Buongiorno, nerds!
After a few days of Rome- (sightseeing, working, and stuffing our faces with mozzerella, spaghetti carbonara, and wine), Kelsey and I have washed up like pasta-stuffed beached whales in Pisa. Haven’t seen any leaning towers yet, but to be fair, we just arrived last night. We took a ton of pictures at the Colosseum, but due to what seems to be a country wide thing, the Internet is slow and hard to come by.
I feel to do Rome justice, I need to add pictures, so this particular post won’t be about our adventures in Italy. Instead, I’d like to talk about my plans when I return to the states. Aside from working, I’m planning on spending time with family, friends, and focusing on exploring some familiar cities. I posted this awesome map on Facebook to illustrate my plans for the next couple of weeks:
Richmond/ D.C.
As soon as I exit my plane in D.C., I’m heading right to my friend Nikki’s. I’m planning a European detox of epic proportions – lots of work, Wawa, walks with Sammy (her dog), hiking, and getting our flirt on with lovely Southern gentlemen at the local distillery. If anyone has been to Richmond and has further recommendations, let me know (but I think Nikki has it covered). During my time in Richmond, I’m planning a visit to D.C. for a meeting with my boss. I’ll probably make a night of it – reconnect with my friend Mia (we met on a bus in Iceland), and hit the town.
Once I’m certain I’ve gotten Nikki hooked on House of Cards, it’s on to Wilmington.
Wilmington
Not set on an exact date yet, but I’m planning on cruising into Wilmington somewhere between the weekend before Halloween and Halloween night. My amazing Josephine Baker costume needs exposure all over the east coast. I’m planning about a week in Wilmington initially – enough time for collecting some of my stuff (including my car), some family time with Heather and Adam, a homemade dinner from the amazing Holland Dotts, plenty of movie and wine nights with Elizabeth and Vanessa, and perhaps a boozy brunch with them before heading out.
Also – if I don’t grab Flaming Amy’s, I’m gonna freak.
Raleigh
Fun fact: after I graduated college, I moved to Raleigh. I only lived there for the summer before moving to Fort Bragg, but I really enjoyed my time there. Lucky for me, I’ve still got some close friends in the area. I’m planning on heading in the first weekend of November. I’m going to crash and cruise downtown with my friend Melissa, stop in and see my friends Brandi and Dan, and maybe stop by Deep South The Bar for old times sake. Other activities: Raleigh Times, checking out some other local art galleries, maybe squeezing a hike in.
NYC
When I decided I wanted to spend some time in New York, the Universe responded. One of my oldest friends, Rachael, lives near there now and invited me to come visit. My experience cat-sitting Raisins qualified me to watch her cats while she goes on vacation. After a week of what will probably be working, indulgent lunches at Dean and Deluca, and re-enacting scenes from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Rache returns for a week of us catching up. Somewhere in there, I’d like to go see The Nutcracker – the right time of year, and I’ve always wanted to see it. There’s so much to do in New York, but I’m thinking: Chelsea Market, the Met, and the New York Comedy Festival.
Upstate New York/Rochester
Finally, plans to return to Rochester. I sold my car to my brother, so I’ll be handing that over. I’m planning on spending some time with my parents and siblings before the holidays. Plans include: skiing, wine tasting around the Finger Lakes, dinner at Sticky Lips, and a bar crawl in Rochester. Sometime in there, I’d like to stop in Syracuse to visit my college roommate Lanolin (her name is really Cara). All in all, I don’t know how long the visit will be, but I know I need to be somewhere warm by New Years.
So that’s the start of my U.S. adventures. I’m hoping to have an equally adventurous trip to the West Coast in 2014- but for now, my finances keep me on the East Coast. As for that warm location, I’m open to suggestions. I promised myself last New Years that I’d be somewhere hot and awesome the next New Years, so I’m open for recommendations there.
That’s it! Sorry if this post was boring, it was mostly meant to be informational for family and friends. If you fancy a visit or know of something great happening, tell me (bonus points if it involves Chris Carrabba and Twin Forks, can’t seem to lock that guy down). Now back to more crucial things, like stuffing my face.