Europe

  • Itinerary for summer hiking in the Dolomites, Cinque Torri
    Europe,  Italy

    The Best Itinerary for a Weekend Hiking in the Heart of the Dolomites

    For July 4th, we celebrated our freedom and American independence by traveling to our favorite place in Italy – the Dolomites. On our very last weekend living in Italy, we couldn’t have chosen a better spot. It’s all thanks to connections made through a Facebook group that I’m an admin/moderator of – Hike the Dolomites – that I learned about Rocca Bruna Dolomiti Bed & Breakfast. If only we had found this location earlier, we would have enjoyed many more weekends here! After a fantastic weekend, I couldn’t wait to share all the details from our days at Rocca Bruna and in the Italian Dolomites. Below you will find the…

  • House Hunter International, A Home in Italy
    Europe,  Italy,  Military Life

    House Hunters International – A Home in Vicenza, Italy

    Choosing your first home as a married couple is no simple task, but choosing one in another country…that takes a lot of patience and time. But I can say without a doubt, that once we started looking for a home in Vicenza, Italy, this decision was one of the easiest ones we have ever made as a married couple. I knew we had found the ONE when we stepped out of the car in Costabissara with our translator. I looked over at my husband, and he had this stupid grin on his face. I asked him what he was smirking about and he responded: “I can smell fresh grass!” One of…

  • Europe,  Life Lessons,  Personal

    A Small Hurdle

    “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me” Ayn Rand You ever had something so exciting planned that it’s all you could think about, talk about, dream about because this is the one place you wanted to go your whole life? And then you find out that you have to cancel your trip.

  • Honeymoon in Sardinia, Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu
    Europe,  Italy

    Serenity in Sardinia

    The latest Adventures of S & S included an exciting honeymoon to the beautiful island of Sardinia. Check out this short clip for a summary of our trip, then keep scrolling down to read all about it!! Overview of Sardinia Country: Italy Recommended Hotel(s): Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu (Poltu Quatu), Hotel Panorama (Olbia) Best Bites: The famous Sardinia tortilla bread, mussels, octopus Activities: Snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, hiking, dolphin watching Beaches: Baia Sardinia, Phi Beach (party beach), Porto Cervo Language: Italian, most people spoke English well enough Surprising Parts: $$$, very little sea life due to minimal vegetation underwater, topless beaches Best Assets: differing landscapes – mountains, beaches, deserts; beautiful…

  • a fresh start
    Europe,  Military Life,  Personal

    A Fresh Start

    In a little over a week from today, I will board a one-way flight across the ocean. With a new address, a new phone number, and my new last name….all of this feels like a fresh start – a blank slate. While it may not seem that big of a deal to many millennials or some of my fellow readers, keep in mind that I come from a small town where people don’t usually leave. This is a MONUMENTAL event for my family. I asked my dad the other day if he had ever been away from his family, even for a couple months. He simply laughed and said no…

  • Europe,  Italy,  Military Life,  Personal

    The First 48 Hours Living in Italy

    Whew… it has been a complete whirlwind since the moment we landed in Venice at 0900 on Monday morning. We finally made it to our new home around 1630 after an hour bus ride and waiting for a rental car to become available so we could move all 7 of our suitcases to the house. In these last couple of days, I have come to LOVE many things about life in Italy. Heated floors and light switches by the bed are possibly the best things since sliced bread. So is my husband who let me sleep for three hours but then drug me out of the house to go get…

  • 2018 year in review
    Africa,  Albania,  Austria,  Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Europe,  Germany,  Greece,  Hungary,  Italy,  Macedonia,  Montenegro,  Morocco,  Norway,  Personal,  Scotland,  Serbia,  Slovenia,  Switzerland

    2018: A Recap of Our Year Traveling to 20+ Countries

    2018. A year that flew by. I look back and I feel as if I’ve hardly accomplished anything, and then I read through all these posts, look back through my photography, and think WOW – a lot happened this year. I grew as a person, a writer, a photographer, and a wife. I have seen and done things I never thought I’d do in my entire life. One thing I love about blogging and writing, in general, is that it gives you time to reflect on the past and to see what you’ve learned and accomplished (or just flat out failed) during that time. I’m super excited to share this…

  • Europe,  Norway

    Dog Sledding in Alta, Norway

    Standing tall on the runners of our basket sleds with snow piling up underneath, we raced through the Arctic wilderness led by a team of Alaskan Huskies. A 30-kilometer, 6.5-hour journey through the forests and by the riversides of Norway leaves one feeling a rush of adrenaline and wild-spirited. Welcome to the experience of dog sledding in Norway! Enjoy this short video we put together of footage from our trip of dog sledding in Norway (or click here if it doesn’t load.) During our trip to see the Northern Lights, one of our first outdoor activities was dog sledding in Norway – something I’ve wanted to do for years! Located…

  • lake garda bike path review
    Europe,  Italy

    A Review of Italy’s Recently Opened “Bike Path” on Lake Garda

    When an article appeared online about a bike path opening up along Lake Garda (Lago di Garda), I was all for taking the following Sunday to head up there and enjoy a nice day by the lake. The article, which I won’t name specifically for obvious reasons, considers this bike path one of the most spectacular in Europe. It goes on to say that it’s a 2 km stretch (although I wasn’t sure that could be correct), took 2 years and 7 million € to complete. That’s a lot of time and a lot of money. It’s gotta be worth it, right?! Well, let’s find out! On Sunday, we loaded…