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Brent de l’Art: A Ravine in the Province of Belluno, Italy
If what you’re seeking is a unique hiking experience with photogenic surroundings, Brent de l’Art is the place to visit. Located within 2 hours driving time from Vicenza, Italy, this ravine lies in Trichiana, Province of Belluno. What’s a Brent? The term Brent indicates a stream. It flows at the bottom of a deep valley and is more or less quite narrow. You will often see the word “brent” when driving over a short bridge as it names the small river or stream below you. The ravine formed at Brent de l’Art is a result of water, stones, and plants once entering the canyon creating whirlwinds and slamming intensely against…
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Basic Tips to Photograph the Northern Lights
When we booked our trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights, I knew I had to learn how to capture this incredible phenomenon. Up to this point, I’d always used an iPhone or GoPro to document our travels. Everything I kept reading said that to photograph the Northern Lights would be much more complicated than simply snapping a pic on my phone. I spent a lot of time learning, researching, and taking notes about the best ways to take photos of the Aurora Borealis in order to avoid getting myself into a situation where I would miss the lights because I was too busy trying to fiddle with the…
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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…
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Chasing the Northern Lights Through Norway | When to Go, Where to Stay, What to Do
Shades of green swirled and danced over our heads in the night sky for as we sat soaking in the hot tub, while two feet of snow surrounded us. It felt like a dream, one that I had waited my entire life to witness. If you have been following along for a while now, you probably read that my lifelong bucket list consisted of two major items – seeing the Swiss Alps and experiencing the Northern Lights. I checked the first item off of my bucket list last July when I took a group of students to Switzerland and Italy through EF Tours. The second item on that list was just recently…
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My Reason Why
As 2017 comes to an end, it only seems right to reflect back on all that has happened throughout this life-changing year. First, let’s go back to the beginning of my blog and my WHY.
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Where in the World Are My Household Goods?
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably read my post here about packing all of my household goods up and having them shipped overseas back in September. That shipment was supposed to arrive November 27th, just one day after I did. Inside the shipment contained my winter clothes, Christmas decorations, all of our furniture – including my queen size bed with sheets and blankets. Oh and all things cookware. Well…it’s currently halfway through December and I have yet to receive my items. In fact, when I inquired about it a week ago, they had no idea where the ship was and had to send an “urgent…
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Hiking and Cow Festivals: A Cool October Weekend in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Picture this: mountains with snowy peaks, cows parading through town with floral headpieces, shops of the most amazing handmade items, and delicious fresh meats and vegetables. What you’re imagining is the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Lucky for you, I have actual photographs of all the above so keep reading to find out about this quaint ski town in Northern Italy! Cortina d’Ampezzo has been one of my favorite towns to date in all of Italy. It has something for everyone! I highly recommend visiting this place if you are having guests in town and need the perfect place to go sightseeing and/or shopping. This village located at the base of…
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Asiago Christmas Markets: An Ageless Tradition
I’m so blessed to be living in Europe just in time for Christmas this year. Christmas Markets are famous throughout Italy and Europe, and my list of “to-see” markets is quite long. In Italian, a Christmas Market is called Mercatini Di Natale. They are in most of the major towns around Italy and even throughout countries like Germany and Switzerland. The Asiago Christmas Market was the first on my list as it is only an hour drive from Vicenza. Known for its cheese and beautiful surroundings, Asiago is located in the Veneto region in Northeastern Italy. Looking at the weather report, we saw that it had been snowing a good…
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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…
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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…
