Hi there! I’m Jessica. The foodie behind this food & travel diary.
If you know me, you know this venture has been a LONG time coming. I’ve been consumed by food for just about as long as I can remember. When I was little, I have fond memories of watching this PBS cooking show or Nigella Bites with my dad over Barney. I have loved to help my mom in the kitchen since a young age. Making the store bought Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Chunk Brownies was my speciality. It wasn’t until my college study abroad trip that my passion for cooking, and a newfound love of travel, really took off.
The summer of my junior year in college I had the opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy. I was interning at a local newspaper in my home state of North Carolina at the time and was given the opportunity to launch a weekly travel column to chronicle my summer adventures across Italy. At the same time, I decided I would launch my first blog, Destinazione: Italia, to keep my friends and family up to speed on my travels. While studying abroad I took a course at Lorenzo d’Medici called “Current Trends in Italian Cuisine.” Every day we’d cook something different and equally delicious. We’d go to the local markets to pick out the freshest fruits and vegetables, savory cheeses and meat. But we would never buy bread. Oh no. We would make that ourselves under Chef Marco’s instruction! It was in there in that tiny little Italian kitchen that I discovered my true passion for cooking, especially when it comes to fresh Italian or Mediterranean cuisine.
Fast forward 10 years later, and I am now working as a Global Advocacy Communications lead at a multinational technology corporation. From Austria to Australia, I’ve had the fortune of traveling to places I had only dreamed about. But none have been as special as Rome, Italy. It was there on a business trip in 2019 that I met my partner Landi, and we’ve been committed to long distance ever since.
The reason why I’ve finally decided to share my passion for food and travel is because of one particularly life-changing trip I took in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
Nearly 3 years ago I flew away from the most incredible travel experience of my life. I had just met up with my boyfriend in his home country of Albania after 8 months of forced separation due to the pandemic. If you asked me three years ago where Albania is, I would have embarrassingly asked you, “please remind me where that is again?” For inquiring minds, Albania is beautifully situated on Southeatern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula between Croatia and Greece with Adriatic and Ionian coastlines and an interior along the Albanian Alps.
Before heading to Albania, I attempted to do some research so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. As an avid traveler, I thoroughly enjoy sifting through influencer’s pinterests, Instagrams and blogs for inspiration and tips on my upcoming travel destination. I love building rough travel itineraries and picking out all the cutesy coffee shops and restaurants I must check out. The only problem this time was that I couldn’t find hardly anything on Albania.
So, I proceeded to travel to this foreign place without any expectations, agenda, or even a single hotel reserved. I could not have been more blown away by what I discovered when I got there. The most beautiful coastal Mediterranean waters juxtaposed with rolling hills and lush green mountains. The food was incredible, and the people humble, gracious and with a level of genuine hospitality I had never encountered as an American abroad in previous travels. I came away from this trip with my heart and soul bursting at the seams.
It was then and there, 38,000 feet above ground, that I decided I would finally start a food & travel blog—marrying two of my favorite things in the world. It is apparent that not enough people know about this magical place. For the average American or even European, there are many misconceptions and little known about the many wonders of Albania. I am eager to share my experience with the world, along with many other travel and food experiences, and hope to inspire others along the way.
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