Traveling by train in Italy is my favorite way to travel. Not only are their network of trains convenient and reliable, you also get some spectacular views of the countryside. Today, I wanted to answer a few of the most common questions I get about traveling by train in Italy, and hopefully guide you towards choosing the best mode of transportation for you on your next Italian adventure.

Overview: A visit to French Polynesia is about as close as it gets to experiencing paradise. Enjoy 7 beautiful sun-soaked days as you quickly slip into a slower-paced way of life and spend your days enjoying the turquoise waters and top of the line luxury accommodations in your own overwater bungalow. Bora Bora is considered one of the most the most romantic islands in the world. From the dramatic scenery to the privacy and amenities of the overwater bungalows, everything here equals a 10 on the romance scale.

Exploring a new city through it’s culinary offerings is pretty much my favorite thing ever. I like food. I hesitate to call myself a “foodie”, simply because I’m not fancy with it at all. I just like what I like, and what I love most of all is the experience a good meal can provide. It makes you savor and appreciate the moment. To me, that is what life is all about. 

So, what did I do while I was in Vancouver for an entire week? I ate my way through the city. Many of my favorites came from locals or visitors who passed along their favorites to me, and recommendations through my people on social media (thank you!). I am sharing my favorites with you in hopes that during your next visit to this amazing city in the Pacific Northwest you can tag me in your foodie photo on Instagram, and let me know how amazing your meal was as well!

I love Central America. Costa Rica is one of my “soul destinations”, and by that I mean a place I go to to get in tune with the deepest parts of me, and where I feel like the beauty of nature is on display everywhere you turn.  There are so many destinations within Costa Rica to visit and fall in love with, but it also happens to be neighbors with some other pretty awesome countries as well. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to plan an incredible trip to Costa Rica and add on a side trip to Nicaragua. I feel so inspired by it, that it’s on my to do list to take my own adventure to Nicaragua sometime soon!  It’s proximity to the Guanacaste region makes it an amazing addition to a Costa Rican adventure, or an experience all on it’s own.

Yes, you should explore the world. But you should also take the time to explore your own backyard.  I have become more and more inspired to make these trips a priority in my travel experiences, and it’s been amazing!

If you don’t know where to start, here is a good place. This is basically my itinerary from the trip I just got back from. It’s a week long itinerary and we are going to have it start in Phoenix and end in Vegas for the out of towner who isn’t driving from home. It’s easy to do flights this way, and it makes a lot more sense when you want to get in as much as possible and not backtrack. These are literally the shortest amounts of time I would recommend spending—if you can, stay longer!

Let’s face it: the selfie is so yesterday. Yes, they’re great for instant gratification, Facebook feeds, and fun Instagram updates. But couples are moving away from letting “the selfie” define their honeymoon. 

Couples are still taking impromptu snapshots while walking along the bridges of Paris or lingering over afternoon cocktails in Rome. But the selfie is now seen as a fun snapshot, a digital moment to share on social media. In addition to these fun self-portraits, couples are now craving something more. They want higher quality pictures that truly reflect their personalities. They also want pictures that are worth printing or using to make beautiful photo books of their trip. Because a honeymoon is such a unique and once-in-a-lifetime trip, couples now value honeymoon photography just as much as their own wedding photography.

Tulum is fast becoming one of the “go-to” Mexican destinations for many travelers.  It’s easy to see why this Mayan city built next to the sea is so popular.  It has a spectacular setting, and a laid-back, casual chic vibe that makes it an ideal place to relax and rejuvenate.

Here is my personal rundown of how to best enjoy this Caribbean beauty.

Living in Southern California my whole life sometimes makes me forget that it is also an ideal vacation destination. I frequent the best beaches when I have an afternoon free, meet my friends for dinner at some of the finest restaurants, and enjoy cocktails at sunset on some of the city’s most picturesque rooftops. These moments are actually what others consider a vacation—and a nice one at that!

Recently, I’ve explored some fantastic properties in Beverly Hills and wanted to expand on that and provide you with an easy and amazing way to have the perfect getaway in LA’s most famous zip code. 

This is a perfect itinerary for a girls getaway, or just an excuse to add a little glitz and glamour to your life with your significant other one weekend because life is too short not to enjoy it to the fullest.

There are so many things I love about the Tuscany region of Italy, that I consider it my top destination for honeymoons in Europe. And there is nothing I love more than crafting a perfect honeymoon experience.  There are two main ways you can do Italy— spend your time seeing a lot, or take your time having an experience.  For couples who appreciate the ability to soak in the true essence of Tuscany, and create lasting memories of special moments within a trip customized specifically for you, consider the following outline as a sneak peek into my version of la dolce vita. 

Begin in Florence…

I will never forget the first time I packed for a 3 week trip to Europe. I exited the airport with 2 full sized roller bags, a carryon roller bag, and a backpack.  Included in those suitcases were various outfit options for whatever might come up during my time abroad, about 10 pairs of shoes, and at least 6 pairs of jeans. I wanted to be prepared.

I then remember the moment when I needed to take the train from one city to the next.  I looked around anxiously for the elevator or escalator that would take me from street level to where the platforms were and saw nothing. So I made 3 trips up and down the stairs with two 50 pound bags, as frenchmen whisked past me with no offers of help.  

Never again.

Cinque Terre is a stretch of five towns across the enchanting Italian riviera. I fell in love with this place far before I ever visited it. Perhaps you have too. The photos of pastel colored buildings, perched precariously on the cliffside and gazing out onto the sea are enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.

Last week I made my way here by way of boat on a day trip. This is the most scenographic way to go, and provided me with a unique viewpoint of the landscape. The ferry from La Spezia will take about an hour, and once you are in the villages, you can easily spend the day village hopping (except for Corniglia). You should also take the opportunity to visit the village of Portovenere, which isn’t one of the 5 villages but certainly is a worthwhile stop.

So, what are the differences between the villages? Here is a quick rundown on each of their unique characteristics, as well as photos from my vantage point of approaching the villages by boat. My suggestion would be to visit them all, and choose to spend a few nights in the one that best suits your tastes.

When traveling I do my best to take photos that will properly tell the story of my experience.  Not only do I want memories for myself, I want beautiful memories I can share with others. That’s why it’s important for me to share my experience in a way that allows people an inside look at what I am seeing, doing, and eating (duh!), and allows for their own wanderlust to be sparked.  

I am by NO means a professional photographer, nor do I make any claims that my photos are outstanding in any way. However, I have gotten better! I am learning not only how to take better photos, but also which photos tell better stories, and which photos tell MY story. Today I thought I would share a few of my tips with you, and show you how those ideas have played out here in my first few days in Italy.

I love travel!! I love sports!!

If you know me, these are two very true statements.  So any time I have the opportunity to create crossover with those two passions, it’s absolute win in my book! About a month ago, they released the information for the NFL International Series.  3 games in London, and 1 game in Mexico City.  

I have been to many, many NFL games in my life, but never in another country. To me, that sounds like an absolute dream! Being able to explore London (and beyond!), plus root for your favorite team all in one swoop?! Sign me up.  

It sounded like such a great idea, I decided to create 3 simple itineraries that would make the whole process easy and enjoyable. They’re a baseline of how to make a trip like this come together successfully.

Ann + John: 3 week Caribbean Experience

My boyfriend and I were dreading a long cold winter in New England this year and had an opportunity to take a few weeks off to seek sun and warmth. The challenge was where to go, what to do, and how to plan it all without getting completely overwhelmed. That's where Brianna came to mind with Milk + Honey travels! I knew of Brianna through a friend and had been following her travel blogs and posts for a while and reached out to her for some assistance in our trip planning. Brianna was immediately responsive to my inquiry and such a help from the very beginning. We had a general idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do and how much we wanted to spend- and within a very short time were drafting tentative travel itineraries and excursions for our Caribbean getaway. 

It’s International Women’s Day Today, and I felt like it would be an awesome time to honor and highlight some of the beautiful women I met in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago.

Some of the very best memories of my time in the Dominican Republic was the opportunity to spend time with these ladies. This is the group from RePapel that we spent the day making paper with. They are so full of life and love, and it shined through like you wouldn’t believe.

At the beginning of our time together, they each shared their story. Every one of them started with “I have this many kids, and this many grandkids." It was not lost on me how dedicated these women were to their families, and how each and every decision and sacrifice they made was for them.

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic with Fathom Travel as part of their pilot program. I took part in some of the activities that will be offered once sailing starts in just a little over a month, and see firsthand what the experience will look like for people choosing a travel experience whose main goal is making an impact in the destination where they are headed. 

Florence has it all. There is something for everyone in the historic city where churches brush up against modern malls and restaurants. The beauty is not only encased within the walls of the city; By spreading out just a few hours in many directions, you can be led to lush, culturally vibrant experiences that will enhance your understanding of the beautiful culture. These top five Florence day-trips will add the perfect extra excitement to your Italian vacation.

Spring Break is the time of year where students in college get the opportunity to take a break from their studies, and enjoy time off in a beautiful locale that usually provides a ton of sunshine, and a few (or many) frosty beverages. I never actually went on a Spring Break vacation while I was in college, and I feared I might of missed out on my opportunity, but then I thought… Why shouldn’t grownups get a spring break vacation? 

Sure, studying for midterms is hard, but not nearly as hard as real life! Can I get an amen?!

You know what I love about honeymoons? It is your first family vacation. There will be no other “first” that encompasses what this trip does, and because of that, I think it is SO important! 

In light of that, what will make this first trip as Mr. & Mrs. incredibly perfect for you, is to make sure it is created with you in mind. Your honeymoon should be perfectly suited to your tastes and desires, and this is true whether you have traveled the world extensively, or the last time you went on a vacation was with your parents to Disneyland when you were 12.

To travel well is to live well. And the key to both is nurturing that spark of joy in our lives. 

What daily routines make our hearts sing? Listening to our answers, and then intentionally incorporating these details each day, will turn an ordinary vacation into the trip of our lives. Before I left for our New Year’s vacation in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, I walked to my favorite coffee bar and ordered a cappuccino. Then, I asked myself one simple question: “What three things would make my vacation truly magical?”

That’s right. Not “nice” or “relaxing.” Magical. 

I didn’t want to travel in order to escape my life. I wanted to travel and discover a new corner of the world. And I wanted time to slow down enough to discover more about myself. Yes, I admit that I had high hopes for this trip. But I also did more than hope for it to be great—I planned for it to be great. And so can you.