Oh, the Places You'll Go!

With the holiday season approaching quickly, I thought I’d share a past traveling experience with you. As you can see from the title, “My Bad Luck with Planes” will be a multi-part segment (hopefully three posts...crossing my fingers that it won’t grow anymore!) and I’ll tell you about, yes, my bad luck with planes. If you’ve read my “About” page, you probably know that my family travels to Hawai’i every year. For the past several years, we’ve gone over winter break - we usually leave on Christmas Eve and come back a couple of days after school starts again. However, last year, we left for the airport on Christmas Eve at about 7:30 AM ...and didn’t get to Hawai’i until Christmas morning… --- It was Christmas Eve of 2015. I woke up early that morning, at about 7 AM. This was the part of the year that I looked forward to the most, and I couldn’t wait to get to the airport. My suitcase was packed, and I just had a few more miscellaneous items to grab before we left. Th...

Ciao, bentornato! (Hi, welcome back!) This week, we’re traveling to Tuscany, Italy. Unlike our other destinations, Tuscany actually isn’t a city...it’s an entire region! Tuscany is located in central Italy, and Florence is its capital. Other well known provinces in Tuscany include Pisa and Siena. When my family visited this past summer, we stayed in a small town called Staggia. In all honesty, I didn’t really enjoy most of Tuscany - the only part I did love was Florence. However, the reason I didn’t like it might have something to do with both my sister and me getting carsick on the way to Volterra, which is city in the province of Pisa. (There are lots of hills in Tuscany - keep that in mind if you get motion sick easily!) Volterra itself was actually pretty nice. You can see the Teatro Romano, which used to be a Roman amphitheater. I didn’t go inside of it, but apparently you can, and it costs just a few Euros. If you don’t want to go in, though, you can view it from the ci...

Hi, welcome back to my travel blog! Our next stop is Venice, Italy - you might know it as “The Floating City”, the “City on Water”, the “Bride of the Sea”, or the “City of Masks.” Whatever you know it as, I'm sure you'll agree that Venice is an amazing place to travel to! Venice is truly an incredible city, from the canals to the masks, the gondolas to the glass products. Not sure what I’m talking about? Well, to be honest, I didn’t know anything about the masks or the glass products until I visited. When I arrived, though, I quickly learned that the Venetian masks are part of an old tradition - every year, the city hosts the “Carnival of Venice”, and people attend the carnival dressed in fancy costumes and elaborate masks. Click here for more information/facts about Venetian masks and the Carnival of Venice! As for the glass products, you’ll see immediately why Venice is famous for making them. There are tons of glass shops in all of the piazzas, and they sell...

Hi, welcome! This week, we’re taking a trip to Florence, Italy (which I think is one of the most beautiful places in the world.) Keep reading for some tips and information! You can’t leave Florence without visiting the Piazza del Duomo. This is where the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (or simply the “Duomo”) is located. The piazza itself is a very popular tourist destination, so be prepared for big crowds and lots of selfie-sticks, but it’s definitely a must-see. There are lots of restaurants, gelaterias, and shops here as well. The main attraction is obviously the Duomo, and it’s nothing short of magnificent. Honestly, it’s incredible. I encourage you to go inside as well. It’s free to enter; you just have to wait in line. Make sure that you aren’t wearing tank tops or shorts as there is a strict dress code, and there are people actually checking. My family and I didn’t walk up the stairs of the Duomo, but I’ve heard that the view from the top is pretty spectacular. ...

Hey again, welcome back! This is a continuation of my first post, “There’s No Place Like Rome.” I’m going to tell you about a couple more landmarks that you can see, a tip or two about transportation, and more! The Trevi Fountain is gorgeous, even though it is extremely crowded. Be prepared for big crowds, and don't forget to toss a coin into the fountain - this supposedly will ensure that you return to Rome. Click here for the official website, and click here for more interesting facts about the Trevi Fountain. ( Trevi Fountain at night) If you look at TripAdvisor and other websites, they'll say that the Pantheon is one of the the top things to visit. In all honesty, I didn't think that it was that amazing, but it's only a few minute walk from the Trevi Fountain; if you're there, then check it out - if not, I don't think you're really missing too much. (Pantheon at night) As for transportation, my family and I used the “Ro...

Starting off my travel blog with a post about the Eternal City! Rome itself is filled with world-famous buildings, including the Colosseum and Vatican Museums. My family and I were only here for a few days this past summer, but we were still able to see so many things. It honestly can be a little overwhelming. So, here are a few of the things that I say you can't miss "when in Rome!" First and foremost, the Colosseum is something that you must see - a trip to Rome isn't complete without it! I would also highly recommend going inside. You'll be able to see the place where the gladiators actually fought, which I think is pretty cool. The only thing I didn't love about my visit to the Colosseum was the heat - the weather in Rome in late July is uncomfortable to say the least, but that was because of the not-so-great timing of our trip. (Inside the Colosseum) I also encourage you to go into the Roman Forum, which used to be a major piazza ...