Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

I would not disagree with him except to add that travel and change of place also renew the spirit and love of travel is the love of exploring yourself.

Andi always challenges me when she asks me to write a guest post and this time the assignment was “love.”  Love of place, person, or thing while traveling.  And it was not just “love” like a slice of cheesecake.  No, Andi, wanted to know about “head over heels in love.”  OK, my dear, readers, where do I begin?

Our lives move in phases and with each new cycle I am renewed and fall in love all over again…with a person, place, or thing.  My British phase had me exploring every inch of that island, so much so that my stay-at-home Dad often asked me why I do not get sick of visiting the same place.  How could you possibly get sick of a region with so much history (and the Loch Ness monster)?  Besides, I swear I lived at least two lifetimes in Victorian England.

Scotland and Wales are each beautiful in their own way–the serenity of the Welsh countryside and the marvelous humor of the Scots, but it was England that won my heart from the moment I was 19, especially London.  It is my second home and while it has changed not for the better, losing its identity amid a flood of Middle Eastern influences and becoming one of the most expensive cities in the world, I never tire of visiting my usual haunts like a daytrip to Greenwich or Hampton Court, shopping on Oxford Street at the big M & S, a walk through Russell Square and of course Pizza Veneziana at Pizza Express.  There were loves of the moment along the way and each played a role in my evolution.

Wanderlust Women can step into history at England's Hampton Court Palace.

Yet, no one person, place, or thing has nurtured my soul as much as Italy has from my favorite souvenir, to the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, to the relationships I have formed as a result of traveling through this land.  Yes, with Italy, it has been head over heels in love.  The men are charming; the food is orgasmic; and the soul of this country…well, I did not find my soul until I found Italy.  Maybe it was falling in love with a special someone or maybe it was the heady scent of jasmine that awakens the spirit each morning in Tuscany.

Home is where your heart is.

I cannot express in words the ethereal beauty of a place or person that enlivens your senses and awakens your soul.  I can only urge you to take your own solo journey and fall head over heels in love wherever you roam.

Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel and the recently launched Italy destination wedding site Wanderlust Weddings.  She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.

This year I thought I would be brave and share what my next list says:

1. Travel to 2 new countries
2. Have the wedding of my dreams
3. Have the honeymoon of my dreams
4. Volunteer at least 5 times
5. Run 10 miles in a row at a 8.5 minute pace
6. Get a new tattoo
7. Get an old tattoo redesigned
8. Read an entire novel in Spanish
9. Have 1 travel story published in print
10. Take a cooking class
11. Take a photography class and if I have the money buy a new camera
12. Find the perfect lipstick
13. Go for a solo-hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains
14. Take a yoga class at least once a week
15. Attend a social media or blogging event
16. Surf at a new beach
17. Contact an old friend
18. Finally sell all of the stuff in my Ebay pile (okay, piles)
19. Watch a sunset
20. Watch a sunrise
21. Figure out my greatest weakness and realize how to make it my greatest strength
22. Write the 1st page in my future novel
23. Try a new restaurant once a month
24. Write a letter to myself to open when I am 50
25. Blog about my 3 different trips to Australia and my trip to Bolivia and Peru since they were each life changing trips
26. Drink more champagne
27. Eat more chocolate
28. Begin to study Portuguese
29. Look back and celebrate the past 28 years, where I have come from and what I have achieved, and prepare for the next 2 years before I turn the BIG 3-0

Me on my 27th Birthday at a surprise dinner!

A view of Fort Cochin on our way to the backwaters.

My 1st sighting of the backwaters.

Once we arrived at Alleppey, which was about an hours drive from Fort Cochin, we boarded a houseboat that was formerly a rice barge used for transporting goods from isolated villages to the towns.

Me, the houseboat, and the captain.

The backwaters are a series of rivers and canals along the Kerala coastline.  It is one of the very few places on earth where farming is done below sea level.  I knew that it was going to be a serene ride, but I had no idea just how stunning the scenery would be along the way.  Alleppey is a haven to migratory birds and is fringed by palms and patty fields.  Life there revolves around the water.  Children are raised to learn how to swim before they walk and how to row a boat before riding a bicycle.  My idea of Paradise!

For some reason, as we began to float down the backwaters, the following song played in my head.  I thought it would be good background music while you enjoy the picturesque ride.

And so the ride begins!

Where would the houseboat take us next. . .

I was backpacking with my friends that I had met during my semester abroad based in Florence through the rough trekking tracks of Cinque Terre.  While we were making our final descent into Corniglia, we met a fellow native on the path.  His name was Dan and he had been traveling alone beginning in Spain.  We had a brief chat with him and then parted ways; he was on his way to Manarola and we were on our way to the city center.  After a night in Corniglia with a gatto, or cat, as our companion on our sunset-lit terrace overlooking the calming sea, we continued to Vernazza.  There my friend Angie and I found some  rocks by the water where the waves crashed around us.  Such bliss it was to feel the cool breeze on our sweaty and exhausted bodies!  It was also nice to close our eyes for a second.  We relaxed breathing in the fresh March sea air.

A while later, I walked down to the beach and left my backpack with Angie.  My other friends Jenny and Brian were wading in the water.  I decided to join them in hopes of relieving the pain from my worn down feet.  The water was a bit chilly, thus there would be no swimming, although I really did want to jump in.  Just as that thought had come into my head, I heard behind me, “Are you from the Saint Mary’s of California?”

I turned around and there he was again, Dan the friendly face on the path to Corniglia!  He then asked me kindly, “Do you want a ride in my boat?”

I looked at what his finger was pointing at.  It was a kayak.  I answered with a gigantic smile on my face, and without thinking said, “Yes!”  The only thing that worried me was how I would carry my bag on the kayak.  My friends, however, were worried about something else.  “You have no idea who this guy is, Katie,” Jenny expressed as if I was jumping into a boat with a murderer.  “Are you sure you want to go with him?,” Brian said with calming eyes, hopeful that I would be in Monterosso when they eventually arrived.

I was so sure of it.  I took a chance jumping into that kayak with him, but in my mind I had nothing to lose.  I already trusted him–there was something about his eyes.

Once I figured out how to get my bag to lay firmly on my lap, I was ready to escape to Monterosso.  I looked forward to sitting and watching the scenery pass by me like a dream.  I was glad I was missing the last leg of the trek, which was about 1 hour and 45 minutes long.

As Brian pushed us out to sea, Dan started paddling slowly through a sea full of jellyfish.  I had my camera wrapped around my neck as I proceeded to take the most amazing pictures I have ever taken.  Of course this was before the digital era, so I will have to let your own imagination conjure these images.

As the sun started to set over us slowly, it illuminated the sea turning it into a deep blue.  The bright colors of Monterosso in the distance energized me.  As Dan paddled, we got to know each other.  If I recall correctly, he was from California and was studying in Spanish in Spain.  Surprisingly we also had the same birthday, March 18th.  Even though he was about 5 years older, it still felt synchronistic to meet someone with the same birthday as myself.

As we pulled into the port along the shore, I was flabbergasted to see more  jellyfish underneath me.  This whole experience made me feel full of life and rejuvenated!  It took us only 15 minutes to cross the sea, with high cliffs surrounding us above.  My friends later told me jokingly that from the cliffs they looked to see if my body was floating in the water.

Dan and I decided to do some window shopping in Monterosso, since my friends would not be arriving for quite some time.  We later found them on the beach exhausted and cranky.  I, on the other hand, was all smiles and excited to be in this place at this moment.

My love for being on the water started long before arriving in Italy.  I suppose it takes me back to when I was a child on the high seas of the Gulf of Mexico with my Boppa, fishing for anything that would grab my shrimp on the other end?

Katie Greenaway is a freelance travel writer and is the Local Expert of Florence for Nile Guide where she also provides the secrets of Florence on her blog.  She writes about her life in Florence on her personal blog Olio di Oliva e Sogni di Vino and contributes to MNUI Travel Insurance with travel articles.

I am obsessed with the tropics, so I was already in love with Kochi before really exploring it.

If I see a palm tree, I am instantly smitten with the place!

Having just spent a week racing from one monument to another, I felt it was time to relax and enjoy my surroundings and for me the best way to do that was to spend the day at the beach.  My friend and I hired a taxi to take us to Cherai Beach, which is about 35km away from Kochi.  I had been told that Cherai Beach was different from other nearby beaches, as it is very clean with calm surf, making it ideal for swimming and sunbathing.

Another bonus of going to Cherai Beach was the view during the drive.

Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted the photos I took during my time at the beach, which is a shame.  The beach itself was not the most beautiful one I had ever been to (though I did very much enjoy my time there), but there were hundreds of Indian women swimming in the ocean with their saris and it made for some stunning photos that I wish I still had.  I was definitely able to relax

After several hours it was time for some lunch and we headed to the Lonely Planet and New York Times recommended restaurant in Fort Cochin called Tea Pot.  They claimed to have the best dessert in all of India, which was named “Death by Chocolate.”  Since my friend and I are both chocoholics there was no other choice than to eat there.  Of course it was no surprise that the only people in the restaurant were tourists.  Overall it was a pleasant experience, however when in India, eat like the Indians do.

The inside of Tea Pot.

My back was starting to really hurt me from a week of sleeping in hard beds, so I decided to visit another Ayurvedic spa in hopes that a massage would help.  When I went to make an appointment I was sad to discover that they were completely booked for the rest of the day.  I then called to our hotel’s spa, which was a Western spa, and they did have an availability, although with a male massage therapist.  Normally that would have not bothered me in the least bit, since I am a medical professional, but I had seen the massage therapist at breakfast time and there was something about him that gave me the creeps.  Nonetheless, the pain I was experiencing won the battle over my intuition and I made the appointment.

The 1st 5 minutes of the massage were normal and I started to question just how good of an intuition I really had.  Then the massage therapist started to get closer and closer to places that only a lover should be touching me and before I knew it he was touching me in those places.  I asked him to stop and instead he asked me if I enjoyed it and why I was not making any noises.  He continued to touch me inappropriately and it took everything in me to not kick this guy in the face.  I quickly got off the table and started to dress.  As he was walking out the door, angry that I had ended the “massage” early, he confessed to me that he would not be able to sleep that night, as he would be thinking about my body.  I rushed back to my hotel room in order to take a shower and wash away the experience.  Even though I felt violated, I was more upset that I did not follow my initial intuition, something I had worked hard on to develop as a female traveler.

I did not want this terrible experience to ruin my fondness for Cochi, thus my friend and I went to watch the sunset along the water.  I am so delighted we did, because I was able to end the day with smile on my face.

A view of Jaipur from my hotel.

We drove one last time through “downtown” Jaipur and surprisingly I was able to take some nice photos from the bus window.

I was also able to capture some nice photos of Indian life along the rest of the drive as well, which took about 5 hours.

On our day and a half in Delhi, most of it was spent in Old Delhi.  As we were approaching the airport I was surprised by just how cosmopolitan part of the city was.  It had buildings that easily rivaled ones found in NYC to Hong Kong.

During our 5 days in the North of India, many Indians had told me that the South would seem like a completely different country.  I could not wait to find out if that was true!

Besides India oozing beauty from every corner within its border, another observation I continuously made was that as far as transportation goes, anything goes!

The man who owned the sari store that I was visiting wanted to show me how print making in India works.  I was pretty eager to try on some saris, however I obliged once I was given some chai and cookies.

When I was about 8 years old I vividly remember my father returning from his month long business trip to India for 2 reasons: 1) he was beyond sick with “Delhi Belly” and 2) he brought me back the most gorgeous pink sari.  Over the years I played dress up with it so much so that it eventually was unwearable and I believe thrown away.  It had crossed my mind from time to time and before I left for my trip I promised myself that I would look at replacing it with a new one.

As we entered the part of the store where the saris were sold I was immediately overwhelmed by the selection that I was to choose from.  There had to be over a thousand!  The man helping me quickly selected a multi-colored one for me to try on.  It took about 5 minutes to get it on just right, as putting on a sari is an incredibly intricate process.

My 1st look.

While the 1st sari I tried on was undoubtedly a work of art, I wanted to try and find the sari my father had purchased for me 2 decades ago.  I told the man exactly what it looked like and sure enough he found it!

I am in love!!!

After much consideration, I decided against purchasing it.  I knew that my days of playing dress up were long gone and that the opportunity to wear it would probably never arise.  Also, the process of putting it on was just too complicated for me.  I did, however, purchase a kurta and a blanket; 2 things I knew I would get a lot of use out of.

Me and the salesman who was convinced I was a famous actress from the US.

On our way out of the store I saw a woman spinning yarn.  She looked beautiful in her sari and it made me question whether or not I made the right decision.

But, then I thought, well now I have yet another reason to come back to India!

I have traveled to 15 countries and many of them were beautiful.  I have also traveled all over Italy but there was nowhere that captivated me as much as the Amalfi Coast.  It is something that I cannot put into words easily but the daily stress of life in the big city just leaves me the moment I hit the Sorrentine Peninsula.  Then, by the time I reach La Costiera Amalfitana, I feel at one with the sea.  The turquoise sky kisses an azure sea and the world is one at the horizon and its serenity just carries you away.

The Amalfi Coast.

Life is difficult for the people of this area.  Their only industries are fishing and tourism and the hard-pressed global economy makes its presence known in a big way when the tourists don’t flock here.  Yet, despite the ongoing push and pull of life, like many Italians, the Napoletani just go with the flow and truly believe tomorrow will take care of itself.

The rugged beauty of Capri.

For tourists there is so much to do, from visiting the spectacular island of Capri and its electrifying Blue Grotto to the ancient ruins of Pompei and Herculaneum, which are often open during summer evening hours.  The Duomo of Amalfi is breathtaking; so much so that photos do not do it justice, truly.  Positano is rather tired these days, still drawing the typical 50+ crowd but off-season it is literally dead.

View of Vesuvius from behind springtime wisteria in Sorrento.

If you stay in Sorrento then a morning cappuccino at Fauno Bar is the perfect place to people watch and plan your day.  It’s also a convenient 5-10 minute walk to everything, whether you want to grab a ferry to Capri; take a Circumvesuviana train to Pompei or Naples; or catch one of those god awful tour buses down to Amalfi.  Just know that no matter the season, once captured by the Amalfi Coast, you will forever want to return.

Marina Grande in Sorrento where ferries whisk you to Capri, Amalfi, Positano or Naples.

As to my dream destination, that has varied over time, from Sydney, Australia to Nome, Alaska, about as far apart as you can get, although I hear you can see Russia from Sarah Palin’s house!  However, I have recently been suffering from an inner tug o’ war between visiting Malta or Santorini and I think when the opportunity presents itself that Santorini will be the next stamp in my passport.  How can you not be drawn to those wonderful cliffside hotels which are literally carved into the edge of an ancient, and hopefully dormant, volcano.

The caldera of Oia Village was formed by one of the most explosive volcanic eruptions in history, some 3,600 years ago, at the height of the Minoan civilization.  What was left behind was a central lagoon surrounded by enormous cliffs on three sides and voila – the perfectly romantic tourist destination.  The crisp white buildings capped with lapis-colored rooftops are so irresistible.  Just imagine a massage from a Greek god at the Caldera Massages Studio in Oia Village, while you gaze out over the Aegean Sea…..oh, the dreaming is endless!

Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel and the recently launched Wanderlust Weddings.  She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.

"The Great Wall of India."

One of the last things I saw before leaving were 2 snake charmers.  Of course I had to get closer and be part of the action.  If you know me personally or have been following my blog, then you know that I have a thing about wildlife.  Besides, this cobra had nothing on the anaconda I wore around my neck in Brasil!

And I could not think of a more perfect departing shot than this:

Next we were off to try on some saris. . .