Other than family and friends, who are of course my favorite part of coming home, there were many things that I loved about my 2016 trip. To follow up from my most recent post with 2016 travel highlights, here are my favorite photo memories from December and January in the States.

 

Having a white Christmas for the first time in years:

Christmas in Rome is stunning but having snow on Christmas is EVERYTHING. I got to play in the snow with my puppy, take nature walks and enjoy feeling a real Christmas season.

 

Seeing my pets:

Meeting Annie, my family’s puppy and seeing my cat again were definitely highlights of my trip. It was so nice to be around animals again and I was able to go on so many snowy walks in the woods with Annie.

 

Hanging out in Lowell, MA:

Lowell is a highly underrated city. I love its architecture and old industrial style and there are tons of new foodie locations open in the center.

 

American breakfast:

I prioritized eating breakfast while I was in the US because no matter how delicious cappucino’s and cornetti in Italy are, nothing compares to boozy American brunches where you eat enough food to last you the entire day.

 

Going into Boston for New Year’s Eve:

This was my first New Year’s spent in Boston and I got to hang out with some of my high school friends as well. We ended up having an early(ish) night at Coppersmith’s in Southie and it was heavenly. Getting to see my bestie Erica’s new apartment in the city was a treat as well.

 

Holiday crafting:

My mom is big into crafting so of course we spent HOURS over the holidays making presents, gingerbread houses, and decorations. Our annual craft night Christmas party is so much fun and I also had a blast setting up my 2017 bullet journal. With no work and taking a break from the blog, I got to spend time practicing with my new camera and using the cool stamps that my sister got me.

 

24 hours in NYC:

I last minute made plans to visit New York and my university friends who are living there. It’s been a while since my last trip and even if the weather wasn’t spectacular (cold and misty), it was completely worth the 7-hour round trip drive to see the big city and my closest friends. Not to mention the unbelievable variety of food that it offers. It’s safe to say I spent most of my time in the city eating.

 

---

Those are the highlights from my admittedly low-key trip. I had so much fun spending time at home while also making trips to some of my favorite cities. I’ll have a bullet journal overview coming up next week so if you’re interested in learning more about how it works and seeing some page examples, check back soon.