Growing up in Columbus, Ohio travel meant I was out of school and heading somewhere fun with my family. Whether it was wintertime ski trips or summertime beach vacations, it meant spending time with family that was hard to come by with my parents' work schedules. Cheap Travel Planning

I didn't start to write my own travel stories until I backpacked through Europe in college. That trip started from Ireland and snaked its way to Italy where I made lifelong friends who've since been a big part of my life. My Italian friends came to America to experience Thanksgiving, and on their trip we visited Chicago-everyone's first time there. Once I graduated from college I moved to Chicago because I fell in love with the city when I visited. Years later, I went to Fabio and Alessandra's wedding in Italy, and more recently I went to see their growing family.