Day in Rome

These posts aren’t going to be in any particular order, but since my fall semester has ended, I’m FINALLY getting around to Italy blog posts! I’ll do one large post going over all of my outfits from Italy after the travel posts.

It was such a great trip and I can’t wait to share all of my experiences and pictures with you..

So on this particular day we decided to take a day trip to Rome. Taking the train from Florence to Rome is super easy and quick.

Around 10a.m. we took a one hour train ride from Florence to Rome. We had about six hours in the city. Our first stop was a cathedral directly straight from the train station. Below are some pictures.

From there we stopped at a cute cafe, still very close to the train station. We all got mimosas and sandwiches and were able to sit outside, without rain. I say without rain because majority of our trip was spent outside in the rain. Italy’s winter is like a New Jersey’s fall, sometimes cloudy and rainy.

I was pretty committed to seeing ALL of Rome’s touristy spots in a few hours. If you’ve been to Rome I’m sure that sounds pretty insane…considering Vatican City is extremely far from the Colosseum. But, we did it all. I’m not much of a museum person, at all. I didn’t mind just seeing these tourist spots. I know if my Mom goes back she’d want to go inside some of these places, but with just a few hours, it was impossible to do a bunch of tours.

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Its been awhile.. College Media Conference 2018

This post is long overdue but this past semester my studies and extra-curriculars consumed most of my time. With winter break finally here, I am back with posting. My life has been pretty routine since getting back to school in August. My trip to Louisville, Kentucky, was the one thing that shook up my weekly routine.

So why did I go to one of the most random cities in America (in my opinion)? Well, I’ve talked about my participation in student media before on here and luckily, this year, I went to the College Media Conference with other Q30 members.

The College Media Conference happens yearly and this year the conference was in Louisville. We stayed at the Galt House Hotel where the conference took place. This hotel hosts those who go to the Kentucky Derby, so that was pretty cool.

The conference was extremely educational. I learned so much more about journalism and I loved every second attending each session.

I learned a lot, and I lived a lot that week. I’ll walk you through each day.

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It’s Summer Somewhere

I’m all for New Jersey’s snow, but right now I wouldn’t mind Punta Canta’s sand instead. I was scrolling through the images on my computer and came across all of our pictures from our Punta Canta trip. Immediately, I missed the sun and warmth.

My favorite excursion we took part in was to Saona Island. Saona Island is the closest thing to heaven (so I’d imagine). I’ve never seen such white sand, blue skies, and crystal clear water. The food I had on that island was some of the best, freshest food I’ve ever tasted. Getting to Saona Island was unforgettable. It’s not every day you take a speedboat and catamaran to your destination. During the trip to Saona Island, you cross from the Atlantic Ocean to the Carribean. I watched the water change from dark blue to nearly clear waters. Once reaching the clear water, we hopped off the boat and stood on the sandbar, diving down to starfish by our toes.

The most important part of any vacation for me is the food. I still remember being the fullest I’ve ever been in my life after overindulging in sushi, but what’s new? All inclusive trips are dangerous for me. I just eat, eat, eat. Anyone else?!

The trip to Punta Canta, Dominican Republic was an unforgettable one and snowy days like today, man do I miss it.

Where we stayed: Royalton Punta Cana Resort

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Travel Diary: Naples, Florida

Being a senior in high school, if an opportunity to travel with your friends comes along, you take it. I’m so happy we all got the chance to detox from school, life and just take a few days to breathe and live worry free. I think it’s safe to say we all want to go back to Naples.

The trip began in Atlantic City, New Jersey where we took off for Fort Myers, Florida. Our flight was delayed but we didn’t land too much later than expected. The minute we exited the airport and felt that warm winter air, we all were incredibly content and thankful to being missing the snow storm at home (or so we thought). We stayed at my friend Amanda’s grandparents home, there we were greeted with a ton of delicious baked goods, sandwiches and more. The next morning we went to a beach called Clams Pass and that’s when sunburn invaded most of my friends’ bodies. That night aloe was essential in order to calm and soothe our irritated, lobster-like skin. We headed to the beach again for the sunset which was beautiful and displayed a number of orange tones.

Next day, we woke up bright and early for a boat day in Bonita Springs. This had to be my favorite day of the trip. Spending all day sunbathing on a boat and docking up to an island is my image of a perfect day, and it was just that! After the relaxing boat day, at night we headed to downtown Naples which was the cutest place ever! It was a large, popular downtown area surrounded by shops and palm trees. It had nearly anything from ice cream shops to beach stores.

Our last day, we went to Vanderbilt beach which was yet another calm and serene day! Early morning we paddle boarded which was a ton of fun until I ended up in the ocean and I was unable to touch the sandy floor below me. Lost my sunglasses, they’re probably floating around somewhere in the Atlantic as I type this. When we got back to Amanda’s grandparents home we packed, soaked in the hot tub and went for dinner at the Clubhouse in their development. Before we knew it, we were on our flight back home to New Jersey and just a day later the snow fell…

Thank you to the cutest grandparents for keeping seven crazy people with them, xoxo.

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New York City Goodbyes

By the title of this post you may make the assumption that it’s going to be a more melancholy writing. To better explain the title I will say this. Going to New York City can never be spent badly, for me any day spent there is full of happiness and Monday was no different. That part that has given me the blues is the fact that some of my closest friends who I’ve created a strong friendship and bond with are embarking onto a new journey and I have to say goodbye. They will meet new people but hopefully not forget the ones they left behind. This group of girls happen to be a year older than me making them all freshman in college. They have been my sisters for this past year and although I wish we had crossed paths in high school sooner, I am extremely grateful for the gifts of friendship this year has brought.
With the sappiness aside I want to share my recent trip to New York City, it’s just a 45 minute train ride from my home town. Once we arrived at Penn. Station we hopped onto the E subway to Spring Street. In Soho we shopped around to multiple stores and then made a pitstop to Soho Park an inside/outside restaurant with a woodsy interior and modern lighting. I chose Hungarian Kielbasa with caramelized onions and mustard, it was definitely a yummy meal! After chatting and enjoying our meals we took another subway to 23rd street and walked along The High Line. Once we finished The High Line journey we walked to Penn. Station and took the train home. We all sat back and sunk into our seats as we continued home with not so subtle laughter that echoed throughout the train car. The day was filled with laughs, full stomachs and shopping bags laying on our arms. Sounds like a successful day to me. See you soon NYC! XX

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