Since before Chris and I were married, we’ve loved having adventures.
Whether it’s making soup inside a pumpkin, an autumn weekend in Connecticut, or just an early morning espresso run, big and small adventures have enriched our life together. And last month, after six years of planning and saving, we were fortunate enough to spend an amazing two weeks in Florence. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the stories, ideas, and pictures that we brought home with us.We’ve wanted to go to Italy since we starting dating in 2010, but it seemed so far in the future and unreal back then. And there were so many reasons not to go! I hate flying. Neither of us speaks Italian (more on that later!). All the money is different there. Besides, wouldn’t it be easier just to drive to the Poconos?
Ultimately, all of these barriers were worth overcoming, and although there were some unexpected twists along the way, it was thrilling to see this vacation transition from dream to reality.

Part of the reason why I’m starting this blog is to share the excitement and joy of life’s adventures, starting with our trip to Florence. But I also hope that what you read here will encourage you to pursue your own dreams—especially if you feel there are obstacles holding you back. Life is better with new adventures, whether they last for a few hours or a few weeks, whether they turn out differently than you expect, or whether they take you out of the country or just down the hall to your kitchen.

So thanks for stopping by – take a look below to see what’s coming up!

Carb Heaven

I probably ate more bread in the 2 weeks we spent in Florence than I had eaten in the previous 2 years. Every meal was prefaced with a dish of bread and olive oil, even if you ordered pasta for your entree. During our stay, we enjoyed many Italian classics, like lasagna and osso buco, but our meals also included surprising ingredients, such as wild boar, squash flowers, and pureed eggplant. Stay tuned for pictures, and to find out why it took so long to get the check in every restaurant we visited.
No One Stays in Florence for Two Weeks

Some of our friends had told us that 2 weeks was too long to stay in Florence, that you can see everything the city has to offer in a long weekend, and that we should consider splitting our time between Rome, Florence, Siena, and Pisa. And when we checked in at the hotel, even the front desk manager said, “Wow, you are with us until the end of the month!” So I guess no one stays in Florence for 2 weeks. And while I understand that some people like to see the highlights and move on, we took a slightly different approach to exploring the city. Anyone want to guess how many miles we walked in the 2 weeks we were there?
The Cab Driver Didn’t Speak English

I took Italian for four years in high school, so I’d be able to fit in with the people of Florence, right? Well no, not really. It’s been almost a decade since I took an Italian class, and unfortunately I did not keep up with it. When we met our first Italian—our cab driver from the airport—she didn’t speak a word of English. And I was pretty sure she was going to run someone over.

Come back tomorrow to read about our tricks for learning Italian, why I was glad the cab driver didn’t speak English, and how Fabrizio, the owner of our favorite restaurant, corrected Chris's vocabulary about what would have been a very unusual drink order. CONTINUE READING THE SERIES HERE!

Florence Adventures

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