I’d been to Florence twice before, but this trip felt like the first time that I really experienced it. My previous visits were both a decade ago when I was chaperoning high school students on weekend trips. I escorted a…
Gluttony, the Oldest University in Europe, and Finally Making it to Bologna, Italy, After 12 Years of Trying
There was a brief time when I thought I might study abroad in Bologna, Italy. My university held a summer program in Bologna each summer, and for a while, it seemed crucial that I find a way to do it….
Verona, Returning to Italy, and the Other City of Love
Part of me had been waiting for Italy for my entire trip. I’d dipped into Italy for a few days back in August to spend a night in Como and then 3 nights in La Spezia near Cinque Terre—places that…
Ljubljana, Bled, Sleeping in a Former Prison, and How to Spend Your Birthday Alone in Slovenia
When I arrived in Slovenia, I wasn’t doing very well. The headache that had been building for days near the end of my stay in Croatia had only gotten worse. My eyes ached, and I was exhausted. And to…
Pula, Rovinj, the Istrian Peninsula, and Why Croatia Was the Most Challenging Country of My Trip
Once I was well enough to travel, I had to make a choice. I could either extend my time in Croatia and try to squeeze in the things my illnesses had caused me to cancel, or I could pick up…
Split, Halloween in Croatia, My Favorite Dog in Europe, and a Stomach Virus
On the way back to Split, Croatia, we wove around terrifying and beautiful cliffside roads along the Adriatic. I was determined to make the most of my remaining time in Croatia. Getting Covid on my second day in the country…
