Tis Me Michelle

Well hello there! A quick break from food reviews to chat about travel! I am that basic bitch who is always planning their next trip and this year was on another level. I had gotten into a routine of doing one big trip and a few small weekend trips each year until… the pandemic. And to make up for all that lost time, I did 3 big trips this year! This year has been a roller coaster in general, but the travel part, as usual, was the highlight!

I love traveling at the beginning of the year. January and February have always been a great time for me. It’s after all the peak travel seasons, so prices are lower and the crowds are down. Sometimes the weather is a bit cooler, but I don’t mind that, I’ll just pack accordingly. And from one of my trips this year, I can attest to the fact I’d rather travel when it’s cooler than when it’s hot. So my first stop of the year in January was Portugal. I planned this trip with my oldest best friend, and somehow it was our first time traveling together! We chose it because we had both heard good things about the country and along with it not being peak season, Portugal is very affordable. Our roundtrip flight was less than $500/person! I’m pretty sure I’ve spent about that much to go to LA before… It was a super quick trip though about 2 full days in Lisbon and one full day in Porto, with a couple half days in between for traveling. We filled as much as we could in those days, and we both agreed we could have spent more time in those cities alone let alone other places we wished we had time for. The food was lovely, the people and the vibes were so relaxed and friendly. It’s a place I wouldn’t mind going back to at some point and so glad I got to go for the first time this year!

Next up is a place I’m always ready to go to. Even though I need to put it on my 5-10 year backburner now because this was my 3rd time visiting, which may be the most I’ve been anywhere. I had a dream of having my 30th birthday in France because it was a milestone and it’s my favorite city. But it was towards the tail end of quarantine, and I stayed home and had a lovely dinner with girlfriends. With my current timeline, I’ll aim to have my 40th in France – if I haven’t moved there by then. So I had been itching to back. I had a friend from work who is French and had plans to go and we ended up planning a trip together. It was an even more amazing trip because we did Paris (the only city I had been to before), and she had family in Marseille so we got to go there, and a quick day trip up to the Loire Valley. Paris/France is such a polarizing place for most, you either love it or hate it. I’ve truly never heard anyone just say it was ‘ok’. And I am OBVIOUSLY on the love it side. No one can rain on my France parade. It feels like a dream every time I go. I could truly just walk aimlessly in the streets gazing at the beautiful architecture and walking into every patisserie I see. Similar to NYC, there is always something new to do and check out. Getting to see the South of France for the first time was such a delight. Having my friend’s parents take us around was super cool and they were so sweet. Both times I’d been to Paris before was in the winter, November/December, and it was cold, but not freezing. This year I went in August, and the weather, specifically in Marseille was brutal. My birthday is in August, but I will surely be planning around the heat even if it is for a milestone celebration in the future.

And finally to round out my big 3 this year was Italy with my cousin. Apparently, the whole world went to Italy this year. Was this a White Lotus effect? I’m fresh off of this trip, and even for late September, it was still rather busy with tourists, which I think was more specific to this year. This was my second time in Rome, and I enjoyed my time just as much as the first time. If I ever find myself back in Rome I would definitely want to check out the less obvious tourist features or local gems. The magic of Rome is that you are walking through literal history, ancient history! Of course, most things are in ruins, but those ruins have lasted ~2000 years! It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where religion has become tricky for me. Because… People suck. The idea of religion, really any religion, is so beautiful. But then people twist it and make you wonder what you are even doing there. You know, the power, money, greed, a tale as old as time. My point is that in Rome, and Europe in general, there are beautiful cathedrals everywhere. No doubt you’d be in awe if you walked into any one of them. During this trip, I just couldn’t help but feel so… grossed out by it. In one respect I have so much respect for the artists and architects who made them. Everything is masterfully done. I couldn’t help but think these cathedrals are more art museums than a place of worship. It painted the picture that everyone was trying to one-up each other to have the ‘most beautiful’ cathedral, even though at the end of the day, none of that matters if you are worshipping the same God. Aside from that take, I always recommend Rome. Plenty of history and things to see, great food, and pretty much everything is walkable. We spent 1 day and 2 nights in a fancy resort in Tuscany. It was a true splurge and if anything I wish I splurged a bit more. If you are already going to dish out that kind of money, it only seems right to go for it all. We did a wine-tasting tour and a massage, which was a great way to end off the trip after all the walking in Rome. I would have loved to do a cooking class and see the city in Tuscany or spend a few days in Florence, but I guess that just means I’ll be back in Italy one day.

I’m super lucky to have been able to go on so many wonderful trips. It really made this year worth it. And I can say I’d recommend all of these countries. Even if it is to see different cities or more of the same cities, I’d even go back to these spots. But I do want to keep exploring new places for the next couple of years. A few on my radar are Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, or the Czech Republic. And I’m always open to suggestions!

Maybe I’ll do some in-depth posts about each trip of what I’d recommend or skip. I’m sure I’ll have some food reviews coming soon too. Let me know if you’re interested!