If you spend just a few hours with me you will quickly notice my adoration for Brooklyn.

I swoon for the musical influence, the welcoming thrift stores, and the plethora of amazing food tents, vendors and restaurants. Rain or shine, Brooklyn is the perfect spot for a city escape just outside of the other (bigger) city. It's like the humiliated version of Manhattan - it's hip and pulsating, but it's quainter, shorter and a lot more real.


One of Brooklyn's more charming areas is DUMBO. Right along the Brooklyn coast line and just under the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo is what I think best encompasses Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, right next to Williamsburg.

If you step just inside the coastline and one step beyond the luxury hotels with rooftop pools, you'll be walking along cobblestone streets, alternating taquerias and coffee shops. One of my favorite, authentic stores I've been to is the Front General Store. The comfortably crowded space wraps you in smells of incense intertwined with the smell of well-worn leather and suede. Both new and vintage goods are stacked high on the shelves, anything from cowboy boots to denim jackets, silver spoons, ceramic saucers and carefully crafted turquoise rings.

A walk along the water will lead you to the most darling and inviting piece of history - Jane's Carousel. The beautifully carved carousel, constructed in 1922, has 48 seats for children and adults alike. It sits on a dock above the East River. The carousel was originally built for and stayed in Ohio but moved to Brooklyn in the 1980's where it has been cautiously encased in glass. Personally, I think it's just as fun to ride as it is to watch.

Real estate along the East River is competitive, making the restaurant prices just as so. I recommend Cecconi's on Water Street. If you request a table near a window, you will have a delicious pasta dish with a side of the Manhattan skyline. Better yet, service is outstanding.

Speaking of Water Street, you could spend a few hours here. It is pet friendly and has many offshoots with playgrounds, docks and water access.

If you are in need of a sweet treat, or just a slice of New York - Junior's Cheesecakes is just outside of Dumbo (it is technically considered Downtown Brooklyn). A true New York treat, and I approve - it's absolutely delicious.



Also, a short walk outside of Dumbo is Cafe Luluc. This sweet brunch spot is no larger than my 300-square-foot apartment but is outfitted with a full bar nonetheless. I highly recommend the classic stack of pancakes. Honestly, traveling to Brooklyn for brunch and a better bang for your buck is worth it.



And of course - what is a trip to Brooklyn without a stroll on the Brooklyn Bridge. Personally, on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I am only good for ten minutes on the bridge before I start wanting to push people off of it. Consider your timing as the bridge gets overpacked quickly.



Dumbo whispers charm and ease, but keeps that city feel as you can still hear the traffic from across the water.

It's not often when you experience a place so far out of your comfort zone that you have no choice but to enjoy its foreign and exotic nature.



My friends and I recently celebrated our last college fall-break in Nashville, Tennessee. Just a quick six hour drive through the rolling mountains and toward the orange, setting sun lead us to the city that we would later refer to as Nash Vegas.



We had booked our AirBnB in July and the weekend quickly snuck up on us as we were completely consumed by the fall semester. We were overjoyed when the Thursday evening finally rolled around and we were able to throw our suitcases into the back of the car, and pile in with our road snacks, professor-related rants, and unconfined excitement.



Nashville is a city of lights and noise. The city wore us out from sunrise to sunset. We filled our days by walking through the busy city streets as well as the quiet avenues that led to hip boutiques, dozens of music labels, and absurd and radical thrift shops.



We spent our nights enjoying deliciously fried foods and sipping tequila before hitting Broadway to avoid paying $18 for a double.  Each night we hopped from bar to bar until we couldn't dance anymore and we couldn't stand to listen to the same country tune for the third time.



Our favorite spots were The Listening Room for worthy music and artists who would share how and why they wrote a song before performing it, astonishing everyone that it was Carrie Underwood or Keith Urban that brought that song to the fans.



Our favorite spot on Broadway was undoubtedly Honky Tonk Central - a three-story bar with a band on each floor and a rooftop overlooking the neon lights that flanked the street that was piled up with Ubers and Lyfts. We finished off all three nights at Honky Tonk Central until it was last-call or until our Uber requested we come down to the sidewalk.



Nashville surely wore us out, but we enjoyed every second. Needless to say, we deserved every minute of sleep on the drive home.

SaveSave

It's been a while since I've explored some place new. Summer put me in a routine of consistent and static movements. The extent of my adventuring was taking a new route to work and maybe stopping at a new cafe along the way.

There is something so rewarding by watching and witnessing a town crank-out its everyday routine with its everyday people. Getting to know a place is getting to know its people and there are few things more thrilling (at least to me) than figuring out what makes people tick.


Knoxville was a spur of the moment decision. With high spirits and adventurous attitudes, my best friend and I decided that the total solar eclipse was worth making the four-hour drive. Luckily, she had friends who were already planning on making the trip and had planned accordingly with a hotel room. They were so very kind to us and completely and kindly welcomed us to join in on their adventure.


Callan and I drove to Knoxville from Blacksburg, Virginia, on Sunday afternoon after taking five minutes to pack our bags and triple-check that our eclipse glasses were the real deal. We spent the four hour car drive weaving through RV's of all sizes, blasting music of each genre from Timbaland to Led Zeppelin, and eating Tostitos with sparkling water.


Upon arriving, we spent our afternoon wandering through the main streets and back alleys of downtown Knoxville near Market Square. We popped in and out of bohemian boutiques that filled the city square and eventually made a pit stop for beer and cider in a pub with live music, the band: Danimal Planet.


We bobbed our heads, whistled and wooed at the end of every song and then met up with our generous hosts for dinner at Soccer Taco. As one could guess, this restaurant had two things - mexican food and soccer. We laughed and shared stories, adding to the conversation with whatever knowledge we had about astronomy and the spectacle that would come tomorrow.


Monday morning couldn't come quick enough. We were so excited to see totality and we spent two hours of our morning planning which locations and viewing parties would be best for us to visit. Callan and I decided on the local library that was just inside the path of totality.


After saying goodbye and thank you to our humbling hosts, we drove the twenty minutes to the Maryville library, parked the car, and grabbed our cameras. We did some light astronomy reading, walked along the small river, explored the quaint downtown, and spent two hours in a coffee shop, downing cold brews and complaining that we woke up way too early.


But, just as expected, the eclipse began its show at 1 p.m. and Callan and I took turns walking out to look at the sun and then return to the shade.


The eclipse itself was unlike anything I have ever witnessed. To see the stars at 2:30pm is something I will never forget, and to share the moment with someone that is equally as intrigued and inspired by the universe is beyond special.


After a minute and a half, the sun crept out from behind the moon again and the show was over and Callan and I sprinted back to the car to get on the highway before the traffic would get too brutal. We spent the entire drive home singing and laughing and swooning over the once-in-a-lifetime sight we had witnessed. We were so simply happy. Knoxville was so sweet to us, even if it was just for a little under 48 hours.