Where I traveled in 2024

I’m back! I couldn’t go without making this post as it has become a yearly tradition.

I promise to write a post soon as a more formal back to the blog…the time has come. I’ve spent a lot of time not writing here, not sharing much, really to just give myself room to live and adjust to my new reality. My life in Italy is something I’ve been dreaming of and working toward for so long, and wow—I think I’m still adjusting to the fact that I’ve arrived, it’s here. With the major life changes I’ve gone through I’ve been rethinking my approach to this space and what I want to share. To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure. The only thing I know is that I have missed this creative outlet and sharing here, so I’d like to return to it. And, with a broken leg, I have a little more time on my hands (at least for now).

More on all that in another post—let’s dive into where I went in 2024. I saw a lot of Italy, as always, including more places Romans go, like Ponza (beautiful island with crystal blue water) and i castelli romani (little towns in the hills near Rome, near two lakes). I felt like I didn’t really travel that much actually, but since I moved to Italy I had quite a few trips back to Minnesota for weddings and family events—so those took up my calendar and budget (but worth it, of course). In 2025 I’ll be in the US less and I’m planning to tick a few more places off my list, in Europe especially.

I made it back to Greece in 2024, but this time to Athens, a city I had been dreaming about for a long time. I went by myself, and I always feel a bit like I’m between two timelines when I take trips like that. I had a profound moment sitting in Starbucks (I know, I should be boycotting), where I just stopped for a minute and was like, what is my life? Travel always is like hitting pause for me. I had just read a really positive email about work I had done, I was talking to a boy I really liked, I had come to Greece by myself for the weekend just because I could, I would soon be returning back to my life in Roma, I was spoiling myself on the trip. It all just felt so surreal but also like a confirmation that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Of course my summer consisted of many trips to the sea, but I have to say it was also kind of a hard summer for me because I was so used to working remote from wherever I wanted. The past three summers for me consisted of taking trains to southern Italy every other week to be somewhere by the sea, since I had so much flexibility. I could go to Tropea for two weeks, work one week and take one week off, and really have that feeling of SUMMER. So, with work being a main priority (I had started my new job just in April, in office), I took advantage of Saturday and Sunday and the sea by Roma, and booked one lovely, golden long weekend at my favorite place on earth, Tropea. It was special this year because I brought my best friend since childhood and after months of stress and major life change, I felt like I finally returned to myself. My little diamond seaside town will do that for me. If there’s one certainty in my estate italiana, it is Calabria and the crystal blue waters of the sea there.

In the fall I visited friends in New York, which is always fun. I flew Norse Airlines and was basically in first class, which was a great experience. I made friends with the guy sitting next to me and I’ve never had an eight hour flight go by so fast. In New York we had one of those classic nights that only happen there, hopping from party to bar to apartment to bar to rooftop. I always feel alive in that city. At the time, I was training to run the Rome half marathon (before I got sick and couldn’t run it), so one morning I ran eight miles around Prospect Park. It felt like I could go on forever, and I can’t wait to feel like that again once my leg is healthy. Plus in New York it’s always a mix of friends from different parts of my life, and this time I brought a bunch of them together at one magical brunch.

Minnesota is always family time for me. It’s honestly a bit stressful trying to fit everyone in, and I say that in the best way possible. Anyone living abroad knows this stress. I think I always come back more tired than when I left, but it always fills my heart to be with my people and make sure everyone is doing well.

I’ll leave it at that for 2024, before I go on too long. Clearly I’ve missed writing…

Santa Marinella for my birthday
Civitavecchia and Santa Marinella with friends, staying at my friend’s nonna’s house
Palermo and Mondello for my first time in mainland Sicily
Ariccia, Castelgandolfo, Rocca di Papa day trips with friends
Fregene for the sea air

Minnesota for an event