Posts in category Europe

Trip Reflections

Now that it’s been a little while since our 15-month trip has ended, we have had some time to look back and reflect on our incredible adventure. This blog has been a great way to share our journey and we wanted to thank all of you for following along. We have been back in New […]

Our Last Stop & Final Trip Stats

We thought it would be fitting to finish our trip where it all began. Back to where we hatched the idea of the trip in the first place – Hawaii. When we first visited Hawaii in 2013, the trip of a lifetime seemed more like a dream than something that we could actually pull off. […]

We Didn’t Appreciate Our Backpacks Until the Airline Lost The...

After our two weeks in Tanzania, it was time to head back to Europe to attend our friend’s wedding in Northern England. Four flights and 27 hours later, we arrived in Newcastle. Unfortunately, our bags did not. Hard to believe that in the 60+ flights we have taken this year, this was the first time […]

Coast to Coast

The good thing about visiting popular tourist destinations is that they are popular for a reason. They’re beautiful, you can always find amazing restaurants, and there tends to be a lot to see and do. The bad thing (besides the times you have to fight your way through the crowds) is almost always the price. […]

Back on the Road

After almost a month at home in the States and some great time spent catching up with friends and family, it was time to get back out on the (international) road at the end of May.   Our first stop was Romania where we attended the wedding of some of our good friends.  We stayed a […]

Turkey: From Europe to Asia

Eighteen days after the deadliest bombing in modern day Turkey occurred in the capital city of Ankara, we arrived in Istanbul. This was in addition to a bombing that had happened in Istanbul back in August. For the weeks leading up to our arrival, we had seen the non-stop news coverage of the rising death […]

Wrapping up Leg One of the Trip

Over the past few weeks, we finished up our time in Greece by hiking among the cliff-side monasteries in Meteora, spending a week in Athens and Santorini with Christina’s sister, Abigail, and her boyfriend, Travis, and then ended with a short stay in Mykonos. Then we spent a week apart. Christina headed home to the […]

My Big, Fat, Greek Family Reunion

My great-grandfather was the perfect example of the American Dream. A young teenager who came to the States in 1911 with only $50 to his name, Panagiotis (Pete) Tsirtsis eventually landed in Boonville, Missouri, and opened up a successful café which he ran until the time of his death. All throughout my childhood, I would […]

Visiting the Top Travel Destination of 2015

Each year, the New York Times Travel section puts out a list of the world’s top “Places to Go.” Contributing writers to The Times provide their nominations and the editors narrow it down based on a number of criteria including city events, attractions and other points of particular interest for that year. For 2015, there […]

Back to Sicily

When it comes to traveling in Italy, there is a well-worn path consisting of a few destinations that seem to always be a part of any itinerary, and with good reason. There’s Florence, along with the entire region of Tuscany, and its beautiful landscapes. There’s floating Venice with its many islands and interconnecting canals. Of […]