HAPPINESS

Lately, I have been obsessed with New Girl. You know, that show with Zooey Deschanel and the three guy roommates? It's genius. I cannot stop watching it- I watched about 10 episodes straight last night when I got home from work...and have been watching all morning.

I just wanted to make a post about happiness; how to be happy; why to be happy! Well, it's more of an article I came across the other night about 'How to Be Happy: 8 Ways to Feel Better About Everything'.

1. Perform random acts of kindness

2. Live in a home that's rented, not owned

3. Count your blessings

4. Be thrifty

5. Become a parent

6. Learn to savor positive experiences

7. Take baby steps towards life goals

8. Stay healthy and live long: Happiness peaks at age 65

You can find the article here. 

I also started a 'gratitude journal' after reading this, it's nice to write down 4 things daily that are going well in your life and things you are grateful for. I recommend you try it!

Good news is that I am just about done with the last Italy post so that will be up tomorrow morning for all of you wanderlusters! 

Off to work and the rest of Sunday's activities. 

Travel on wanderlusters! 

BOATS N BREWS

I have been enjoying the bliss of doing absolutely nothing but relaxing the past few days. There's that little angel on my shoulder urging me to: "GO WRITE THE ITALY POST, DO IT, DO IT!" But the devil on the other side is telling me to just relax, go with the flow, you can do it later.

Well, today I have a day off from work for the first time since starting in February so I get to spend my day at the gym then at the park with friends and then finally at my university's annual ball. Not sure how excited I am...I have been to enough homecomings and proms in my day but hey, why not see what this dance has to offer. The venue is amazingly beautiful and in Vinohrady, a beautiful neighborhood here in Prague (we actually looked at flats there). Okay, so maybe I am excited...I'll share pictures with all you wanderlusters in tomorrow's post.

If we backtrack to Wednesday evening, I got out of my last class for the week and one of the last of the semester, so I ran home (literally, because the trams were broken), grabbed my roommate and we headed to the river for a paddle-boat ride. When we finally got there, we had to walk a long ways because the trams were not working, we bought ourselves a nice Plzen beer and got to paddling. As we were on the river, the sun was setting behind the Prague Castle and it was just one of those "lucky to be alive" moments. Breathtaking actually. My roommate and I were laughing about how if we got sucked into the fast waters, it would be okay because at least we got to see a beautiful sunset in Prague on the river (god forbid that actually happened though, I would be a woman overboard!)

Of course, we took one too many pictures so here are some of my favorites:

As we walked, I was amazed that I felt like I was actually walking somewhere in New York and Paris. It was as if we discovered an entirely new Prague. We also found out that where we are moving to, there is a lovely jazz club on the water with delicious smelling food just around the corner from the flat. SCORE.

If these photos do not make you want to move to Prague or at least visit...you crazy! Then again, maybe it isn't for everyone. If you do ever come to Prague, wanderlusters, make sure to take a paddle-boat ride on the river; for one hour it is 250kc, which is about $12 USD aka worth every single penny.

Off to the gym and the rest of today's shenanigans!

Travel on wanderlusters!

SPRING IN THE GOLDEN CITY

The past few days have been filled with sun, warm breezes and good company. Therefore, I have been MIA, yet again, my deepest apologizes!

The end of the spring semester (I only have 4 semester left...what?!) is quickly approaching so the pressure is on and I'm trying to knock all my work out as soon as possible. Also, since I am moving to another flat within the next month, I am trying to keep the stress down.
With the flowers blooming and weather, it's becoming increasingly harder to do so because there are one too many temptations just drop it all and head to the beer garden or the park with my girls. Nothing beats Czech beer either, so the temptation is unbelievable. I keep telling myself to get my work done, study for my finals then I can enjoy Czech beer while walking across Charles Bridge and attempt to tan my extremely pale skin...pretty sure I could blind someone at this point in time...

For my fashion internship with CollegeFashionista, I have been busy typing away various articles on the adorable spring wardrobes of students around campus. My recent articles have inspired me to share a cute look with the ladies who read Traveling with Wanderlust. This season I am loving skater skirts, studded/spiked sandals and graphic tees. I need to get back home to America for the summer so I can stock up at Forever 21!

I am going to work on the last part of the Italy post this evening then I will write a post (the following day), that is somewhat personal, about how I discovered my passion for writing. I love sharing this story with others and actually wrote a book on it that I sent to publishers...still waiting to hear back from several. So, you will get to read a little about me- a break from daily travel posts.

Back to class- travel on wanderlusters!

ITALY: THE NORTH- PART 2

Italiaaaa mangiare, mangiare! Today, I will tell you about some other lovely northern cities: Pisa, Florence, San Marino and Siena. The parents of one of my best guy friends from high-school is actually currently in Pisa! 

So, in Pisa, you should probably see the Leaning Tower of Pisa...just a suggestion though...

1. Lean with the leaning tower of Pisa.

2. Visit Piazza dei Miracoli and the Baptistry. 

3. Walk around Knight's Square for a few minutes while taking cliche tourist pictures. 

4. Get holy Italian style at: Santa Maria della Spina; Santa Cornoa Vicenza; San Nicola; San Pietro di Grado; San Frediano Pisa; San Paolo Ripa d'Arno; San Francesco; Santo Stefano dei Cavaliero; San Michele in Borgo; San Pietro (Vinculis); Santa Caterina; San Sisto; Santa Chiara; San Zeno; San Silvestro; Church of St. Rocco; San Martino...if your sins are not forgiven at any one of these churches in Pisa...you are screwed.

5. Go look at the Pisa Griffin...why? Because it's cool and has been in Pisa since the Middle Ages.

6. Wander over to the Camposanto Monumentale.

7. Wake up and smell the flowers at Orto botanico di Pisa. 

8. Get spooky and visit the Cementary.

9. Party with the Italians at Leningrad Cafe, Temple Bar or Caffetteria Betsabea.

10. Grab some authentic Tuscan cuisine at Antica Trattoria il Campano, La Clessida, Osteria dei Cavalieri, La Grotta or Trattoria La Buca.

11. Not feeling Tuscan? Try either Babette Food and Art Cafe, Ristoro al Vecchio Teatro, Il Montino, Trattoria della Faggiola.

12. Get cultured at Palazzo dell'Orologio.

Floraaa, Florence!

1. Drink some organic wine at Vivanda.

2. Visit St. Mark's English

3. Be artsy fartsy at the Uffizi Gallery.

4. Head over to the Florence Cathedral to see some beautiful architecture.

5. Visit one of Italy's most famous bridges, the Ponte Vecchio. 

6. Just stop and stare at the beautiful Basilica of Santa Croce or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore.

7. Snack on some Florentine steak at one of Florence's many restaurants.

8. Enjoy a cone of gelato in Piazza dell Signoria.

9. Grab a snack and pick-me-up coffee at La Terrazza...oh, and enjoy the view!

10. Frolick in the flowers at the beautiful Boboli Gardens.

11. Celebrate happy hour at Colle Bereto or La Dolce Vita.

12. Party the night away at Central Park, Oibo, Naima, Joshua Tree, Cabiria, YAB Club or Twice.

13. Grab a lovely Italian dinner at Il Latini, Trattoria I Fratellini, Il Chicco di Caffe or switch it up with some Middle-Eastern cuisine at Amon.

14. Bored of being outside? Head over to Galleria dell'Accademia, Museo del Bargello or Giardino di Boboli.

15. Surround yourself with local Italians and nature at Parco delle Cascine.
...there's so many other things to do in Florence but this just sums it up for all you Florence-bound wanderlusters!

 I definitely think once I visit Florence, it will be one of my new favorite cities in the world. I should try to make a trip out there sometime this year...

San Marino...I have always wanted to go there as well and just lay on the beach forgetting reality: 

1. BEAAACH. Lay there all day, get sunburnt, frolick in the sea; do what you please.

2. Mountains! Mount Titano, it's not hard to miss.

3. Climb to the castle, Guaita. 

4. Visit the skinny yet pretty building of town hall, Palazzo Pubblico.

5. Attend an Italian football match (soccer for you Americans).

 Siena...hey, one of the Double 007 movies was filmed there!

1. Make sure to check out the famous horse races twice a year, the Palio di Siena.
2. Breathe in the Italian culture while walking around Piazza del Campo with a gelato from Kopa Kabana in hand.
3. Visit the beautiful and historic Duomo Nuovo and Basilica of San Domenico.
4. Take a walk over to Palazzo Pubblico, Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Salimbeni and Torre del Mangia.
5. Spend a rainy day in the national museum, Pinacoteca Siena Nazionale or at Museo Civico.
6.Now, this place is a stereotypical Tuscany scene: Villa Cetinale.
7. Visit one of Siena's many churches: San Martino, San Giuseppe, Santa Maria dei Servi, Santo Spirito, Basilica dell'Osservanza, San Giorgio, Basilica di San Francesco.
8. Smell the flowers at the University of Siena's botanical garden, Orto Botanico dell'Universtia di Siena.
9. Go underground to Siena's Crypt.
10. Be artsy fartsy at the Palazzo delle Papesse or at Pinacoteca Nazionale.
11. Grab a bite to eat at: Al Marsili, Osteria Le Logge, Enzo, Il Carroccio, Osteria Castelvecchio, Morbidi or La Pizzeria di Nonno Mede.
12. Ever play one of those video games with fortresses? Visit a real fortress, the Fortezza Medicea.
13. Be happy at the happy fountain, Fonte Gaia!
14. Make sure to stay until Wednesday so you can visit the Wednesday Market.
15.  Get your drink on at Caffe Ortensia, Enoteca Italiana, Caffe el Corso or Al Cambio.

The next post will be on the southern half of Italy. I will share some good places to go and eat with you in: Rome, Sardinia, Naples, Capri, Campobasso, Bari, Cantanzaro then Sicily. 

Travel on wanderlusters and have a lovely Sunday!