A Wanderer's Guide to (two days in) Florence

Adam and I made plans to each take the kids somewhere fun this year while the other had a chance for some kid-free time. 

For my part, I took the kids to Florida to visit my snowbirding parents in Daytona Beach Florida, while Adam and some friends had a guy's weekend skiing at Pico. In turn, Adam was taking the kids to South Carolina with his parents to visit family, and I had a 4-day weekend to myself. I quickly started searching around google maps, the only way I ever book a flight, and instead of something "simple" like Florida, a round-trip flight to Rome priced at $380 caught my eye. From here, an idea was born. Why spend a long weekend in the US when I could spend it abroad for truly a fraction of the price. An inexpensive flight, cheaper lodging and food, public transportation and no rental car needed. And of course, the chance to explore Italy with a glass of wine behind a plate of pasta. 

While I was more than happy to go alone, I quickly ran through my friend list of people who would A) be interested in traveling abroad and B) were okay with traveling the way I travel. I choose to travel in a budget-friendly way, focused on wandering and experiencing the culture through good food and a lot of walking instead of high end resorts and seeing big ticket items through tours. Instantly, Corey came to mind as someone who was wildly easy-going, and was okay with skipping the tourist high-ticket items in exchange for a long lunch filled with seafood. It was a pretty quick yes and from there, our Girl's Trip to Italy was born. 

A week at Lake Brome, Quebec, Canada

I consider myself wildly lucky to be surrounded by friends who love to travel, especially the international ones. My friend Mary Ellen, who invited us to join her for a week in Italy, invited us out of the country again but this time, a little closer. She booked a house on a lake in Canada, making an out-of-country getaway a bit easier with kids by making it within driving distance to the amazing lake area of Lake Brome. 

Lake Brome is about a 5.5 hour drive from coastal Connecticut, and just over the border of our northern neighbor. It is only 40 minutes over the border but you instantly notice the change of scenery and culture and you enter the very french area of southern Quebec. While there is plenty to do in the area, you are also only an hour drive from Montreal and three hours from Quebec City. We went up in August which was the perfect time of year to float on the lake, bike the recreation paths, and enjoy a different culture so close to home. 

We loved the area, and loved this relaxing week away with friends and wonderful weather. It is truly a perfect family destination with outings to local zoos, a trip to the city, and slow days spent at local parks and playgrounds. Canada does open spaces and parks so much better than we do, and we enjoyed free access to public pools, splash pads, parks, and recreation trails. There is such an emphasis on the outdoors, and making it accessible to families, that makes you envious of a bit disappointed we don't hold those same values here in the United States. 

This post is a bit different than most as it isn't a formal travel guide. We truly just spent the week relaxing on the lake, enjoying all it had to offer. I included some highlights which highlight some of our day trips and activities as we ventured around the area. 

An Ode to Olive

In 2011, I applied to several different rescues with the hopes of adopting my first dog. I was finally out of school, out of my parent's house, and into my first rental in the quiet little town of Essex, Connecticut. It was the first real time in my life where I could get my own dog and I convinced my boyfriend at the time that a puppy was a great idea for our early 20 somethings lives together. I didn’t have the normal prerequisites rescues often require like a fenced in yard, or big dog experience. What I did have was a passion to rescue, and a marathon training plan with an open spot for a training partner.

I applied to cute bouncy little puppies all throughout the state, a white shepherd mix, and countless others. Each time, I was met with the same answer - no fence, I was only renting, and there were better applicants ahead of me (especially for the puppies). While their reasons were completely valid, and the reason so many dogs are returned, I was frustrated and knew I would have to get a little creative if I wanted to adopt. 

It was 2009 and Facebook Marketplace didn’t exist yet. Craigslist was the local web yard sale for everything from used cars to kid’s toys for sale. Craigslist is also a dangerous place for rehoming dogs as there is often little to no vetting process. It is where “free dogs” find themselves being rehoused into a dog fighting ring, or some other awful situation. 

Not for Olive. It was there on Craiglist that I saw an ad for a “Lab Mix Puppy”. I can still remember the photo like it was yesterday, a little black lab puppy with long black ears,  laying down resting her head on a floral print chair. 

 Year in Review 2025

This year was a wild one. Between the news, the kids, and my company, it felt like I was chasing my tail for 12 months straight. It was crazy and chaotic but in all the ways that makes life rich and full. It was full of all the things that make a life worth living with people I love in places I thrive in. We took the kids abroad (first time we took both of them together), I learned a new hobby (weekly tennis lessons all year), Whitney started a Pre-K program at his elementary school, and my business thrived. We balanced weekends home with camping trips, skiing weekends, and a road trip to Canada. Winter was spent on the slopes, spring at home, the summer in all the water split between Cedar Lake and the beach, and fall in our favorite northern states. It was a magical year for their ages (2 and 4) and a year that challenged us as parents and partners. We grew, we changed, we filled out calendar and enjoyed our neighborhood. 2025 was good to us and I can't wait to see what the new year brings. 

Trips
Skiing at Pico and Killington (solo and with the kids)
Backcountry skiing the Sherburne Trail in New Hampshire 
10 Days in Ireland with the kids 
Summer Killington/Quechee Gorge, Vermont
A week in Canada at Lac-Brome

Camping
May: Witch Meadow Lake, Connecticut
June: Hammonasset State Park in Connecticut
July: Riverside Park Campground, Maine
September: Lake Taghkanic State Park, New York
October: Maple Brook Campground, Vermont

January

January is always a slow month which is what we always need. After the chaos of the holidays, we slow down and savor the slower month before the birthday month of February starts the chaos again. We skied a Powder Ridge, baked in the kitchen, took the dog for hikes, and spent a lot of time in Whitney's new power wheels rolling through the neighborhood. 

Skiing with Whitney

Piper at Adam's new piano

Whitney's new power wheels

Hikes with Piper and Otto

Mini chefs