You’ve probably seen images of Cinque Terre before. The villages in the Italian hills with all the colorful buildings ring a bell?

In the middle of my trip to Italy, Nicole and I were craving some warm sun and ocean air, so we hopped a train to the stunning and famous Italian Riviera.

Part 2 of my Italian adventure brought my BFF and I to the shores of none other than -

Most of these magnificent moments were captured in the village of Monterosso. Please take me back to beach with my BFF.

January 6, 2026

Postcards from Amsterdam and Antwerp

January 6, 2026

…and I thought to myself, if I have to be alone for Christmas, I might as well be alone for Christmas… in Europe.

January 6, 2026

October 11, 2024

“It’s been a long time coming…” 5 Days in Warsaw and the Taylor Swift Eras Tour

October 11, 2024

There are certain trips that stay with you long after your plane touches back down at home.

October 11, 2024

April 30, 2024

Tepid as that trip might have been, I still made some of my favorite memories with my favorite people, so that's something to feel inspired about.

April 30, 2024

Few topics have inspired me to write LESS than this one is doing.

April 30, 2024

June 20, 2025

Living in Britain: A Love Letter to All the Weirdness I Miss

Looking back on my time living in Britain, I realize that while it came with its fair share of quirks and challenges, I miss every bit of that endearing weirdness more than I ever expected.

May 9, 2025

My Closet in Numbers: A Deep Dive Into the Data Behind My Dream Wardrobe

A few years ago, I realized I had a little habit. Okay, fine. A big habit. I was constantly shopping. Buying cute things that caught my eye, only to have them sit unworn in my closet, silently judging me. I’d swing between impulse purchases and aesthetic aspirations, always hoping the next item would be the missing piece that made me feel put-together. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

April 20, 2025

How I Lost 26 Pounds with AI and Pure Stubbornness

I don’t know how else to say this, so I’ll just come right out with it.

I was very uncomfortable in my own skin.

April 11, 2025

Relearning New England: A Bitter Reality Check

Oh, New England. The land of icy roads and even icier social scenes. I swore I’d never return after college, when my Midwestern self was met with a chilly reception colder than a Nor’easter. Back then, I was bombarded with snide comments about my home state — flyover state jokes, condescending remarks about my friendliness, and the general air of superiority. Apparently, being nice was a crime, and the Midwest was a punchline.

April 10, 2025

You Do You, I’ll Eat My Olives and Cream Cheese

Let’s get something clear: being a picky eater is neither a moral failing nor an invitation for constant critique.

January 8, 2024

I'm in my Swiftie-Minecraft-Volvo-Hunger Games “era” and I’m loving every minute of it.

It’s a new year and maybe it’s the Sagittarius in me, or maybe I was just born with it, but that’s the perfect excuse to reinvent myself, yet again. 😏😏 And for me, that means a whole slew of new fixations that will become my entire personality for an extended period of time. I’ve seen the trend going around online of people making their ins and outs list, and while I feel like that’s a bit played out, I have been thinking about my current ins a lot lately; so much so that some of my current obsessions are legit keeping me awake at night.

December 8, 2023

Life never gets "easier," it just becomes a different kind of hard.

Hiya friends,

I hope you’re all getting in the festive spirit right about now. I know that if I weren’t such a Scrooge, I would be.

I’ve been in quite the pensive mood lately; I won’t lie. My mind just won’t shut up - I guess that’s why I’m here. This little corner of the internet has always been my space to talk to me, and anyone else who cares listen, about my internal goings-on and this post is no different.

June 15, 2023

For the first time in along time, I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

For the first time in along time, I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. It's the strangest feeling to try and describe to someone who doesn't know what you're talking about, but those who get it, get it.

October 16, 2020

I know “[my] mountain is waiting. So… [I’ll] get on [my] way!”

We all have them. Those relics of our younger years that stick with us forever. It’s almost as if something tells us that while we might not understand or relate to those things then, someday we’ll find their place or meaning in or lives, so we store them away in our cherished memories until that time comes.

November 18, 2019

Pet Peeves & Unpopular Opinions Continued

Hello, my friends, it’s been a minute. Life has a tendency to get away from us sometimes, doesn’t it?

August 28, 2019

Many MINIs Motoring To The Mighty Mack

A sense of belonging - one of mankind's most-basic and innate desires as people go through life. Being a part of something and having connections with other people gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling that you can't find anywhere else. Some people find it within their role at work, others seek it out within a church or political setting. It can be found in dozens of obvious places, but one place you might unexpectedly find your group is in the motoring world. Enthusiast groups exist across the whole spectrum of the automotive world - no matter what brand you drive, you'll probably find a group of like-minded driving fans to bond with.

October 18, 2024

A long weekend leaf peeping in Vermont

This year for our two-year wedding anniversary, my husband James and I decided to take a long weekend getaway to Vermont. Known for its stunning fall foliage, quaint towns, and picturesque landscapes, we thought it would be the perfect backdrop for our celebration and we had been planning this trip for pretty much the entirety of our marriage. While some parts of the trip exceeded our expectations, others were a bit of a letdown. But in the end, it was still a perfect anniversary escape and that’s truly all that matters - and it made for a great story…

April 15, 2024

An arbitrary rating of all the documentaries I've watched recently (no spoilers)

It only took me 30 years, but I’ve finally come to the realization that I really enjoy watching documentaries and docuseries. With my attention span, who would have seen that one coming?

February 23, 2024

An Updated Top Ten Travel Bucket List - Five Years Later

I’ve been feeling the itch to write lately, but honestly, I haven’t had a whole lot to write about.

Things are slow, but steady in my life. I have zero things to complain about, but I have don’t have anything super exciting to celebrate at the moment either.

But I was doing a little maintenance around my site today and I stumbled back upon and old post I titled “Top 10 Travel Bucket List,” which I had completely forgotten about. I haven’t looked at since I wrote it back in early 2019 - four years ago. Upon reviewing it, I noticed that a few of the places I’d gotten to visit since then! And a few more of them that I’ve lost interest in visiting for one reason or another; so, I thought it might be fun to write out an updated list. If only just to help myself keep track of where I should book next. 😉

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Postcards From Italy Part 2 - Cinque Terre

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