Lyndsay

2023: The year Lyndsay looked at a lot of landmarks, became an Italian citizen, and looped around some of her favorite places with some of the most incredible people ✨ 📍Siracusa, Cefalù, Venice, Positano, Rome, Mount Etna, Naples, Florence, Lake Como, Palermo

At 26 I changed continents, at 27 I changed careers. I can’t wait to experience what changes in my 28th year ✨

BUGET AIRLINE FRIENDLY CARRY-ON ✈️ Taking weekend trips with cheap budget airlines is so common for people living in Europe, but the last thing I want to do is check a bag when I only need a few days worth of clothes. Did you know, there are some luggage brands that are made so the wheels can pop off? @takeoffluggage is a small business based out of Michigan that makes carry-on suitcases turn into personal items through detachable wheels. And the best part? You can order additional wheels in case you’re prone to breaking yours (like I am 😅) I knew the brand’s luggage line worked for the American budget airlines, and I’m happy to say that so far I haven’t had any trouble with using it with European budget airlines either!

SO MANY REASONS TO CELEBRATE 🎉 First and foremost, I'm officially an Italian citizen AHHHHH 🇮🇹 Moving to Italy for the application process has opened me up to an incredible world of people, sights, cities, and culture. I'm so grateful for this life I have. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.  Next up–you'll see me all around Italy this summer as a Contiki Trip Manager! Here's to all the new beginnings ✨ #beautyofitaly #insta_italy #discoveritaly #magicaitalia #lovethisplace #thewanderingtourist #thewaylifeshouldbe #journeysofgirls #travelplaces #traveldaily #globalwanderer #travelette #italymagazine #italyphoto #italy_ig #italiagram #italy365 #lifeinitaly

HAPPY 1,602nd BIRTHDAY VENICE 🎉 On this date, way back in 421, La Serenissima was formally established. During its reign, the Republic of Venice controlled most of the Adriatic coast, including parts of modern-day Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. To save you from 421 fun facts about Venice, I’ll give you 4 instead: ✨Considered the wealthiest city in Europe, Venice thrived as an economic powerhouse due to its location and abundance of a valuable natural resource–salt. ✨ The ruler of Venice, called the Doge, was not a hereditary position. He was elected by a committee controlled by wealthy Venetians and ruled for life by the people’s will. ✨ Harry’s Bar invented the famous Bellini cocktail! Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of Harry’s Bar, invented the traditional brunch drink with Prosecco and peach purée between the 1930s and 1940s and named it after the Venetian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini. ✨You can NOT swim in the Venetian canals! It’s perfectly acceptable to travel through the canals using the city’s public transportation water bus called the Vaporetto, a traghetto, or go for a gondola ride, but you definitely can’t go for a dip. If you want to swim while visiting the historic city, visit Lido di Venezia for its beaches. What’s your favorite fun fact about Venice, Italy? #italiantravel #exploreitaly #myitaly #italydestinations #goitaly #veneziacityofficial #travelvenice #visitvenice #canalsofvenice #weloveitaly #weknowbecausewego #streetsofitaly #visit_italy #beautifulvenice #exploregram #visitaitalia #magicaitalia

THE IDES OF MARCH 🏛️ “Beware the Ides of March” - Act I, Scene II, is a line made famous by the Bard in his play Julius Caesar. But do you know what you’re actually saying when you’re referencing the Ides of March? In ancient Rome, the Roman calendar looked a little different than it does today. And the way Romans delineated time was different too. Instead of counting days in order, the Romans counted back from their most important days of the month—the Nones (the 5th or 7th day of the month,) the Ides (the 13th or the 15th day of the month,) and the Kalends (the 1st day of the next month.) So the Ides of March referred to the 15th day of March. Although the day was marked by religious festivals for the Romans, we tend to think of it a little bit differently. On the Ides of March in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Theatre of Pompey during a Senate session. He was stabbed 23 times by the Liberatores, a group of Senators fearful that Caesar’s consolidation of power during his dictatorship was weakening the Republic. His body was cremated on the east side of the Roman Forum’s main square in Rome, and the Temple of Caesar was built at the site. Today, if you decide to explore the Forum when you visit Rome, you can see the temple’s remaining altar. Unfortunately, the assassination led to a civil war, which effectively ended the Roman Republic and began the Roman Empire. Did you already know to beware the Ides of March? 💌 Follow @thepurposelylost for more Italy travel tips and history! #romanforum #romantemple #tourismitaly #forumromano #idesofmarch #romanhistory #amazingrome #visitrome #wheninrome🇮🇹 #beautifulrome #travelgirlgo #adventureladies #mycornerofitaly #gotravelgirls #passiontravel

Happy International Women’s Day!    In Italy, La Festa della Donna is celebrated with Mimosa flowers 🌼   Teresa Mattei–one of the first Italian women in politics who went on to become the director of the Italian Women’s Union–deemed the resilient, bright yellow flower as the representation of women’s solidarity in Italy.    Make sure to send some love to and celebrate the joyful, fun, colorful existence of the women in your life today 💛 #beautifulitaly #beautyofitaly #veronaitaly #visit_italy #exploreitaly #traveleverywhere #travelgirlgo #adventureladies #instatravelers #intravelist #thetraveltribe #travelette #travel_europe #travelplaces #traveldaily #thepurposelylost

LONG TIME NO SEE ✨ Ciao travel friend 👋 I don't know about you, but for me, social media can sometimes feel like a cage. ⁠ ⁠ So I decided–instead of stressing myself out all the time to *post,* I would recharge my social media batteries and refocus my energy on what makes me happiest! ⁠ What has been making you happy this season? I'll go first: ✨ Spending some much-needed time with my family and friends ✨Traveling and exploring just for me, without feeling pressure to post about it ✨ Running around with our family puppy ✨ Taking time to read That said, I'm happy to be back in the travel community and happy to have you here! Get ready for alllll the Italy history, fun facts, and travel tips coming–I've been studying 😆 #thecolorsofmilano #milanitaly🇮🇹 #milanitaly #milancathedral #milanocityofficial #beautyofitaly #mycornerofitaly #loveeurope #magicaitalia #discover_europe #adventureladies #globalwanderer #travelinbetween #travelgirlgo #intravelist

Venice, Italy has several celebrations throughout the holiday season! 🎄 This year, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony was December 2nd 🎄 Translating to Glass Christmas, Natale di Vetro started on December 6th on Murano island 🎄 December 8th, the Immaculate Conception, marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Italy 🎄 Enjoy the ice skating rink in Campo San Polo, or head to Mestre on the mainland for the city’s Christmas market 🎅 Cheer on the Corsa dei Babbi Natale (Santa Claus Run) runners, a 7-kilometer run hosted by the Venice Running Club each December 🕎 Celebrate Hanukkah with the city’s giant menorah lighting at Campo di Ghetto Nuovo in the Jewish Quarter 🎄 Attend Christmas mass at Basilica di San Marco 🎄 Celebrate the feast day of Santo Stefano on December 26th 🎉 Ring in the New Year throughout Venice with fireworks, concerts, and performances ⏱️🧙‍♀️ Watch the Torre dell’Orologio open and watch the La Befana Regattaon January 6th, the Epiphany 💌 SAVE and SHARE with someone who’s visiting Venice during the holiday season! 🎉 FOLLOW @thepurposelylost for more Italy travel tips #beautyofitaly #discoveryitaly #discoveritaly #visitvenice #veniceitaly #venicephotography #travelvenice #beautifulvenice #italyholidays #holidayitaly #holidaysinitaly #italianadventure #traveldeepers #weknowbecausewego #passionpassport

Today, I am 10,000 days old. My grandfather was an engineer–a brilliant man with a brain like a calculator. He used to tell me how many seconds old I was up until that moment or how many hours were left until my birthday. Or his birthday, which was on Christmas Eve. One day, years ago, he told me that on December 16th, 2022, I would be 10,000 days old. Somehow, I had the foresight to put that date on my calendar. And now, that day is here. I am officially 10,000 days old. Although my grandfather isn't here anymore, he would be so happy that I'm "celebrating" this milestone today. Pretty amazing to look back on 10,000 whole days of life. Especially at year's end, when it's the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the opportunities coming in the next–I hope you can see the joyful moments among the mundane. Be open to the endless possibilities that are waiting for you. In the next 7 days, 365 days, 1,000 days. 10,000 days. #venicelove #loves_venice #exploreitaly #veniceitaly #veneziacityofficial #travelgirlscollective #darlingplaces #athomeintheworld #huffposttravel #travelgirlsgo #travelpassport #sheisnotlost #traveltheglobe #expatinitaly #passportable

Did you know–the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower? Piazza dei Miracoli is an expansive open grassy area featuring the Bapistry, the Cathedral, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Leaning Tower was designed to be the bell tower of the adjacent Cathedral. However, when the second floor was added in 1178, the building started to sink almost immediately after its construction due to a weak foundation and the soft subsoil beneath the tower. Over time, the sinking foundation shifted the Tower’s weight, causing it to lean. And, the lean increased as later generations dug deep into the ground in an attempt to stabilize it. By 1990, the historic building retained an upright tilt of 5.50 degrees; but, after repairs in 2001 to improve its base, the Tower now rests securely at a tilt of 3.97 degrees. Isn’t it stunning when basking in the sunset? 💌 FOLLOW @thepurposelylost for more Italy travel tips #duomodipisa #pisaitaly #pisatower🇮🇹 #pisatower #leaningtowerofpisa #torredipisa #shewhowonders #visitaitalia #passionpasport #travelgirlsgo #girlsontravel #discoveryitaly #italianpic #leaningtowerofpisa🇮🇹 #pisacathedral

Would you take a gondola ride through Venice, Italy? As you probably know, the city is famous for its canals–178 of them. During the height of the Venetian Republic, the main “streets” people used to move throughout the city every day were the canals. At one point in history, the canals of Venice were filled with about 10,000 gondolas in Venice; now, there are only about 400 left.  Venetian gondola boats are made out of several different kinds of wood, and each piece of wood represents a specific part of the city and weighs an average of 600 kg. Wealthy Venetians used a gondola on the canals like we would use a modern-day car on paved roads. They were used to transport anything–people, goods, livestock, anything that the city needed to operate.  Since the city is meant to be seen from the water, it’s definitely worth your while taking a gondola ride through Venice! 💌 FOLLOW @thepurposelylost for more Italy travel tips #beautifulvenice #canalsofvenice #venetianlagoon #grandcanal #veniceitaly #gondola #travelitaly #loves_italy #travellinginitaly #lifeonwater #prettywanderings #inlovewiththeview #explorewithme #passiontravel #passionpasport

PAESTUM 🇮🇹 Did you know you can find ruins for some of the best-preserved Ancient Greek temples in Italy?! 🤯 The city of Paestum was founded by Greek colonists around 600 B.C. As you wander throughout the huge archaeological park, you can’t miss walking inside the three Doric order temples which date back between 550 and 450 B.C. If you’re interested in visiting this hidden gem, you can reach the ruins on a 10-minute walk from the Paestum train station less than an hour south of Naples, Italy. Have you heard of Paestum? #parcoarcheologicopaestum #templidipaestum #paestum #igcampania #historytravel #exploregram #travelaroundworld #explorewithme #ancientplaces #coolplaces #italydestinations #destinationitaly #loves_italy #insta_italy #enjoyitaly