Florence Recommendations

florence-bridge-reflection

Everything is walkable. We enjoyed the food and ambiance on the other side of the river away from many of the tourists. Good article I wish I had read before our trip. Restaurants  Regina Bistecca – allegedly best Steak Florentine  Trattoria Dall’Oste – chain known for steak. There are tons of locations but we ended…

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Rome Recommendations

Restaurants  Tonnarello – absolutely must go! waited in a 20-30 min line to be seated outside with cups of “line wine” (house wine on tap in a plastic cup).  They serve their pasta in skillets which keeps them warm longer. I got carbonara and Scott got cacio e pepe, plus we started with meatballs. We…

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La Dolce Vita – 2022 Trip to Italy

aline and scott florence

Oh Europe, how we’ve ALL missed you! The American tourists were back in full swing when we visited Italy from May 24 – June 2, 2022. We originally planned our trip around some friends’ from Chicago’s wedding in wine country on Friday, May 27. Since it was both Scott and my first time in Italy,…

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StoryTrail

rome storytrail

Ever find yourself sitting at your desk, imagining wandering the ancient streets of Rome or daydreaming about sitting on the beach in LA? Hi, hello, um…YES! Now with a new platform called StoryTrail, you can travel virtually to cities around the world without ever leaving your couch! On their website, Storytrail host a number of “video…

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Mount Popa & Bagan Sunsets

margaret on bagan temple myanmar

Famous for its scattered ancient temples, Bagan is in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. 2200 temples remain today of the 10,000 built during the peak of the kingdom, between the 11th and 13th centuries. It’s essentially the Angkor Wat of Myanmar. Only two days are needed to see the majority of the preserved temples in Bagan. Since we…

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Hpa-An & Moulemein Myanmar Trip

aline and helen at coffee shop in hpa an

Bus Trips from Yagon A bus trip out of the city can be a rewarding and exciting experience. Far less developed than Yangon, smaller villages offer a snapshot of daily life for the vast majority of Myanmar citizens. Still new to visitors, you’ll be greeted with curious stares interrupted by warm smiles when eye contact…

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Helen’s Myanmar

helen and students on a field trip in Myanmar

Helen Waller grew up in New Orleans, LA, attended Carlton for college and now lives and works in Yangon, Myanmar. I interviewed Helen in Yangon on her thoughts on being an ex-pat and what she loves most about her new home and career. Plus she offers a bit of advice for those considering a move…

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Packing Light to Shop Hard

clothes-laid-out-for-backpacking-trip

Here is my promised packing post. I’ve spent weeks, maybe months, reviewing travel blogs, packing guides, and discussing with anyone who will talk to me about what to bring! The best and most common advice I’ve been getting is to PACK LIGHT. And, let’s be real, I’m going to shop when I’m there. I’ll be renting scuba…

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Planning & Prepping

packing backpack

It’s a little over a week before I’m Southeast Asia bound. There has been so much to do to prepare for this trip –physically, mentally, and emotionally. Below is a to-do list of all my planning for backpacking Southeast Asia. Immunization Shots & Pills I made an appointment at the Tulane Travel Clinic to get…

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It’s All Happening

Today is the day I purchased my flight to Yangon, Myanmar. An idea I’ve had for over a year now that formulated over beers at the Magazine Street Bulldog. An old friend from middle and high school and I were catching up over a couple drafts. Shortly after we both graduated college, she moved to…

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