Lisbon → Coimbra → Porto | November 15–27, 2026 Life has thrown me a few curveballs lately. My October travel plans changed. And changed again. And eventually disappeared altogether. Then there was April. I had planned another beautiful European adventure, but life changed, and I canceled it. Then, as life sometimes does, it changed again—and it turned out I could have kept those plans after all. But that's okay. Things change. Life does what life does. And sometimes the love

You can’t exhale before you have inhaled. It’s impossible. Perhaps that’s why I’ve come to believe the same is true of living. There is something almost sacred about stepping outside, lifting your face toward the warmth of the sun, and closing your eyes for just a moment. It isn’t simply that the sunshine feels nice. It’s an experience. It’s an emotion. It’s a place. A place that quietly reminds us we belong to something much bigger than ourselves. When I walk outside each ev

For a long time, I looked at my life as if it were a rough draft. There were chapters I wished I could rewrite. Relationships that ended differently than I had hoped. Mistakes I replayed. Lessons I seemed determined to learn more than once. Seasons that, if given the chance, I might have quietly deleted altogether. But lately I’ve begun wondering… What if none of it needs editing? What if every awkward conversation, every broken heart, every frightening diagnosis, every wrong

There is something quietly magical about turning fifty-six. Every new year of life seems to bring a surprise we never saw coming, and perhaps that is the real gift of birthdays—not simply celebrating another year, but watching the next chapter unfold and discovering the unexpected joys waiting inside it. Not because life suddenly changes on your birthday, but because by this point you finally know yourself well enough to live differently… and to travel differently. You no lon

When we are in the middle of loss, we tend to focus on what is being taken from us. We grieve the future we imagined. We mourn the plans we made. We replay the memories and wonder how something that once felt so right could have ended. But sometimes, years later, we look around and realize that what felt like the end was actually the beginning. I have been thinking a lot lately about how different my life would look today if certain chapters had unfolded the way I wanted. At

When I traveled to London, Paris, Italy, and Greece over the past several months, one of the most fascinating parts of the experience for me wasn’t just the architecture, the museums, or the scenery… It was the food. Not just how it tasted—but how it felt. And surprisingly, each country felt completely different to my body. 🇬🇧 London In London, I found so much of the food comforting and delicious, but often a little too rich for me. There were absolutely meals I loved and f

There is something magical about Greece that is difficult to explain until you experience it for yourself. It is not simply the whitewashed buildings perched against impossibly blue water. It is not only the warmth of the people, the salty sea air, or the glow of sunset against stone pathways polished smooth by centuries of footsteps. It is the way life itself slows down enough to savor. And nowhere is that more evident than at the table. Before traveling to Greece, I expecte

There was a time—not so long ago—when I had a budget set aside for maintaining a certain version of myself. Facial lasers. Botox. A gentle effort to soften the lines that time and life had begun to leave behind. And then, somewhere along the way, I made a quiet shift. I chose travel instead. Not in a dramatic, life-altering declaration. Just a simple decision, made one day and honored the next: What if I invested in living instead of preserving? And so, I did. Last night, I c

After ending my time in Athens with a truly lovely dinner at Hytra last night, I now find myself sitting in the Aegean Airlines lounge, waiting for my Aegean Airlines flight to depart—enjoying all the lovely Grecian treats in front of me. And somewhere between the last sip of coffee and the quiet hum of travelers coming and going… I’ve begun planning my next visit to this beautiful country. There’s something I’ve come to believe deeply— having a trip on the calendar is not in

I’m going to eat my way through it. Not in a rushed, checklist kind of way… but in that slow, intentional, this is how life is meant to be experienced kind of way. I want to eat like a local. I want to sit a little longer. Order one more thing than I planned. Say yes to the bread. And perhaps even yes to dessert… more than once. 🥗 The everyday beauty You’ll find me starting most days simply —A traditional Greek salad (those tomatoes alone are worth the flight) Briny olives,

There’s something quietly lovely about always having your next Italian adventure waiting. Not in a rushed or restless way…but in a soft, steady kind of knowing—that somewhere ahead of you, there will be cobblestone streets to wander, espresso to sip slowly, and moments you haven’t yet lived but already feel a little connected to. It changes the way you move through your days. The ordinary feels lighter. The routine feels softer. Even the hard days carry a small thread of hope

Some people say, “buy the shoes.” Lately, I’ve been wondering… what if we just wore them further? I understand the sentiment—life is meant to be enjoyed, and there’s nothing wrong with treating ourselves. But perhaps it’s not always about having more… but about experiencing more. What if instead of buying another pair of shoes, we wore the ones we already have a little longer- and used that time, that money, that energy to go somewhere new, to see something beautiful, to feel

…in 3 days 💙 I was so excited about my trip, I decided to move it up! What started as a handful of ideas… a few saved places… a “maybe this, maybe that”… has slowly, beautifully unfolded into something real. Athens… where I’ll wander without a plan, sip coffee on a terrace, and stand at the Acropolis as the light softens around me. Little streets, a bite of souvlaki eaten standing still, gelato in hand, and a dinner table filled with small plates and stories. And then Santor

There’s a moment—subtle at first—when you realize something has shifted. You’re sitting there, minding your own business, thinking perhaps a beach weekend might be nice… maybe somewhere in Florida, maybe a charming little town, something easy… something local. And then… Europe taps you on the shoulder. Not loudly. Not rudely. Just enough to say, “You could… but wouldn’t you rather come back to me?” And suddenly the beach feels… fine. But not the same. It happens again. You’re

Sometimes you just need to be in Europe to be able to think clearly. The most meaningful trips aren’t the ones where you see everything… they’re the ones where you feel something you’ll never forget. ✈️Tuesday, April 21 – Travel Day Depart Charleston International Airport at 2:20 PM Overnight flight 🇬🇷Wednesday, April 22 – Arrive Athens + Settle In Arrive Athens International Airport at 11:00 AM 💛 Plan Taxi to COCO-MAT Athens BC Check in / refresh Light lunch nearby 🌿 Af

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

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