A YEAR IN REVIEW: 2023
Here we are - close to the end of 2023. It was a wild year from start to finish and I cannot believe it is almost over. So many of you have asked me to write about my travels. Now that I am settled back in Pittsburgh for the winter and had the chance to reflect on where the year has taken me, I think it’s time to start telling to stories of my travels.
Buckle up… It was a long year!
January - Colombia
I have trouble staying still in one place for too long - Call it the Sagittarius in me. After I got back from Italy in October of 2022, I immediately got the travel itch again. I had originally planned to go to Peru with my cousin but, unfortunately, a few weeks before we were supposed to leave, there was political unrest, leaving tourists stranded in Machu Picchu. We had to Pivot.
I proposed Colombia as the second option, but with little time to spare. To make our trip, we had meet each other in Bogota and fly directly to Cartagena the following morning. I was extremely excited for this change in the plan because Colombia was always one of the places I felt drawn to.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of Colombia. I had never been to South America and also had very little time to research the country because of the last minute plan changes. We went into Colombia metaphorically blind to what it may hold for us. Julia made the plans for Cartagena, where she planned to stay for three nights. After her departure, I planned on taking a flight to Medellin alone and winging it.
Once I touched down in Bogota, I made my way to the hotel that we were staying for one night before flying to Cartagena. Julia arrived later that evening and turned in early so that we were ready to take on the rest of our trip. The next day, we landed in Cartagena and meandered around the town, admired the beautifully colored buildings, visited the streets littered with floating umbrellas, and finally checked into our hotel. For dinner, we went to a place that was featured in the show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. The restaurant is called La Cevicheria and it did not disappoint. We ordered about 5 different types of Ceviche and it was - chef’s kiss. After dinner, we got drinks with the best view of the sunset at Cafe del Mar.
Day two was a shared boat trip to the Rosario Islands which is an archipelago of 27 islands off the coast of Cartagena. In particular, we went to Isla Grande, which has one of the best beach clubs to ever exist: Bora Bora. Our tickets for the day included the boat trip, lunch, and a day bed where we were able to relax with a food and drink service. We upgraded to a “front row” day bed that had an unobstructed view of the water. It was a great choice. What surprised me the most about the Rosario Islands was how shockingly clear the water was. When you are in the city of Cartagena, the water is a normal blue color, like any ocean on the East Coast. The Rosario Islands, however, were almost a clear light blue - absolutely stunning. The day was fantastic… besides the fact that the entire trip almost got cancelled because of the rough waters (And we definitely experienced the rough waters on the way there… Yikes). But it made it even more fun for us!
Once we were back in Cartagena that evening, we had to go to the famous dancing club, Cafe Havana, which is located right in the center of Getsemani. There was salsa dancing, live music, and the mojitos were delicious. The town at night is alive, electric, and so vibrant. The streets were filled with people partying, eating street food, watching street performers - We loved it.
On third day, we had two activities planned: Horseback riding and kayaking. The horseback riding was such a unique experience because we rode Paso Fino horses.The Paso Fino horses are graceful and move in a way that I’ve never seen. It’s hard to explain, but it is something I suggest everyone experiences. Our guide, Luis, demonstrated how to ride these horses before we headed to the beach to ride them ourselves. It was definitely more difficult than any other horse I’ve rode before, but once I got the hang of it, it was incredible. After this, we headed to the more modern side of Cartagena for kayaking. The kayak tour we chose was a “sunset tour” and the sunset was stunning. This side of the town had a more “Miami” type of vibe, with tall white apartment buildings and lots of beach-goers. It was an absolutely incredible experience.
The day finally came when Julia and I had to part ways. She headed back to Atlanta and I made my way to Medellin. I think most people know Medellin because of the Netflix show about Pablo Escobar - Narcos. The Colombian druglord days are long over, and I felt extremely safe in this city. The first night I arrived in Medellin, it was storming like crazy. The power in my hotel even went out for a bit while I was eating dinner… no big deal. I was just hoping my day would still go as planned in the morning.
And it did! I booked an all-day tour to Guatape, Colombia’s most colorful town which is about an hour and a half outside of Medellin. I didn’t book a private tour but it ended up being just myself and my guide, Diego. This worked out perfectly because I felt like the princess of Colombia for the day. Diego took me to Piedra del Penol, or “The Big Rock of Guatape.” Once here, I climbed the 740 steps to the top of the rock which had incredible views of the town. Luckily, the weather was cool so the steps really weren’t too bad to climb. The next part of the tour was a helicopter ride. Diego took me to the helicopter where I got to sit in the front seat with the pilot and it was a wild experience. From here, we met our captain, boarded his boat, and he took us around the town. He pointed out different parts of the islands, such as Escobar’s obviously abandoned nightclub and mansion. At some point, the captain and Diego let me drive the boat around the lake and, while driving, we saw something in the air. The captain pointed it out and told me it was a “flying boat.” I was so confused. A “flying boat?” I have to assume my eyes lit up at the thought of a flying boat because they immediately asked if I wanted to try it. Umm… yes?! $100 later, I’m up in the flying boat with the pilot, Jesus. This is by far one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done. 25 minutes in the air on a flying boat was by far the weirdest and most wonderful way to see the country. I would have done it over and over again if we had the time. I spent the rest of the day relaxing, having dinner and, finally, driving back to Medellin.
The next day was another shared tour that ended up being another private tour - Lucky me. It included transportation, a hammock zipline, lunch, and hiking to one of the most impressive waterfalls I have ever seen. The drive was about two hours or so from Medellin. The first activity was a “hammock zipline,” which is exactly what it sounds like - A hammock attached to a zipline. It provided a view of stunning, endless mountains and waterfalls. I was able to relax up there for 30 minutes uninterrupted. When the time was up, we hiked down the mountain where there was another zipline that took us to a coffee shop. We enjoyed some amazing coffee before heading down further and reaching the waterfall. This waterfall was unreal. One of those moments where words don’t do it any justice. I took some photos, had a delicious lunch, and finally made my way back to Medellin.
My last day in Colombia was upon me and, again, another unplanned private tour. I booked a walking tour of Pablo Escobar sites and Comuna 13. This used to be one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country. Rei, who lived during the time Escobar was at his peak, was one of the best tour guides I have encountered. He was super knowledgeable about the history and explained it in a way that a mere TV show never could. It made me understand and appreciate what the community went through during that time. We visted some of the sites and went to Comuna 13, which is now a very “hip” place to visit. There was street art around every corner, outdoor bars serving fun drinks, and a lot of loud music. Rei let me bar hop a bit before taking a cable car ride around Medellin for an aerial view of the city. Once this tour was over, my time in Colombia had pretty much come to an end, quickly boarding multiple planes straight back to Pittsburgh.
My experience in Colombia was truly top notch. I didn’t know what to expect but Colombia now holds a very special place in my heart. The people were fantastic, overly friendly, and passionate about their country. The food was delicious and the scenery was unmatched. After this trip, I knew I needed to show people how incredible it is. December of 2024, my goal is to bring a small group with me to Colombia. This would be after Christmas and into the New Year - as Cartagena would be the perfect place to ring in 2025. For more information, click the button below.
March - Scotland
In March, I made my way to Scotland. I was invited to help with a tour for Howard Hanna’s Top 50 Agents of 2022. The trip was planned by Olsen O’Leary, my host agency, but I was there day-to-day to help facilitate all the planned activities and logistics.
We started our trip in in St. Andrew's - “The Home of Golf.” Our group stayed at the Old Course Hotel, which had fabulous views of the Old Course. We even got to put on the “Himalayas,” which is right next to the course. Some of the agents in our group were able to play a round of golf on the Old Course by submitting their name into a ballot. The names are chosen two days prior, so lucky them!
I had time while in St. Andrews to explore the town which I absolutely adored. It was small enough to walk from end to end, but enough to do that it felt like a city. I liked that it was right on the Bay of the Old Sea, giving it a beautiful view of the water. Fun fact if you didn’t know (And I certainly didn’t) Prince William & Kate met at the University of St. Andrew’s!
From St. Andrew’s, we went to Edinburgh. I especially loved this because it was a big part of J.K. Rowling’s inspiration for Harry Potter, which I am a fanatic of. I had to visit Victoria Street (The inspiration for Diagon Alley) and it was a very small street with overpriced shops selling Harry Potter merch... Of course I visited every single one.
On our last night in Scotland, we had a gala on the Royal Yacht Britannia, which used to be the Royal yacht for the British Monarchy. This was a truly unique and special experience that I was grateful to be a part of. We had a delicious dinner on the boat and capped off the evening with a mini-version of the Scottish Tattoo - Fireworks and all!
April & MAY - Italy
After Scotland, I flew directly to Rome to take a solo trip for a few weeks prior to my parents and sister meeting up with me in Italy. This was my parent’s first time to Italy, so I wanted to make sure it was special for them. I became their personal tour guide for the next 10 days. We spent four nights in Rome, two nights in Cinque Terre, and three nights in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. From beginning to end, we had an incredible trip, exploring the beauty throughout Italy.
In Rome, we did the main experiences that I always suggest for first-timers: A private tour of the Roman Forum, Colleseum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel. We also took a pasta making class and had dinner many times at my favorite restaurant. We were able to celebrate Easter in Italy and I was lucky enough to receive tickets for Easter mass at the Vatican. This was an experience like no other. For anyone wondering, it is super easy to get these tickets and they are free. If you need some tips, reach out and I can help!
After our Easter celebration, we stayed in Monterosso, hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza (about 1.5 hours), and finally had dinner with the most incredible view of Vernazza. Luckily, we had perfect weather for this day but I can’t say the same about Cinque Terre or Positano…
The next day was supposed to be our private boat day along the coast but this was unfortunately cancelled due to the rough waters. We still made the best of the day by visiting more towns within Cinque Terre by train. From Cinque Terre, we headed to Positano, stopping in Pompei on the way. Here, we had a similar experience with the weather but, nonetheless, had a great time.
Overall, it was a great first trip to the homeland with my parents and they will definitely be joining me again as soon as possible!
After my family left, I went back home for a couple weeks before returning back to Italy near the end of May to host a small group tour with Jason’s Journeys. Jason and I host tours in Tuscany every May. This year, we were able to host a group of 14 people! We spent 10 incredible days in Tuscany, doing everything that was already planned out by Jason and I. We absolutely love taking the stress out of travel for these group trips and we are there every step of the way! We focus solely on the region of Tuscany, with half day in Cinque Terre (Liguria Region). The towns we saw during this tour are Carrara, Pisa, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Greve in Chianti, and so many more.
After this tour was over and the group all headed back home, I spent my “off time” in Rome, staying for one last week. My time in Italy eventually came to an end and I returned to Pittsburgh, impatiently awaiting my next adventure.
July - costa rica
I spent the month of June back home. I went to the Taylor Swift concert, spent time with friends & family, went to a few weddings, started to work on my skydiving license.. and then it was time for my first group trip to Costa Rica! I went to Costa Rica for my first time in 2021 while Italy was still shut down. I was really itching to go somewhere, so I jumped on Costa Rica. I’m not exactly sure why I chose it but it ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I went alone, felt completely safe, and had the most wonderful experiences each and every day. It was action packed with outdoor activities and exploration. Fast forward to July 2023, I took my first small group tour to Costa Rica and it couldn’t have gone any better!
I spent a ton of the time leading up to July planning the tour. For this group (and all groups I host anywhere) I had all hotel reservations, transportation, meals, and experiences booked far in advance. I will say, it sounds easier said than done. The amount of logistics and factors to consider when putting together a 10-day itinerary, not just for yourself, but for a group of people, is vast to say the least. Luckily for you, it really is my passion and it is what I am good at!
The group was met at the airport by our driver, Alejandro, who took us from San Jose to La Fortuna. To kick off the tour, we spent the evening at a private cooking class where we learned to make typical Costa Rican dishes - Let’s just say we ate our dinner within seconds. God, it was so good.
The next day was one of my favorite activities: White water rafting on the Balsa River. This was hosted by one of the best companies in Costa Rica and you can really feel their passion for the rafting and the country. We all did a pretty good job throughout the experience, as it’s definitely not the easiest activity. You have to be ready to put some work in! About halfway through, they let us stop to have a beer, some fresh fruit, and snacks before heading back onto the water. When we reached the end, it was time for lunch at the property. They served us delicious food, homemade coffee, and then toured us around their farm. They even gave us a lesson on how to make sugar cane! To cap off the day, we celebrated with their homemade moonshine.
After some much needed rest, a new day was upon us! We started the day by ziplining around the Arenal Volcano. We went on seven ziplines and each had a magnificent view of the volcano. A few people in the group were nervous for the experience because the ziplines are very high above the jungle. Luckily, the fears all went away once we started and everyone had a phenomenal time! Later in the evening, we had a walking tour to look for critters. With flashlights in hand, we found snakes, sloths, frogs, and so many other little creatures while our guide told us about the animals.
A new day. What adventures may it hold? Well… We went ATVing! We all had our own ATV’s and we went off-roading with our guide for several hours. It was an absolute blast! Afterwards, we had lunch and made our way to what was supposed to be our canyoning experience.
When we arrived, the company found out that a giant tree had fallen on our paths to the river. Unfortunately, the tour was cancelled but we had a backup plan: We went to the local watering hole that we found about 10 minutes from our hotel! We were able to go to the supermarket, bought some snacks, water, and alcohol. Then, we made our way to the watering hole where flipped off the rocks, swung from the ropes like Tarzan, and enjoyed our snacks.
After so much activity, it was time for a more relaxing day. First, we walked on the famous hanging bridges in La Fortuna and then went to La Fortuna waterfall. La Fortuna waterfall is an incredible experience, but you have to earn the sight. There are nearly 500 steps on the way to it that you have to hike up! We all went for a swim under the waterfall before heading to Tabacon. Tabacon is one of the most famous resorts in La Fortuna because of the plethora of natural hot springs. We spent almost 6 hours in these hot springs and it was so relaxing. With our day pass, we had access to everything Tabacon had to offer including the swimming pool, springs, multiple bars, towels, and cabanas. It was a perfect last day before we had to leave La Fortuna and head to Santa Teresa.
The transfer from La Fortuna to Santa Teresa is a bit long but the trek is broken up by different modes of transportation. First, our transport took us by van to the ferry, the ferry took us to Paquera, and the van took us from Paquera to Santa Teresa. This is never something my groups have to worry about of course as transportation is planned well in advance - they just have to follow me!
Santa Teresa is a small beach town full of great restaurants, bars, shops and locals. We settled into our bungalows and then walked along the beach to have dinner where we had a fantastic meal on our pillows on the beach. This was the perfect introduction to Santa Teresa!
The next morning, we had surfing lessons! Surfing is probably one of the hardest sports I’ve ever tried to learn, but our group did really well considering almost none of us had surfing experience. The rest of the afternoon was a free day so that everyone could relax on the beach or enjoy the town at their own pace before meeting back up in the evening for our horseback riding tour. We all had our own horse and rode them on the beach at sunset. The horses were great and the view was even better!
This next day was a private boat tour to Isla Tortuga. The company who took us is absolutely amazing. The owners are from Norway and they have a beautiful property in Paquera. We made our way to where the boat was, loaded up, stopped along the way to check out the spider monkey island, and even went snorkeling. Then, we made it to Isla Tortuga, a tiny island with no resident. However, they do have activities and a bar with delicious margaritas. While we were there, we had the option to ride banana boats, swim, paddleboard, jet ski, or lounge in the sand. Most of us opted for grabbing a margarita and relaxing in the water. At lunchtime, our guide cooked up some chicken, rice, and veggies before we made our way back to the host’s property. Here, we relaxed on their hammocks and drank coffee until it got dark. Then we had our kayak tour. This kayak tour’s purpose is to see the bioluminescence and this is one of the few places in the world where the bioluminescence is visible year-round.
And, as quickly as it started, it was the group’s last day in Costa Rica.
We made our way back to San Jose so that it was easy to get to the airport the next morning. I had a surprise stop on the way in Poas Volcano. It was a surprise because the visit was dependent on weather and, if it was too cloudy, we wouldn’t have been able to see the crater. Luckily, the weather was perfect and the views were incredible! Afterwards, we made our way to our final hotel and said our goodbyes before heading in our separate ways. To treat myself for all of my “hardwork,” I stayed an extra day and spent it at the pool before heading to a bachelorette weekend in Key West.
If this trip seemed interesting to you, I am taking another group in 2024! You can click the button below to learn more! Hope to see you there!
September/October - italY
The month of August consisted of one of my best friend’s weddings in Napa Valley and then a luxury travel agent conference in Las Vegas.
In September, I was off to Italy again - This time for about 7 weeks. I had three tours to host during this time. The first tour was with Jason and we had am amazing group of 20 people meeting us in Lake Como. We spent three nights in Lake Como, went to the towns of Varenna, Bellagio, Brienno, and Como, and then we headed to Bologna where we rode Ferraris in Maranello and ate a lot of great food. From there, we ended the tour in Venice where we had a rowing experience and visited the islands of Burano and Murano.
After this tour, we headed 7 hours south to the Amalfi Coast to meet another group. We spent 10 days on the Amalfi Coast with this group of 24 people. We stayed 5 nights in Maiori and 3 nights in Sorrento. During those 10 days we visited the coastal towns of Minori, Ravello, Vietri sul Mare, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, and Ischia.
After this tour, I had two weeks until the next one. Like I said before, I like spending my “off” time in Rome, so that is where I spent the next six weeks.
On October 23, a few of my best friends arrived for their first time in Italy and I had an absolute blast showing them around my favorite country. Everything was planned for them just like any other tour - hotels, transportation, meals, experiences, etc. We started in Rome, spent 3 nights there, then we made our way to Cinque Terre. In Rome, we had a private Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour, Colleseum and Roman Forum tour, and a pasta making class where we learned to make two different types of pasta. In Cinque Terre, we had a beautiful farm house about an hour outside of Cinque Terre in the region of Tuscany, and we had our own private drivers for the two days we were there. The first day, we visited Vernazza and had a drink with an incredible view of the Ligurian Sea before heading to dinner high up into the hillside of Vernazza. Our last day in Cinque Terre, we had a pesto making lesson in Manarola. This pesto class had a stunning view of the town of Manarola. We made pesto while sipping on our Aperol Spritz’s. The perfect end to a perfect day.
The next day, we headed to Florence by train. In Florence, we had a free day where everyone could see what they wanted and then we met back up for dinner. Some of the group chose to climb the Duomo’s 400+ steps and the others chose seeing the Statue of David at the Accademia. Both terrific options.
After Florence, we were back on the train and going to Venice - One of my favorite places. I’ve been there almost 10 times and every time it is just as special. In Venice, we had a rowing lesson which involved each person learning to row a gondola (it’s a lot harder than it looks) and stopping for drinks and Cichette (Venetian snacks) along the way.
Our second day in Venice consisted of a semi-private tour of the outer islands of Burano and Murano. Murano is known for their glass-making. Of course we had to see a live glass-making demonstration! From Murano, we headed to Burano, the island known for their colorful houses and handmade lace. Here, we had a lacemaking demonstration before exploring the island ourselves and grabbing a bite for lunch.
The next day we took a train back to Rome for our final night. This ended up being on Halloween. It was really interesting to see how they celebrated this holiday in a different country! Halloween has become more popular there over the years. In Rome, you definitely saw a lot of costumes and even some trick-or-treaters going door to door (even in the bars). Our final experience was Vespa riding. We each had our own guide and driver, and we were escorted all around Rome for three hours. This was such a nice way to end a wonderful 10 days in Italy with my best friends.
Italy has always been my bread and butter. If you are interested in taking a trip there with me, click the button below!
2023 was an incredible year from start to finish. I was able to use my passion of travel to connect with so many of you and see the world along the way. I cannot wait to see what this next year holds for me. I know that it will be filled with friends, but new and old, and countless beautiful countries!
