christmas Markets that are held over until the new year, we chose Dunkirk as a mid-point on out road trip where we could learn more about Operation Dynamo and see the infamous beaches where so many lives were lost…
Finding the Joy of Childhood at London’s Winter Wonderland Carnival
If Weisbaden is the quintessential Christmas market, then London’s Winter Wonderland is the exact opposite. While it had some minor nods to the idea of the German Christmas Market, it, by and large, was nothing like the first market we visited. Sprawling throughout Hyde Park, London’s Winter Wonderland faire is beyond massive. I knew it…
Fernweh Findings 