Our Trip to Tuscany – The Florence Chapter Getting to Tuscany has become my favorite obsession. When I’m not there, I miss it like an old friend. No, I don’t dream of moving there permanently—but when life feels overwhelming, I find myself mentally wandering the quiet cobblestone streets of an authentic Italian village. There’s something …
Hello friends, It’s been a while since I’ve written here on Adventures of Empty Nesters, and I’ve truly missed connecting with you in this space. The truth is, I’ve been busy writing somewhere new—on Substack, a fantastic platform that feels like a creative playground for writers and readers alike. I’m still pouring my heart into …
Travel To Italy – Another phenomenal trip! Are you familiar with the term La Dolce Vita? It’s an Italian phrase that translates to the sweet life. It describes a way of life characterized by enjoying life’s pleasures, indulging, and cultivating joy. The term originated from Federico Fellini’s iconic 1960 film of the same name, which …
Summer is almost here!! Summer is fast approaching, and I am looking forward to it. My birthday is June 16th, which always coincides with the Opening of Summer for me! It is the time of year for Dads and Grads and lots of family celebrations. This month is always so festive! We will be celebrating …
Being thankful for new adventures is my mantra for 2021. Since 2020 was a lost year, I have moved on to the next, and frankly, I am starting to think in Covid years. I feel like we have lost nearly two years of regular life. We are eeking back, but it is slow going.
How did books about food and travel save me during the COVID pandemic? They provided me a way to escape during a challenging time and envelope myself in a world that means so much to me. Exploring interesting destinations, reading about exciting adventures, and real-life memoirs about chefs and food entrepreneurs is my passion. In addition to a personal escape, reading as much as I do helps to make me a better writer! As a brand ambassador and travel writer, the lockdown was particularly agonizing because I wasn’t planning and experiencing travel, nor was I working.
Some days were slow and relaxed, while others were depressing and sad. Most of us felt this way during the Quarantine, right? Confusion, sadness, and a longing for normality were the catalyst for my positive, uplifting reading choices.
After all, this is 2021, travel remains at a virtual standstill, and almost everything we do, even as ridiculous as it sounds – is virtual. Work, school, birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, cocktail hour, baby showers, wine tasting, cooking class, exercise class! Good grief! Why not enjoy a virtual romantic getaway for two? Let’s create everything you need to pretend to be at the destination of your dreams!
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, but we have a little time to plan. Why the heck not? As a travel writer, my work life was upended by the pandemic, which allowed me the freedom to try a few new ideas. One of which was to create a Virtual Maui Vacation. Brilliant, yes?
After umpteen months of quarantine, a virtual Maui Vacation sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it? Maybe you want to create a weekend in Maui? Just check out the Vacation Guide, which has all of the details!
Maybe you need a little help with this virtual romantic getaway idea? I plan to give you a few tips to get your creative juices flowing.
I am thinking of planning my next small group tour. For the past six months, did we ever think we would still be socially distancing on month #6? We have been stuck inside, unable to travel like we used to before COVID.
Everyone has a different philosophy, and perhaps underlying health issues that complicate this discussion further.
This is me talking; I will not put any pressure on you to make plans to travel. However, I can offer you something fun to think about and maybe put down a deposit for the possibility of taking a small group tour.
Tours of 12 or less will be popular for the obvious reasons. Fewer people, more intimate tours created by locals who can prepare and protect their guests while visiting.
Can we forecast how travel will be in November 2021? No, we can’t. But we can dream and plan for it.
I began my search for the tastiest dishes of the year by sifting through my photos starting in January. However, by the time I reached the month of June, I had already chosen 30 different tantalizing feasts for the eyes! How to choose?
Be honest, do you want to see that many of my “highlights”? I don’t believe so. Therefore, I carefully looked for colorful, unique meals and surprisingly incredible drinks that are worth celebrating once again. A few of them are favorites due to their unique nature or element of surprise!
I have narrowed down this list to a more manageable number and I hope you enjoy revisiting them as much as I do!
Wow, to narrow down my top travel highlights of the year was truly a challenge. 2019 was one heck of a travel adventure full of eclectic destinations, firsts and second time visits, discovery and nature so big it takes your breath away. Literally.
January began with a relaxing but rainy week in Maui and then the travel wheels got moving very quickly! No time for resting, extraordinary destinations were waiting for us to arrive.
I know that you are super busy and you cannot always make time to read every single one of my posts… so here are some of the top travel highlights and links to their respective posts. I once again want to thank you for being here and for reading and commenting on my adventures. I truly appreciate you.