What comes first: the travel or the collection? After the experiences and excitement of a trip, there are the memories. Photos can bring these back, but so can souvenirs. Intentionally or not, over time, these reminders of places I’ve been start to fall into categories. This became glaringly apparent as I finally unpacked from my three months in Italy. After living out of a suitcase for so long, it was hard for me to move more than the essentials back into my Arizona home. My shelves were empty, my closet had a few shoes and summer clothes. Even my pantry was at a minimum. In a wave of “cost...

Photo of the Day Another summer is in the books in Arizona and that means two of my favorite things are back on the regular schedule: Scooters and rocks.  But unfortunately, not at the same time. In Finale, my first Italian scooter ride couldn’t have been better as I jumped on the back of my roommate’s moto with a visiting friend and we sped off toward the rocks. The helmet case was converted into a rope box and we had our gear in one pack. We took the back road out of town careful to avoid the carabinieri – my friend did not have a helmet which is now a big no-no in Italy. On a spring afternoon...

A few years ago I noticed a pole in Finale with some padlocks on it. I thought it was strange but was too focused on getting to the rocks to ask anyone about it. Leave it to the cutest couple in Italy to enlighten me on a part of my beloved Italian city I was only barely aware. Apparently posts and fences in some of Europe’s most romantic cities have become new symbols of love. While no one knows exactly where or how it started, most attribute it to an Italian book and movie “I Want You.” But there are also similar rituals in Serbia and Greece. Whatever the source, it is as timeless a tradition...

The polling is closed and the votes have been counted. Beer Search Party won the CANFEST Blogger Contest this year in a close race. Congratulations to Sean! I had a lot of fun putting my post together, discovering other beer blogs and getting to know the CANFEST crew. They are all some creative and friendly people. The best part about being a travel AND beer blogger is that I have no problem making the trip to Reno on my own dime. I’m looking forward to sharing some canned drinks with some new social media friends in a couple months. Cheers until then! Related Posts:True LoveA Month of...

Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on my entry for the 2011 CANFEST Blogger Contest. Including me, there are nine bloggers in the running to attend the festival celebrating canned craft beer. Links to all of the entries are here and they’re worth a read. There’s also a link to the voting page. Girl From Arizona is the last listed. Every IP address gets only one vote and you cannot change your vote once it’s submitted. Voting is open through Friday, September 23 at noon PST, so don’t put it off. It’s just 2 quick...