Study Abroad Sickness

The first two weeks of study abroad were great, but week three hit everyone hard. It seemed like half our group got sick, including myself. Week four, everyone who wasn't sick week three got sick from their friends/roommates who were sick the week before. It was awful being sick and having to miss out on …

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The Ruins and the Villain

In the same weekend, I toured the ruins of Pompeii and hiked to the summit of Mt. Vesuvius. I got to experience firsthand the destruction the volcano caused and then faced it head on, peering into its gaping crater. Pompeii was one of the activities I was most looking forward to on this trip. Something …

The Blue Grotto: Capri’s Hidden Treasure

I may have been sick our whole weekend in Sorrento and Capri, but one thing I didn’t miss out on was our excursion into the Blue Grotto, which is famous for only being accessible during peak conditions of low tides and calm seas. We took what was supposed to be a two-hour boat tour around …

You want a PISA me?

One of the main attractions that comes to mind when most people think of Italy is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The iconic “holding up the tower” photos are on every tourist’s bucket list so of course it was one of our must-sees as well. My two roommates and I booked train tickets (only 18 …

Under the Venetian Sun

We left water-surrounded Florida a week ago only to return to the water on a weekend trip to Venice, Italy. We took a high-speed train about two hours to get to Venice. We were told once we see water, that’s our stop to get off. Even as a Floridian, I was so amazed at how …

Grocery Shopping: Italian Edition

Once we were settled into our apartments in Florence, it was time to tackle living like a real Italian and hit up the grocery store. My roommates and I wanted to have enough food in our apartment so we don’t have to eat out three meals a day. While it was easier than I expected …

Strike One

They always say to go the extra mile. Well, we went the extra mile and then some. The original plan was to fly to Frankfurt, Germany, at 4:55, have a four-hour layover, and then fly to Florence, Italy, and be there by 2 p.m. However, on the way to the Miami airport, we found out …

From One Milestone to the Next

One day I was walking across the O’Connell Center stage in my cap and gown, and the next day I was on a flight to Italy. I graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in Florida teaching May 6, and left for a month-long study abroad …

Disney After Hours

This spring Walt Disney World offered Disney After Hours for the second year. Mom, Dad, Jared, and I went on March 1 to take advantage of the nonexistent lines for nearly every ride in Magic Kingdom. What is Disney After Hours? Disney offered 7 nights from January 2018 to March 2018 where a special event …

Where in the World Am I Going Next?

As someone who is addicted to her planner, I like to have my major travels planned out at least a year in advance. You could say I'm not exactly a spontaneous person. These are the next adventures I'm going on around the world. March 2018 - Bahamas I will be going on a 3-night Royal …

Books I Read in 2017

I set a goal on Goodreads (I use the app) to read 40 books in 2017. I have to be clear that although I say "read," I include books I listen to as audiobooks while I'm driving, which make up a good chunk of this list. I increased my goal from 40 to 42 because …

One Second Every Day 2017

I recorded one second of every day in 2017 that resulted in a video montage of my everyday life over the course of a year. To add a little surprise element, I didn't even tell anyone what I was doing. My family just thought I was super in to documenting videos for the year. When …