by THE WORLD IS FULL OF WONDER.
Every experience is unique to the beholder. Use my experiences as a traveler to forge your own adventures. Beyond the tourist highlights featured in a guidebook is a traveler who wants to be among the locals, eat the food, try to speak in a foreign tongue—really experience the culture.
Each story is a pebble in my journey. What does yours look like? Each pebble finds its place among the mosaic—each unique, yet with common elements. Similarly, we often find among our vast and varied lives and cultures more commonalities than differences. Where will you go?
Find your mosaic of pebbles. Discover and appreciate the wonder of our shared planet.
Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
Ibn Battuta
Coffee in Italy: How Tradition Upholds Artistry and High Standards
The dapper barista steamed the milk with precision, poured the creamy froth over the shot of robust espresso in a rhythmic swaying motion, then slid the cappuccino onto the bar with a slight nod. As I sipped the luscious intensity, I tasted Italy. The day officially began. The taste lingered with both me and Aaron…
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How Pizza in Rome Will Entice You to Savor Perfection
He wore a collared SS Lazio shirt, tucked beneath his round belly with a sweatband and three pairs of glasses on his head. This wacky waiter served more than just pizza—he indoctrinated foreigners on proper Italian dining decorum. Our desire to experience the Romans’ Rome began our first night, two blocks from the Tiber River…
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4 Pasta Dishes You Have to Try in Rome
One October day in Ancient Rome, a shepherd wandered with his flock into the hills of the Apennine Mountains carrying three ingredients: pasta, cheese, and pepper. He mixed them over a fire to create a basic dish of velvety sustenance. Two thousand years later, the proud waiter at Felice a Testaccio in the 20th rione…
Travel Guide: Vatican City
The world’s smallest country is also home to the Pope. However, not only Catholics make their pilgrimage to the Vatican, but people from around the world come in droves. Vatican City is a city-state politically separate from, but geographically surrounded by the city of Rome. The Vatican’s 3 main attractions Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and…
Travel Tale: From Overload to Awe in Vatican City
Corralled beneath ornate ceilings in halls of maps and tapestries, the crowded gallery corridors felt like an elegant livestock chute extending the length of a dozen football fields. From there, we were shoved into a smaller-than-expected chapel packed with tourists. This should have been a moment that forced my mouth agape as I wrapped my…
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Travel Guide: How Florence Inspires a Higher Standard and ‘Slow Tourism’
Stunning architecture and sculpted masterpieces, natural regional food and wine—Florence is sure to delight your perspective alongside your tastebuds. No wonder it’s such a popular destination. You really can’t help but fall in love with Florence. Italian Pride and Passion Italians take pride in their work. Their enthusiasm is infectious. Italy celebrates artisans and designers,…
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Florence, Italy: Currently Closed. Our Recent Visit Affirmed the Need for Sustainable Tourism.
Today the jewelry and souvenir shops lining the Ponte Vecchio—in medieval stalls once occupied by tanners, farmers, and butchers—are closed until further notice. For several weeks now, response to the Coronavirus global pandemic has shut down many businesses throughout the world deemed non-essential. Tourist destinations have been the most vulnerable to the virus, and Italy…
Barcelona: Spain or Catalonia?—When we unexpectedly met its complexity and conflict
Many may not even realize—I, one of limited knowledge, can only begin to understand—the layers of Barcelona’s complicated history within the region of Catalonia. Seeing their pride and their frustration in action only gave me a glimpse. What I do know—people want to be heard. Acknowledged. Respected. Our issues are universal. A common desire among…
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