As quick as the leaves changed in the fall, my season of readings for the last part of 2018 has come to a close.
I’ve kept busy the past couple months:
Carlow University
Red Dog Reading Series
Black Cat Market
Honey Bee Review Reading
Full Pint Wild Side Pub
Hell’s Lid Reading Series
And one more upcoming reading at the Millvale Community Library
Girls Write Pittsburgh Winter Reading Party
Here’s wishing you the happiest of holidays with your loved ones!
Until next time,
SEPTEMBER 26-30, 2018
Looking back, 2018 was one of my craziest travel years to date. I’d just ended the last day of 2017 in Belize, spent a whirlwind long weekend in between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden, a month later jetted off to Mexico with friends I’d met in Belize, spent two perfect weeks in June studying poetry in the heart of Dublin, Ireland, welcomed July in Colorado and ended it in Maine, spent my birthday in Puerto Rico, stepped back in time in Havana, Cuba in August, and that’s what brings me here: a slice of time from September to October when I was so lucky to visit two AMAZING countries: Liechtenstein and Portugal. (I ended the year by dipping into Panama City, Panama & then dipping my toes into the beaches of Curaçao, but that’s for another post.)
My friend Sarah, who I met through my friend & coworker Debra, was also a passionate traveler and was working and living in Europe at the time. We had talked about meeting up somewhere in the world, but it just felt like a far-off venture that probably wouldn’t work out.
Until, it did.
We both had been wanting to go to Portugal, and miraculously our schedules aligned! I took a couple days before arriving in Portugal to meet up with my friend Cathy, who I had met in my MFA program. Cathy lives in Liechtenstein with her family and had often told me of the gorgeous mountain views she saw on her early morning hikes, but experiencing it with her was another thing. Putting on our sweatshirts and shoes in the dark, we climbed up the hills, past farms and pastures, and watched the sun come over the town below.
While I was there, Cathy brought me to her son’s school to speak to the kids about poetry. I didn’t realize how nervous I would be- I have no clue how to be in front of middle schoolers, y’all. I know how important poetry is, and what it means to me, but how could I ever relate that to a group of eleven year olds? Regardless, I was so honored she had invited me.
Cathy took me to the Werdenberg Castle, showed me Vaduz and the art in Städtle, but my favorite place was her kitchen, right in the heart of her home with the big picture windows, sitting with a glass of white wine and laughing.
After our short time together, I caught a flight to meet up with Sarah, and we set out to see as much as possible in two of Portugal’s most beautiful cities, Lisbon and Porto.
We started out in Lisbon, one of the oldest cities in Europe, and it did not disappoint!
Lisbon highlights:
Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge
Jerónimos monastery
Torre de Belém
pastéis de nata
Tram 28/funiculars
Mercado da Ribeira (market)
Alfama District (hill, old town)
Rossio Square/Pedro IV Square (peoplewatching, eating/drinking)
the Bairro Alto (nightlife)
the Padrão dos Descobrimentos
LX Factory
Check out all of the amazing street art, too!
OOH, we also took a day trip to Sintra/Pena Palace/Cascais, which is gorgeous and I would definitely recommend:
We packed a lot of fun into Lisbon, but nothing could prepare us for what the cobblestone streets of Portugal’s second largest city, (known for its port wine production) would lead us down…
We drank as much of the city in as we could ❤
Porto highlights:
The Cais da Ribeira/ Luís I Bridge
Clérigos Tower
Avenida dos Aliados
Graham’s Port Lodge
Teleférico de Gaia – Estação Cais de Gaia
Funicular dos Guindais
Croft Port
Muralha Primitiva
Pillory of Porto
Igreja dos Clérigos
Igreja do Carmo
Praça de Lisboa
São Bento Station (beautiful station from the 1800s)
Câmara Municipal do Porto (city hall)
Full transparency, there aren’t a ton of photos from Porto due to the many glasses of wine you see pictured above.
Some memories you can’t capture 🙂 I had the time of my life with Sarah and I’m SO glad it worked out for us to cross off a bucketlist destination together.
Portugal, you’re more beautiful than I could’ve imagined. Your landscape, architecture, seafood, and of course, wine, are still spinning in my head.
xoxo,
I stepped back in time with the two best friends a girl could ask for. Havana, Cuba was unlike any place I’d ever been.
From the bright colored homes, classic cars, and heart of the Cuban people, nothing was more spirited.
We saw Fusterlandia (above) and admired the beautiful works of art. Then, we sampled different rums, savored the most delicious (and only) flaming coffee I’d ever had, and I had my first cigar, which I loved! We brought several back 😉
From Old Havana, to Mafia Mojitos, we soaked in every experience.
Getting lost around the capital.
And come on, our balcony view was right near the famous Malecón!
We also caught El Morro cannon celebration and the most breathtaking sunset! What a way to end a trip of a lifetime.
Please- If you are from the U.S., do not let what is going on right now steer you away from this incredible country. I urge you to see it for yourself. You can get a visa at the airport like we did for support of the Cuban people. Stay at an AirBnB and exchange money beforehand. All things were actually less of a hassle than we expected.
This is one place you will be so happy you didn’t miss!
Hi friends!
Another adventure for ya. The moment I spotted round trip tickets to Denver for $150, I was sold. Combine that with reuniting with a college friend, gorgeous mountain hikes, and an incredible concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater and the opportunity for a weekend getaway to Colorado was a no-brainer.
First up, my friend Lindsay and I went hiking in Roosevelt National Forest.
Lake Isabelle was quite a sight for sore eyes.
Here are some awesome spots around the city: delicious dinner at Tacos Tequila Whiskey, the Botanical Gardens, Capitol Building, Union Station, Linger (mortuary turned into a restaurant) and the sun setting near Highland/Lodo district.
On Saturday night, The Avett Brothers put on one hell of a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. We did the bus to show route, let loose, and had a night we’ll never forget. Good jams, good friends, good times.
As per usual, my short getaway was all kinds of perfect, though it wasn’t even scratching the surface of this amazing city and state.
To sum it all up, I absolutely loved it and I’m moving here.
Stay wild,
Remember a couple months back, when I was in Belize with some of the best people? You may recognize two of them in the photo below:
When they asked if I wanted to come to Mexico with them, of course my answer was YES! Who wouldn’t want to ditch the winter weather for some fun in the sun? We stayed in Playa del Carmen.
I thought by the end of the trip, maybe I’d be sick of Mexican food. But to this day, I’m not over how delicious it was. My mouth is still watering!
Not only was the food delicious, the company amazing, and the beaches beautiful, but our Airbnb was the bomb. Check out the view below of our rooftop pool:
And some sights wandering around the city center:
Having a group of ten girls together might seem insane, but I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life. Our bond was stronger than the tequila.
Excuse my tired face- but here I am at the local market, fueling up with tamales before our long day!
A view of the seven wonders of the world. Oh, and behind us is Chichén Itzá 😉
After we left, we took a frigid dip in the Choj-Ha cenote outside Valladolid:
(Coolest thing ever. We called it being rebirthed by Mother Earth.) Never seen anything like it in my life.
On my last day in Mexico, I took the ferry to Cozumel! Salted margaritas, sunshine, sea water, sunrises, and side boob for the win.
As you can see, this trip was paradise. I’ll leave you with these favorite words of wisdom from our Airbnb:
Until next time,
Q: What do you get when you gather seven friends, set them loose in a historic capital city, subtract your worries, multiply Carlsbergs and explored streets, and add in another country border crossing?
A: An unforgettable weekend.
My first impression of Copenhagen was that it reminded me somewhat of Amsterdam: the canals, the amount of bicycles, art and architecture, etc. But the Danish and the Dutch are quite different!
Our first stop was Nyhavn, the famous canal with brightly colored waterfront homes, shopping, restaurants, and more. We stopped for some smørrebrød before continuing past the wooden ships in the harbor.
Nyhavn
On the way to the iconic Little Mermaid statue, we stumbled upon St. Alban’s Church and the picturesque landscape surrounding it.
The city itself was very walkable, and public transportation was also convenient. I got the tourist card for 72 hours at the airport, which came in handy for the metro, buses, and trains. By the end of the afternoon, we made a final stop at Tivoli Gardens, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was an amusement park, but it was the middle of February. Surely nothing would be open and running. Wrong. Not only was this park a winter wonderland with its beautiful and brightly shining lights, but it was quite the happening place! We went for a ride on the antique roller coaster, screaming with delight as it whipped around corners and cut through the night.
Tivoli- winter wonderland
The next day, we wandered Strøget window shopping and climbed Rundertaarn, a round tower with an incredible view of the city, as seen below:
Other notable sights: Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace and the Renaissance-era Rosenborg Castle.
Sunday afternoon, we took a train to Malmö, Sweden.
It was awesome to spend the afternoon in another country, wandering the city squares, stopping for a drink, and seeking out the Turning Torso tower.
We saw Stortorget, the oldest square, and got our bearings as we searched for the next café or landmark destination.
All of the locals we encountered in both countries were exceptionally helpful and friendly. It only added to the already charming cities.
Our final stop was Öresund Bridge, which was a breathtaking view as the sunset stretched across the sky. I’ve never seen such beautiful blue and peach hues. Crazy how many moments you want to bottle up just so you could relive them again.
After arriving back in Copenhagen, we explored Christiana (Freetown) in the dark, which was really trippy, but such an interesting place.
If you ever get the opportunity to go, I can’t recommend it enough. Truly Dopenhagen. This was without a doubt a weekend for the books!
Until next time,
Not many people know this, but I started graduate school for my MFA in January.
I am still working full time, but I decided that this goal was one I seriously wanted to accomplish for myself and to push myself academically and personally, to become a better writer.
My motto for this new year has been to just go for it, and that’s what I am doing. The residency proved to me that I made the right decision. Never in my life did I connect so quickly to my peers and mentors. I felt like even though I only met these people ten days ago, it felt like we had been friends for a lifetime! I was surrounded by the most brilliant writers, and the energy was contagious. All in all, it was the single most overwhelming (but in the best way) thing I had ever experienced.
And now, the real work of practicum begins. For those of you who are or have previously been in grad school, especially a low residency program, what advice would you give?
As 2017 drew to a close, I knew I wanted to take advantage of all my time off work for the holiday season.
My parents and I flew to Florida to spend Christmas with my brother, his wife, and their daughter. We visited Destin, Panama City Beach, and Pensacola, ate way too much, and truly enjoyed our time together as a family again.
It was a beautiful change from the snowy weather back north!
Shortly after, I flew solo to Belize City for one last international trip before the craziness of 2018 began.
Although Belize has a bad reputation and certain parts of Belize City are indeed VERY dangerous, (consistently ranking as one of the highest homicide rates in the world) I am so grateful that I did not let this hold me back from going. I had a safe trip there and back, and made friends with other tourists and many locals. It was hard to not enjoy all the beauty the country had to offer. I stayed in San Pedro, and took the ferry back to Belize City where I met Carlos, who showed me the best parts of his country. Here was my first full day- packed with lots of adventure:
Visiting Altun Ha ruins.
Ziplining through the jungle!
Cave tubing 🙂
I would highly recommend those who are thrill seekers to check it out! And though I’ve explored caves before, I was pleasantly surprised by how different my perspective was with cave tubing.
That evening, some friends and I went to Wahoo’s Lounge for the world famous “Chicken Drop.” You guessed it- we bought tickets and watched as a chicken strutted around on the board, hoping that it would take a shit on our number. It was easily one of the most ridiculously interesting things I’ve ever experienced.
The next day I traveled to Caye Caulker, one of Belize’s most famous destinations, to relax and have some island fun. I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by these incredible views and calling this place my home. Would I ever get tired of it?
I spent the late afternoon at the Lazy Lizard enjoying a drink and jumping into the crystal water.
There is so much more I could say about this trip, from turtle talk to late night exploration, to the friendships I formed, but some things can’t be put into words. I’ll leave you with these highlights, until next time.
You guys, I just got back from one of the most fun trips of my LIFE! I flew to Amsterdam last week and took full advantage of my short time there.
Some quick highlights:
Van Gogh & Rijksmuseum
I Amsterdam sign
Vondelpark- I stayed right near this gorgeous place.
Heineken Experience- this was a BLAST. Tour of the brewery, boat ride to A’Dam, interactive experiences, bottling your own beer, everything!
A’Dam Lookout- come onnnnn, more like AmsterDAMN.
Over the Edge- because why not?
Anne Frank House- Truly an eye-opening and overwhelming experience to tour this annex and learn about this incredible young woman’s life and how her words have impacted us.
Dutch Pancakes & Coffee
Floating Market
Canal Tour- By the way, 12,000-15,000 of these bad boys get pulled out of the canals every year!
Light Festival- so, so beautiful! Photographs don’t do justice. From November 30-January 21st, so I definitely picked the right time to go!
(These are just Christmas lights- but still, how spectacular?!)
Dam Square
Here, you can see bubbles in front of the Grand Palace.
Jordaan/Leidseplein neighborhoods
Red Light District
I made fast friends with these lovely lads from Ireland and we had an amazing night out!
I also got to see the charming countryside of the Netherlands:
Zaandam- Behind me is the only working mill in the world that still makes paint.
Volendam
Cheese tasting is awesome. Until you’re a solid ten minutes in…
I tried kibbeling here, too. Delicious!
Marken
Wooden shoes, anyone?
And I’ll leave you all with this bathroom stall wisdom from Friday night:
Catch you wildly beautiful people somewhere in the world next time!
One day before my 27th birthday, I celebrated the release of my first chapbook, Next to Everything that is Breakable (Finishing Line Press 2017) at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Over 50 of my friends, family, and colleagues came out to support me as I launched this chapbook into the world.
The author & the artist.
Books were for sale, as well as artwork by my dear friend Catherine (who also took the photograph on the cover of the book).
Catherine’s creations with my poems.
Around 2:30 p.m., people arrived to mingle and get refreshments. Shortly after 3 p.m. my mentor, Tess, welcomed the audience and introduced me.
Tess & I.
I became overcome with emotion as I looked around the room and thanked those that had helped me so much, for I knew without them this endeavor would not have been possible.
After the reading, I signed copies of books and spent precious, too-short moments with the guests- even my high school English teachers came!
It was an intense whirlwind of an event, but I’m thankful for how smoothly it went. Seeing the people I love come together to show their support for my passion was the highlight of my birthday weekend.
Check out some pictures below:
P.S. For those that were unable to make it to the launch party but would like a signed copy of the book, please message me!
The guest book!
from this side of the sun 