15 April 2020
Travel

Where I traveled in 2019

better late than never!

I totally spaced out on publishing this blog post around the new year, but it was a busy time for me as I had just returned to the states and was traveling over the holidays. I thought it would be nice to post it now while we are all stuck at home and dreaming of our next trip. If you asked me where I want to go first when this is all over, I would probably answer with New York and then Italy, because that was my rough plan before this global pandemic happened. A few days in New York on my way to Europe sounds perfect, to see close friends and finally get my second tattoo (I got my first at the oldest tattoo shop in Manhattan, Fine Line, and highly recommend).

Now more than ever it’s so important to live by the mentality to just do it, I think. Take that trip, go visit your friends, your family, see that cathedral or that museum you’ve always wanted to see, eat that special pastry you’ve always wanted to try. Why wait? Why prolong things like travel that enriches our life? Don’t let the illusion of having a busy life get in the way.

“To not dance when you had the health and could hear the music could be the biggest regret of your life.”

Once it’s safe to travel again, I hope everyone gets on the plane or train taking them where they want to be. Because life is so precious. My friends and I have already been talking about where we are going…a reunion trip to Florence with my friends from studying abroad, an overdue visit to San Diego where my bestie lives, a holiday to Turkey or Greece with my best friend, and for me always returning to Italy, Rome especially now to hug all my friends.

If you are looking for ideas or inspiration, you can find my list from 2017 and 2018 here. All locations have blog posts linked if I’ve written about them! Within that original post, I had listed where I hoped to travel in 2019, and I did pretty well. Here’s that list:

2019

As you can see, the only cities I didn’t end up visiting in 2019 were Seattle and San Diego (both cities where good friends live), but at the time of writing the list I didn’t know I would be moving to Europe for three months. That move took all of my travel budget, as you can imagine! So Seattle and San Diego are top of my list when I can travel again.

I’m actually surprised most that I made it to London. My cousin attended business school and was living there, so it made it an easy destination, but I probably wouldn’t have made it in 2019 if I wasn’t already living in Rome. Fate brought me there. And now, after all that has transpired, I’m so glad I made it to London when I did. It will be a window of time I will always look back on, for many reasons. A real testament to how life can rapidly change, and how valuable the present is. So take hold of it without reservation, please.

I’m also glad I made it to New York, as it’s a city that keeps calling me back and I love it unlike any other. I leave it completely exhausted but inspired like never before.

As far as the other places I went in 2019, it makes me really proud to write the list below. I didn’t imagine I would have the most opportunities to travel when 2019 began. But it turns out that I lived my dreams by moving back to Italy. Travel within Italy and Europe is so convenient and often very affordable. I am filled with gratitude for the ability to see more of Italy last fall (so many beautiful small towns and new-to-me cities), and fall deeper in love with it. I’m happy I could return to Vienna, one of my favorite European cities, and travel to London as I said.

I also realized I often wanted to stay in Rome, instead of traveling. I loved it that much. So throughout the fall I found myself a little overbooked and though I’m grateful for every place I saw, I sometimes wished I had stayed in Rome. Once friendships were made and weekend traditions established, it was hard to leave. Landing back in Rome always made me feel so happy, a homecoming in every sense of the word. The warmth, the sun, the cigarette smoke, the sound of mopeds…all of it was part of coming back into the city’s chaotic, loving grasp that I never took for granted.

The power of visualization is really important to me, and I hope to put that in action again to see more of the world and continue returning to my favorite places on this Earth. Writing down where you want to go helps tremendously. Tell your friends so they can hold you accountable. Make plans with those friends and with your family. Think about the places you desire to see, imagine yourself there, and make a mood board so you visualize them everyday. If you see yourself somewhere in your mind, you can find yourself there one day soon by manifesting it.

What a wonderful world we live in. I’m looking forward to seeing it all again with new eyes and gratitude and excitement and probably a lot of tears, sad and happy ones. Dream on…

where I traveled in 2019

  • Balsam Lake, Michigan for a weekend with friends
  • Ironwood, Michigan for a family reunion
  • Nisswa, Minnesota for our annual family cabin week
  • New York, New York with my friend to visit more friends
  • Rome, Italy to live for three months
  • Elsewhere in Italy:
    • Tivoli failed attempt to be Lizzie McGuire
    • Santa Marinella for a beach day
    • Latina to see the Gardens of Ninfa
    • Anzio for a beach day
    • Bracciano for a morning to explore the castle
    • Napoli on a day trip with friends
    • Pisa on a solo day trip
    • Orvieto on a solo day trip
    • Verona on a day trip with friends (third time in this lovely city)
    • Bologna on a day trip with friends
    • Florence for a weekend with my best friend
  • Elsewhere in Europe:
    • London, UK with my then-boyfriend to visit my cousin
    • Vienna, Austria with friends for a weekend
  • Tampa, Florida with my family for New Year’s

I always share my travels on Instagram, and you can find highlights for all the cities I visited in 2019 on my profile. Watching these highlights is my guilty pleasure! They take me back to those exact moments, sometimes life changing, that travel creates. Let me know if you liked this post in the comments below! xxMaggie

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