A collection of meals, moments, and bites I would return for in a heartbeat… There’s something about Italy that lingers… not just in the places you’ve seen, but in the flavors you can still taste long after you’ve left. These are not just “recommendations.” They are memories I would gladly relive. And perhaps… someday, I will. 🇮🇹 Rome — Classic, Comforting, and Full of Soul ☕ Sciascia Caffè 1919 A cappuccino and a classic maritozzo—soft, pillowy, brioche bun filled with cre

There’s something about Italy that doesn’t just stay with you… it calls you back. I didn’t expect that part. I thought I would return home full — satisfied, grateful, perhaps even ready to move on to somewhere new — which was my original plan. And while I am grateful, what I didn’t anticipate was the quiet longing that settled in afterward. Not a restless kind of longing. A gentle one. The kind that says: there’s more here for you. So instead of planning something new and dif

✈️ 15-Day Italy Packing List Simple, thoughtful, and designed to feel light 👖 Clothing (Capsule Wardrobe) Bottoms 2 pairs of jeans 1 trouser Tops 3 base tops (neutral, easy to layer) 3 “pretty” tops (slightly elevated for special museums, dinners, or evenings out) Dresses / Skirts 2 🧥 Layers 1 lightweight cotton cardigan - I love Z Supply 1 trench coat (doubles as rain layer and warmth) Optional: lightweight vest (check weather before packing) - I love Vuori 👟 Shoes Sneake

There’s a feeling I’ve had since returning home… and it’s a little hard to describe. It’s light… but grounded. Peaceful… but full of energy at the same time. I don’t feel rushed. I don’t feel like I’m searching. I just feel… open. And that feels different. 💛 A Quiet Shift At first, I thought maybe it was just that post-trip happiness we all feel after doing something new and beautiful. But this feels deeper than that. It feels like something inside me gently whispered: “I’m

There was a time when I felt a little lost. Not in a way that anyone else would have noticed… but quietly, inside. I would ask myself questions like: Am I a cancer survivor? Am I someone defined by a BRCA2 mutation—by the choices I made to protect my future? Am I a Type 1 diabetic… even though my path to it looks different than most? And the more I thought about it, the more I realized… I didn’t quite fit into any one category. And for a while, that made me feel like I didn’t

Learning to soften… in the kitchen and in life There are certain dishes you taste once… and they stay with you. Not because they are complicated. Not because they are rare. But because they are simple in a way that feels almost… intentional. That’s how it was for me with a roasted artichoke in Rome. It arrived at the table glistening with olive oil, gently opened like a flower, filled with herbs and warmth. I remember taking a bite and thinking, how can something so simple ta

One final day to wander slowly through Venice, savoring cappuccinos, almond cantucci, and the quiet magic of a city that has stolen my heart. “Venice never quite leaves you. It lingers like light on water, long after you’ve gone.” There’s something about Venice that makes you slow down. Perhaps it’s the water quietly moving through the canals, or the way every narrow street seems to lead to a bridge, a small square, or a view that makes you pause for just a moment longer. I h

Wandering, Wondering, and Eating My Way Through a City That Feeds the Soul I’m currently writing this from the train between Florence and Venice, watching the Italian countryside glide past my window and reflecting on the days I just spent in a city that feels like a living work of art. Florence gave me everything I hoped for and more. I climbed towers and staircases until my legs questioned my judgment. I wandered through museum after museum, stood inches away from masterpie

Notes on cappuccino perfection, cloud-like maritozzo, artichokes that changed my life, and the best pizza I’ve ever eaten. I came to Rome expecting art, history, and beautiful streets. What I didn’t expect was to fall completely in love with artichokes. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps. But after a week in Rome, I’m not so sure any picture could ever capture the way a cappuccino tastes in the morning light, or how a simple plate of artichokes can make you

There’s a moment — a quiet, undeniable click — when you finally reach the “it’s not me, it’s you” stage of letting go. That’s the moment real freedom begins. Looking back, it’s easy to remember the fun parts, the photos where you looked adorable together, the way outsiders thought you were the perfect fit. But when you let the highlight reel fade, you can feel the truth underneath: the times you were hidden, placed last, made to feel small, or asked to shrink so someone else

There’s something that happens when a series finds you at exactly  the right moment — when it brushes up against memories you forgot were still sharp, and hopes you didn’t realize were still glowing softly under the surface. Watching Love Story  has been that for me. I was alive when John and Carolyn were dating and married, and I remember with heartbreaking clarity the night their plane went down. That tragedy left its mark on the world — but this series, their love story, r

There’s an old saying that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger , and I think many people toss that phrase around casually. But some of us… we become living proof of it. Strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s steady. Sometimes it’s tender. And sometimes it shines brightest when the world around us is dim. It’s easy to shine in the daylight — anyone can look bright when everything feels effortless. But shining in the dark? That takes something different. Something earn

Some evenings unfold so strangely you almost have to laugh at the universe’s plot twist. Today was one of those days here in Charleston — rainy, unexpected, and full of little moments I never saw coming. So tonight, I’m leaning into something simple and soothing: packing for my trip to Italy, turning on Hulu, and making two delicious, throw-together recipes that are perfect for a quiet night at home. Nothing fancy. Just comforting food, a soft pause, and the reminder that som

Italy Itinerary – Rome • Florence • Venice Day 1 – Arrival in Rome Base:  Albergo del Senato (by the Pantheon, Rome) Morning / Early Afternoon 10:30 AM – Land in Rome (FCO) Go through passport control, collect luggage, and transfer into the city (taxi or pre-booked car). Arrive at Albergo del Senato Drop bags (room may or may not be ready). Freshen up in lobby/bathroom if needed. First Coffee & Orientation Walk across the piazza to Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè  for: Espresso / cap

My last full day in the Floating City — a day to wander, breathe, and let Venice leave her mark on me. Some days are for plans. This one is for impressions — soft, beautiful imprints that only Venice can make. No tickets, no urgency… just a woman and a city falling quietly, sweetly in love. Morning — A Slow Start & A Walk Toward the Accademia I’ll begin my day with breakfast at H10 Palazzo Canova , savoring one last slow Venetian morning. Around 9:00–9:30 AM , I’ll head out o

My second full day in Venice: galleries, slow canals, and the kind of wandering that stays with you. Today is my gentlest Venetian day — art that stirs, bridges that whisper, and a neighborhood that feels like slipping into the softest version of myself. Dorsoduro has a way of making you feel at home… even when you’re thousands of miles away. Morning — A Soft Start + A Walk Toward Art I will enjoy breakfast at my sweet home base, H10 Palazzo Canova , savored slowly before hea

My first full day in Venice, where history, beauty, and a little Venetian enchantment meet. Morning Light + A Stroll Toward San Marco I’ll wake up in my lovely home base, H10 Palazzo Canova , and enjoy a slow, bright Venetian morning. No rush — just that gentle anticipation of a big, beautiful day ahead. Everything today is walkable. Venice is a city built for wandering, and I plan to let myself enjoy that fully. After breakfast at my hotel, I’ll begin my walk toward St. Mark

From Renaissance sunrise to the magic of the lagoon There are some travel days that feel like passages rather than transitions — soft doorways between who you were yesterday and who you’ll be by nightfall. Today is one of those days. A final morning wrapped in Florentine warmth… and an evening carried by the quiet shimmer of Venice. Morning in Florence — A Gentle Goodbye I’ll begin the morning around 7:30 AM  with breakfast at Hotel L’Orologio Firenze , sipping my tea and tak

My Last Full Day in Florence Today feels like a chapter I’ve been walking toward for a long time — a day made of marble, masterpieces, sunlight on the Arno, and the kind of inner clarity that only arrives after you’ve healed pieces of yourself you once thought might stay broken forever. I am not surviving anymore. I am expanding. 8:15 AM — Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia I’ll begin the morning at the Galleria dell'Accademia , standing before David  — marble courage made

If Rome is where I began to trust my compass, Florence is where I’ll learn to follow my curiosity with both feet on the ground and my heart wide open. Day Seven is a day I’ve dreamed about — the kind that feels stitched together with history, beauty, and maybe a little bit of magic. Morning: Walking to the Duomo for My Brunelleschi’s Dome Climb From Hotel L'Orologio Firenze , I’ll walk to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore  — a gentle 10–12 minute stroll through elegant F