This past weekend we were invited to a last-minute quick trip to one of my favorite places in Georgia: Stepantsminda. When we visited this idyllic valley in June we did a ton of hiking, and the shy but stunning Mount Kazbei was completely obscured by clouds and fog. This time around we didn’t set a […]
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About an hour south of Tbilisi lies the unassuming village of Marneuli. At first glance, it looks like any subsistence agricultural town. Herds of farm animals roaming the pastures, quaint houses made of stone and brick, and residents living in extreme poverty. Most of the income in this area comes from outside sources such as […]
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I often consider Chicago my second hometown. I’ve never lived there personally, but both my parents are from the South Side (yes, really) and much of my extended family lived in the area when I was a child. The first time I remember visiting downtown, I asked my dad how big the city was. His […]
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After a few very crazy weeks – bacheloretting around Chicago, two wedding weekends, a Hamilton history lesson, and just soaking up as much Wisconsin as possible – I’m returning to my regularly scheduled blogging. Or at least I hope so. I’m currently still in Wisconsin – I have one more event to attend this weekend […]
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Before yesterday, I’d only been to Door County once. I was 19, my boyfriend of a few months was about to leave for a study abroad in Russia (spoiler, I married him), and we were only there for a few hours. I don’t remember it very well, but we do have these ridiculous pictures to […]
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Mtskheta is located so close to our neighborhood in Tbilisi that it’s astounding to me that my first trip to this intriuging little town only occurred last weekend. I haven’t even been to Mtskheta on accident – which is very possible; if you miss the last U-turn on the highway going north, you have no […]
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Something I took for granted as a kid was living within walking distance to a large, expansive park. I fondly remember going to the playground, the nature center, and the botanical gardens as a kid. Sean and I even got married in those very gardens. It’s my happy place. When we moved to Annapolis the […]
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I’ve talked a few times on this blog about the similarities and differences between this tour and the last, but one thing I haven’t touched on is how I’m trying to shape this experience in a different way than I did in Dushanbe. One thing I’m trying to do differently is take time out to […]
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I love wineries. In part, obviously, because I love drinking wine, but also because I find it fascinating to hear about the different vintages directly from the winemakers themselves. I’m no sommelier, but over the years I’ve managed to pick up a teeny bit of wine vocabulary and knowledge. I know I like a dry, […]
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Before I dive into all my issues with The Vatican, let me preface this with the following: I am a confirmed Catholic, but not at all religious. I don’t have a problem with religion, except when people start wars, are prejudiced/bigoted because of it, or simply tell me how to live my own life according […]
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