Thank you for joining me! The time is quickly nearing for me to embark on a one-month solo journey throughout Europe. I must admit that I long contemplated blogging about my upcoming trip, and I had originally just planned on sharing the experience through my Facebook and Instagram accounts. However, I know that there is always so much more to be said behind every post, photo, and comment, and I think that writing out the details of my travels will not only help me to convey the experiences I will have, but also the thoughts and emotions that will surface as a result. With that said, I look forward to sharing it all with you.

To answer a few lingering questions that you may have…

Why am I doing it? There is really no rhyme or reason as to why, other than the fact that I am in a transitional phase of my life right now – having just finished graduate school and starting to look for full-time work again – so I knew that this was the perfect time to take advantage. Also, you know, the plane ticket was a steal.

Why am I doing it, solo? There is a chance that I may have some company at certain points along the way which makes me very excited, but otherwise, none of my friends are in a position in which they can take a month off from work. On a deeper level, I think it is a true symbol of strength and maturity when an individual can first decide to travel alone and then execute their plan. Sometimes, your best company is yourself, and I look forward to continue my personal growth through this experience. Lastly, I would be lying if I said I was not slightly joyed to plan everything for myself and getting to call all of the shots. Call me Type A, I have heard it plenty of times before, but I am really excited to be able to plan my days out in the order that works for me. This is absolutely not to say that I do not love traveling with my friends, because some of my best memories come from travels that I have taken with those who are closest to me. However, I await the excitement of trying something new. I dabbled in some solo traveling last year in Germany, and I really had a wonderful time.

So, what can you, my readers, expect as a written product? A little bit of everything, to be quite honest. I am visiting six countries (seven if you include a layover that involves me leaving the airport), so I have plenty on my plate to be writing about. Some of the posts will be written like a travel itinerary – with lists and descriptions of sites to see, activities to do, and places to eat. Others, however, might be more diary-like, especially as I have never solo traveled for this long before, so I hope to be able to write about how this trip impacts me, either positively or negatively. Lastly, I am hoping to throw in some travel-related content, such as the packing strategies I used, how I get around (i.e. public transit, car rentals, etc.), exchanging foreign currencies, and how I travel as a dual citizen of the United States and Italy. If there is anything else you would be curious to know, please reach out!

And now, the long-awaited question: where am I going?! Stick around, and you will find out! As I’ve mentioned before, I will be in Europe, so that narrows down my travels to 45 destinations 😉 My departure date is July 21, so just under a month away!