Choosing Travel

There is almost absolutely no where I would rather be in July or August than Italy. For some, the southern coast of Italy may be a little toasty, but for me it’s just right. I was just there in the spring and while it was still to die for, summer on the Amalfi coast is buzzing, and the water is calmer and warmer. You will have to walk through quite a few more crowds. I have been very fortunate to have had multiple opportunities to go explore Italy in the summertime. I spent weeks and months beforehand (all three times) researching every little thing about the towns we would be going to, what they are known for, what is best to do there, or if any special event would be going on while we are there. For right now, that last one is something I try to avoid as it usually affects the cost of everything. I have told my sisters a lot that I don’t like to call it budget travel, but I am currently not made of money so my traveling has to stay within my means. So, no First-class tickets for now, and researching cities that are cheaper than others to visit is a key part. Thankfully, Italy happens to be a very cost-effective country to visit.

New Things I learned this week.

I did too much shopping last weekend for the first time in a while because I have been seeing several TikToks/memes (clearly some jokes) about how the Europe trip wardrobe is costing more than the Europe trip. When I saw these videos, it prompted me to obviously start looking for outfits for my own trip. The past two years I have been really focused on a capsule wardrobe, with some pops of color in skirts and dresses.

Because of this, when I got home from shopping and went to my closet, I actually realized I only needed a few pieces (if any really) for the summer. I laid out several different outfits, some combinations that I hadn’t even worn before (but who really cares if you have). If you are looking to add color to your wardrobe without buying too many pieces, I would focus on the seasons you find yourself wearing color in (for me that’s summer) and buy pieces you can mix with a lot OR that make a statement. So, for me this means I like to buy colorful skirts and dresses, while having most of my pants, shorts, and tops be neutral-ish colored pieces that I can mix and match.

Things I chose to do this week.

This week was heavily focused on getting some summer planning done. I bought a really nice planner back in January that I have barely touched. Don’t ask me why. Family and friends are beginning to pin down dates and travel details for several upcoming events and I get easily overwhelmed when tackling too many things at once. So, to help with that I got out my planner and began by writing in all of the events, the days off work that I had taken, and my boyfriend’s day’s off of school. My planner is really convenient for me because on the left it has the week, and on the right side it has a notes section. In the notes section I began to write out everything that had already been planned, and everything that still needed to be planned (flights, travel times, etc.). I highly recommend this type of planner. It also has a page at the start of every month with a monthly calendar for big plans, a section specifically for vacations, extra pages in the back for notes, and a yearly overview at the beginning. This is something I generally want to be better at, so that when the events come up, I don’t get so easily overwhelmed by planning them.

Unsolicited tip of the week:

This summer my entire family is headed over to Europe for a big event in France. Most of us are trying to add on a fun little excursion afterwards as well, so I have spent way too much time researching the best placed/new places/ or if I should just go back to Italy again. While doing my digging, I was on TikTok and came across a few videos from travel creators that were giving suggestions on things you should and shouldn’t do. After watching several, I came to the conclusion that some videos like this can be really helpful, while other videos have tips that may not be helpful for everyone like they were for the creator. One creator in particular was telling her followers that staying in Sorrento would be a big mistake on the Amalfi coast, and while I respect that it may not have been the right city for her, it got me thinking that I, and anyone, should really look into things outside of the videos you see on TikTok. Sorrento was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and it was very easy to travel to other towns on the Amalfi coast from there. The train is right in town, and the town is entirely up on the hillside already so there would actually be a lot less stairs to climb with luggage if you must travel with a big suitcase. Sorrento isn’t the town I would pick to stay in for the nightlife, but the food was amazing, the walkability and shopping are a 10/10, and you are right on the water for swimming (mostly rock jumping) or taking a beautiful boat excursion. My overall point being that I feel like finding inspiration on TikTok is GREAT and has been extremely helpful for me in the past, but make sure you look into it afterwards to make sure what you see in the video is actually fitting your needs. (View from our room in Sorrento below).

See you next week, or in two, for more on the family trip to France :). Still a work in progress