Ritorno in Italia
I have always loved when spring arrives. As a teacher, it gives me a chance to reflect on the school year and savor those final months before summer arrives. As a travel photographer, it's when the travel planning truly begins. Though if I'm honest, I'm thinking about traveling all year long.
On the wall of the study is a world map covered in gold push pins of every destination I have visited. It is a daily reminder of where I have journeyed and new places waiting to be explored. Throughout the year I find myself perusing travel blogs, going down a rabbit hole of YouTube travel videos, and researching places I dream of visiting. Last summer I spent an incredible month in Japan, one of the most extraordinary travel experiences of my life. As I began thinking about this summer, I found myself looking at Thailand and Southeast Asia, then drifting toward Scandinavia. Both felt like adventures I plan to take one day, but with travel costs climbing and a quiet need to rest and recharge, none of those trips quite fit the moment.
Sometimes, when I find myself feeling restless and unable to sleep, I start to peruse travel websites comparing flights, hotels, and destinations. This is both for inspiration and the hunt of finding that incredible deal that is too good to pass up. This happened two weeks ago. I was looking at different travel destinations and started perusing flights to Italy. I found airfare for $1,021 round trip and I knew this was meant to be... so I booked the tickets and started planning my summer adventure for 2026.
Italy holds a special place in my heart and is a destination I will never get tired of visiting. My first trip I was only four years old, but even at a young age, Rome had a profound impact on me. Visiting the historic Colosseum, walking through the Roman ruins and eating the best pasta with the largest meatball I had ever seen, it created incredible memories.
Over the years I have visited Florence, Rome and Naples as a teacher leader on educational ambassador programs. In 2018 I traveled through Europe with one of my best friends, spending nine days between Florence and Rome. There is something that always pulls me back: the extraordinary food, the weight of history in every stone, and the way Italians understand, better than anyone, that life is meant to be lived fully. This summer I'll spend a full month there, with more time than I've ever had to explore, wander, and simply absorb.
I'm beginning in Northern Italy. While I've taken short day trips to Cinque Terre and Venice, I've never had the luxury of time in either place. This trip I will. I'm looking forward to early mornings chasing sunrise light, blue hour along the water as the sun sets, and long evenings wandering streets that look different once the crowds are gone. I'm also spending time in Milan and Verona. The Duomo in Milan has been on my list for years, and as a Shakespeare fan, I am looking forward to spending time in Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet.
Florence is one of my favorite cities in the world. On my last visit, I stayed in a 14th century home on a small curved street lined with stone walls and arches that transported me straight to the Renaissance. I was lucky enough to book the same place again, just minutes from the Ponte Vecchio. I'll spend hours in the museums, linger in cafes through the afternoon, and spend my evenings wandering. Then it's on to Rome, the Eternal City, where history and modern life share the same sidewalk. I've spent a few days there before, but a full week will finally give me the chance to explore corners of the city I've never seen.
Travel has always brought me a sense of inner peace, standing inside a cathedral, a temple, or a quiet zen garden. It's given me a deeper connection to people across the globe. It's pushed me to take risks, try things I wouldn't otherwise try, and see parts of this world that remind me how much beauty surrounds us. And it gives me the chance to do what I love most: lift my camera, find the story in a moment, and bring it home.