Travel Diary: Athens, Greece

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

I took a step back from blogging the past few weeks, but it was for a good reason – Ian and I were off exploring Greece! I had been dreaming about traveling to Greece for years now and it felt surreal to make it a reality. Our adventure began in Athens and we were awestruck by the ancient history that is around every corner. From standing in the middle of the Acropolis to simple walking the city streets, you are bound to stumble across an ancient ruin.

We kicked off our Athens leg of the trip strolling around the alleyways near our hotel. To our surprise, most of the city is covered in graffiti. Locals say they barely recognize the graffiti anymore, but as a tourist it was very prominent. However, all of the vine covered alleyways that were home to restaurants and shops added a bit of charm to the street art.

The following day we woke up bright and early to beat the crowds at the Acroplois. We arrived right as the sight opened and were able to stroll around the grounds without feeling claustrophobic. It was a true “pinch me” moment to stand in front of the Parthenon after seeing it printed across the pages of numerous textbooks. Ian and I set aside the majority of our morning to soak in the sights and revel in the history that took place beneath our feet.

As the crowds started to flood the Acroplois, we headed off to burrow our way through the narrow streets that lead to the Anafiotika neighborhood. This area of Athens is nestled beneath the Acropolis and has been coined a little Greek island within the city. Some of the alleyways were so narrow we had to shuffle through them sideways, but this all added to the charm of this little city oasis.

We spent the remainder of our time in Athens shopping for souvenirs in the Plaka district, resting our feet in the National Gardens, and trying street food. We were tempted to pick an orange off the millions of orange trees that line the streets, but we refrained in case it was frowned upon. We didn’t want to jeopardize the next leg of our journey which would bring up to the island of Mykonos. Stay tuned for additional travel posts!

Month in Review: April 2019

May 6, 2019May 1, 2019

From sunny days in the park to losing power during a snow storm, April was full of highs and lows. It was difficult to make outdoor plans in advance since we never knew what type of weather we would be graced with. Luckily, we were able to fill our month with an array of events that kept us in good spirits despite the unruly weather patterns.

We began the month with an afternoon trip to the Mitchel Park Domes. It was a mini escape from Wisconsin’s dreary weather. As soon as you enter the domes you are transported to warmer climates. While I’m quite fond of the rainforest dome (it has a waterfall!) Ian and I ended up spending the majority of our time in the desert dome. It was less crowded and allowed us to sit back, close our eyes, and pretend we were on a desert vacation.

As a belated birthday celebration, Ian purchased tickets to the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Art in Bloom exhibit. As soon as we walked through the front doors we were greeted with the most wonderful scent. The entire atrium was decorated with flowers and hosted a series of events. You could sit back with a cocktail, watch a live painting, and listen to a harpist. Once we pulled ourselves away from the atrium, we ventured into the permanent collection wing for the main event! Local florist created stunning floral arrangements that were inspired by paintings. It was easy to lose track of time in the exhibit and Ian and I ended up spending the majority of our Saturday wandering around the event, soaking in the beauty of all of the flowers.

It’s clear that I have a deep love for flowers, therefore, it comes as no surprise that I was delighted to see blooms start peeking out of the ground this month. Luckily, these are hearty flowers since they had to endure a few snow storms in April. I don’t know if there is anything that sums up spring in Wisconsin more than the sight of daffodils covered in snow.

To get a closer look inside our month watch our video below which shares one second of every day!

Month in Review: March 2019

April 8, 2019April 4, 2019

We all have fears, many of which we chose not to face. One of my deepest ingrained fears is networking. Specifically, solo networking. The idea of entering a room of strangers and trying to strike up a conversation terrified me. In the past, I have avoided these situations at all costs. I’ve missed out on conferences, lectures, and meet-ups that have piqued my interest. I decided this is an aspect of myself that I’m no longer going to accept. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to challenge yourself, but change is possible.

Therefore, I kicked off March by signing up for not one, but six local events. Yes, you read that right. SIX events! Milwaukee hosted a week long event for female entrepreneurs filled with wonderful speakers and educational workshops. Not only did I survive a week of networking, I left feeling inspired. I’m going to keep my eye out for more events like these that I can attend in the future.

After a wonderful week attending events downtown, Ian and I drove to Racine for their orchid festival. I was sold simply on the idea of spending the afternoon in a greenhouse, but having an opportunity to explore downtown Racine was an additional bonus. Neither Ian nor I have spent much time in Racine, so stopping by O&H Bakery for a danish and taking a walk along the lakefront path were a must.

March ended with an early birthday visit from my family. I set my out-of-office email message and played hooky for the day. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch downtown and spent the afternoon visiting some of my favorite local spots.