How did I fall in love with Italy and Cinque Terre?

In 2008, I was quitting my job managing a doctor's office and had no clue what I was going to do next. I was doing photography as a hobby but hadn't plunged in as a job. I had always wanted to travel but circumstances like taking care of my grandmother with Alzheimers through my later teens and early twenties had curtailed that. So, I decided to up and go to Rome and I was there less than a month after finishing that job. It was my first time traveling alone which can be challenging enough. Throw in that it was a different country and I didn't speak the language, and it was HARD at first. But once I got some sleep and got my bearings, I spent 5 full days walking around every inch of Rome that I could get to and I fell in love.  

I fell in love with the way you could see the old Rome with the new Rome literally built on top of it. Being from the states, once you go to Europe and other places that have been around much longer, it's fascinating to see these places. They were built in a grand and beautiful way without the use of modern machinery or anything like that which is amazing. I also loved the Italian culture. The way they work hard but they take breaks during the day to spend with family and loved ones. 

I loved the architecture of the grand places and fountains. The Forum and Colliseum is so huge and to be standing their imagining what it was like is an experience you can't even fully describe. But the neighborhoods and quieter places off to the side were what I loved even more. It was what I always thought of when picturing Italy. 

The next time I went to Italy, I was taking my little sister as a high school graduation gift. We were doing Florence and Rome and then from a suggestion, adding Cinque Terre. It rained for our whole time in CT but I still loved it and decided the next year to go back and spend one full week there. 

I was immediately at home in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre. The small village feel, the sea right there (I have always needed the water around me), the mountains to hike into and the lifestyle resonated with me deep in my soul. I felt more alive there than anywhere else. It was the most amazing week.

 I continued to visit Riomaggiore and started to make more and more fiends there and spend longer amounts of time. I got to know the villages and started to see places that most visitors never even know exist.  The locals say I'm basically a local now. So, now, as I have this place that is full of adventure and beauty at every turn, I want to share it with others. I want others to experience Cinque Terre in a way they wouldn't be able to otherwise. I want to go off the beaten path, see the popular areas but also the small lesser known places, the absolute best food and drink and overall, the best visit they could have. 

Join me and see Cinque Terre in a unique way.
​Click HERE to learn more about my next trips available.