Italy was our big trip this year, but before we planned out Italy, we booked a trip to The Black Hills with my husband and his parents. While I live in Minnesota and South Dakota is a bordering state, I have never been to The Black Hills. My husband’s mom is from South Dakota and wanted to book a trip, so I could experience The Black Hills for the first time. I have been to South Dakota before, but the farthest I have been is Mitchell where the Corn Palace is. I had no expectations for this trip and one of the biggest takeaways was how beautiful this area of South Dakota truly is.

We were in The Black Hills for two full days and were able to cram in a lot. On our first day, we went to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Needles Highway. While driving to Mount Rushmore, all the roads were uphill and you end up driving through the hills to get to it. As we parked and walked up, there’s a walkway taking you straight to the scuplture. Lining the bridge are all the U.S. state flags. My mother in law was sharing how much Mount Rushmore has been built up since she was a little girl. There are several walkways to get closer to the presidents and plaques with the history of how Mount Rushmore was built. It was more extravagant than I thought it was going to be since I thought it would be Mount Rushmore and nothing else there.

After Mount Rushmore, we went to Custer State Park. There’s a loop within Custer State Park called Wildlife Loop where you’re the most likely to see buffalo. We saw plenty of prairie dogs and a few antelope. It wasn’t until we took a detour that we saw buffalo up close. By up close, I mean they were a few steps away from our vehicle. I have seen buffalo before when I went to Wyoming last year, but nothing like this. There are many signs that state to not approach the buffalo which makes me laugh because it wouldn’t surprise me if there was someone who rushes the buffalo for a picture. Buffalo are aggressive animals and that would end poorly.

To finish off our first day, we drove on Needles Highway. Needles Highway is a scenic drive and the roads are so narrow. There are tunnels that only have room for one car to pass at a time. Thank goodness I wasn’t driving because that would have stressed me out. You would have to look ahead to see if a car was already in a tunnel before making your way through. There are these rock formations that are narrow and tall that are nicknamed needles hence the name Needles Highway. I’m glad I wasn’t driving because I could look out the window and take it all in.

On our second day we went to Crazy Horse and The Mammoth Site. Crazy Horse is a cooler version of Mount Rushmore. It’s a sculpture dedicated to indigenous tribes, but what’s unique about Crazy Horse is that it didn’t take government funds to build. It’s entirely self funded. They started Crazy Horse in 1948 and as of 2025, they aren’t finished yet. However, they have the face all carved and parts of the fingers. It’s estimated that they could be completed in 10 – 20 years from now. They also have a bin of rocks that they collected from sculpting Crazy Horse that are free to take. We now have a portion of Crazy Horse in our garden.

After Crazy Horse, I wanted to go to The Mammoth Site. The Mammoth Site is a live excavation where palentologists are still finding preserved Mammoth bones. As you walk in, there’s a big dig area and each portion has audio recordings, so you can listen and match what you’re looking at. There are several walkways and plaques describing what was occurring. Interestingly enough, the mammoth is a relative to the elephant, so sometimes scientists will reference elephant anatomy if needed. Isn’t that neat? Once you exit the dig area, there are several stations where they tell you about this time period, what happened to the mammoths since they are extinct, and the different areas in the world and what was going on there. It was like a mini science museum devoted to mammoths.

While we did a lot in two days, this could easily have been a week long trip. We didn’t have time to do Devil’s Tower in Wyoming or Wind Cave. This would be a fun trip to do with kids since there’s enough going on to keep them interested. The Black Hills was fun to visit and I want to go back. As far as the rest of my travel plans for this year, this should be the last trip. I’m looking forward to being home for the rest of the year and planning out trips for 2026.

This is the final post in my three-part Italy series. When we planned our itinerary, I told my husband that we had to go to Lake Como. Lake Como, specifically Villa del Balbianello, is where portions of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones were filmed. Lake Como is located in the northern part of the country, close to the Switzerland border. We took a train from Florence to Milan, stayed in Milan for a day, then took a train from Milan to Lake Como. Lake Como was gorgeous and one of the trip’s highlights.

When we got to Lake Como, the train station was right near downtown. Lake Como is a small town with shops and several clothing stores. Approaching the lake, Lake Como is surrounded by grassy mountains. Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. It makes sense that portions of the prequels were filmed here. I was in awe of how pretty the lake was. I don’t want this paragraph to be repetitive, but I can’t help it. Lake Como was stunning.

After checking into our Airbnb, my husband suggested we take the Cable Car. There’s a cable car nearby downtown that will shuttle people to Brumate, a town on the mountain. I don’t do well with heights, but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t do it. The line for the cable car can be long; however, two cable cars run simultaneously, so I felt that it kept things moving. It was cloudy by the time we made our way to the station, so the line wasn’t very long. The ride up to Brumate was smoother than I anticipated, especially because it was at a steep incline. At the top, there are several hiking trails, one leading to a lighthouse. We walked around, but only ended up staying for about thirty minutes before taking the cable car back down. We lucked out because about an hour after that, it started to rain. It was good timing that we were able to buy tickets, hop on the cable car, walk around, hop back on the cable car to make our way back to Como, all before the rain started.

The real question is, did we visit Villa del Balbianello? We didn’t. Most of the villas that we could tour weren’t within walking distance of where we were staying. For Villa del Balbianello specifically, there was a bus you could take to get there, but it doesn’t drop you off right in front of the villa, so you’d have to walk up to get there. We could have taken the ferry, but the lines for the ferry were extremely long, much longer than the cable cars. It was odd because you think that for something so well-known, it would have been easier to get there. It would have taken us a full day to navigate there, and I didn’t want to take up that much time. While I didn’t visit the exact villa Star Wars was filmed in, I was close enough to Naboo, and that was good enough for me.

If I could describe our time in Lake Como with one word, I would say it was relaxing. Our first day was packed with the train, walking around, checking into our Airbnb, and riding the cable car. The other days we were there, we had no plans, and it was needed. I enjoyed the time when my husband and I would get an espresso to go, and I’d bring my book to read while we sat on the bench near the lake. After spending a good amount of time on the lake, we took the train back to Rome, toured the Vatican, and flew home.

It’s been fun to reminisce about our trip to Italy! With that said, I’m looking forward to being home for the rest of the year. I don’t have any other travel plans for this year, and I’m perfectly okay with that.

This is the second post in my three-part Italy series. We spent a few days in Rome before taking the train up to Florence. Florence is about an hour from Rome and is known for its wineries. We didn’t do a wine tour, instead, my husband booked us a cooking class where we learned how to make three different types of pasta. The cooking class was one of the most memorable parts of our trip, and while we were only in Florence for a few days, we made the most of it.

Once our train arrived, we were able to check into our Airbnb early and drop off our luggage. One of the most notable places to visit in Florence is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This cathedral is massive! It’s so exquisite to see up close. If you look at any photos from Florence, I can almost guarantee that the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore makes an appearance. Earlier in the day, there was a torrential downpour of rain, but fortunately, it didn’t last long, and the sun came out. All these photos have not been edited in the slightest, it was that nice while we were in Florence.

Another famous landmark in Florence is the Ponte Vecchio. The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone arch bridge over the Arno River in Florence. While walking on the bridge, there are a variety of different shops selling jewelry, watches, and other local goods. We walked on this bridge several times throughout our time in Florence.

Our cooking class was on our second day in Florence. The cooking class was in the back of a restaurant. As we proceeded down the hallway, we were led to one of two rooms. Two cooking classes were going on simultaneously, with a barrier between the rooms. Each room had three tables, two wider tables with a narrow table up near the chef’s area. Each setting has flour, two eggs, and a variety of cooking utensils for everyone to use.

I was slightly nervous as the cooking class approached. I like to cook, but I’m not an expert, and I’d hate to mess anything up since we have to eat what we make. However, our chef had great energy and was walking around helping out if needed. The three types of pasta that we made were: Tortellini, Ravioli, and Pappardelle. Tortellini was by far the hardest to make. Our chef showed us the process, and I was lost. He showed us again, and it wasn’t until I watched my husband do it first that I started to understand how to fold the pasta appropriately. Ravioli is easy; the pasta is laid out, the ricotta is put inside, and the Ravioli is folded and cut into squares. Pappardelle was also easy, as you simply had to cut the pasta into long strips.

Once we had made the pasta, we collected it, and our chef made the sauces for each type of pasta. We had unlimited wine in our cooking class, so we sipped on wine while we waited for the pasta to cook. Everything was delicious! Looking back, I had no reason to be nervous, as these types of classes for tourists assume that everyone is new to making pasta. This cooking class was out of my comfort zone, and I’m glad I did it.

It was a jam-packed two days, but I felt we were fully able to explore Florence. The only thing we didn’t do was go to a winery or two. The wineries are up on the hillside in Florence, so they aren’t walkable. There are bus tours that can take you up into the wineries, but we didn’t want to book that on top of our cooking class. I felt the cooking class was well worth it, so I’m glad we chose to do that instead. If we are in Florence again, that’s something I’d want to do.

The final post in this Italy series will be our trip to Lake Como and Milan, which is even farther north than Florence.

For the past ten days, my husband and I were in Italy! This trip has been a long time in the making. Ever since our trip to Europe, I have wanted to plan another international trip. We talked about planning this trip last year, but ended up pushing it to this year. When we were deciding where to go, my husband originally suggested France, specifically Paris. I suggested Italy. The more we looked into it, we solidified Italy as our next country to visit.

Learning from our honeymoon, we didn’t commit to any other countries to visit. We solely focused on Italy, and that was absolutely the best choice. We went to Rome, Florence, Milan, and Lake Como. While we didn’t see every single city in Italy, I felt we still saw a lot in the time we were there. I’d rather fully explore one country than try to see three or four countries and bounce between cities. Paris was dropped from our trip, but I hope to visit Paris someday.

I’m looking forward to getting back to my routine. I’m dedicating one post per city that we visited, and of course, I will share the pictures we took. Our trip to Italy was amazing, and I’m happy that we were able to make an international trip work this year.

Our main purpose for going to Chicago was to see Critical Role live. With that said, we ended up having an extra day and a half to explore. I have been to Chicago several times, and there’s something comforting about visiting a city you have been to before. I know my way around public transportation and have an idea as to where things are in the city. What made this trip unique was that instead of driving to Chicago, we took the new Borealis train line to Union Station. This was so slick, and I’m open to taking the train again.

We left on Wednesday from Union Depot in Saint Paul, which is not far from us. We left at noon and arrived in Chicago just after seven. The train ride took about seven to eight hours. While it may seem longer than driving, there’s always an extra hour added to a trip for bathroom breaks and stops for food while driving. The train was on time, and the boarding process was smooth. The seats had more legroom than I anticipated, and I didn’t feel cramped. The final stop was Chicago’s Union Station. From there, we took an Uber to our hotel.

On Thursday, before the live show, we wandered around Millenium Park, which is where The Bean is. The Bean is what it sounds like, a sculpture that looks like a bean. It’s a must to go up to The Bean and take a selfie because the sculpture is reflective, so you see yourself as you take the picture. After walking around Millenium Park, we stopped at Giordano’s for Deep Dish Pizza. My husband had never been to Giordano’s before, so this was something we had to do. We went to the one right near Millenium Park, but there are several other locations throughout the area. We went with a classic Deep Dish with pepperoni, cheese, sausage, and green peppers. It was so good. Every time I go to Chicago, I have to eat Deep Dish Pizza; it’s the rule. From there, we went back to our hotel so I could get ready.

On Friday, I was tuckered out from the Critical Role live show, so this day was more chill. We had breakfast at Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe. We made our way to Navy Pier, which is something my husband hadn’t done before. Navy Pier has shops, the Children’s Museum, and a variety of restaurants right along Lake Michigan. It’s pretty to walk and it was sunny all day on Friday. After getting a mid-afternoon coffee, we walked to our hotel before meeting with friends for dinner. One of my good friends from college lives out in the Suburbs, so I try to see her whenever I visit. She was kind enough to drive far to meet us closer to the city. We went to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Handlebar. I had a Buffalo Chicken Wrap made from Seitan. I don’t think I have ever eaten Seitan before, or if I had, I didn’t know it. It was delicious. On Saturday, my husband and I hopped back on the Borealis train to head home.

Considering I was in Chicago for two days, it was a busy weekend! It has been a bit since I was last in Chicago, so it was good to be back. The Borealis train made the trip that much better. I would take the train again because no one wants to drive in downtown Chicago if they don’t have to.

Last weekend, my husband and I went to Chicago to see Critical Role live. Around October last year, Critical Role announced live shows for their tenth anniversary. There were live shows in Australia, a live show the same weekend as Gen Con, and live shows in New York and Chicago. Being from the Twin Cities, Chicago is easy to get to, so I waited in the online queue and bought tickets. I had never seen Critical Role live before this, so I didn’t know what to expect from the show. It was so fun, and I’m glad I went to the show.

For the live show, I decided to cosplay as Keyleth. This time, though, I wore my green contacts for the first time. I bought them late last year, so I didn’t have a convention to wear them to. I had been saving them for the live show. I found the contacts to be comfortable to wear for hours and didn’t have an issue with my eyes being dry or the contacts being blurry. As part of my Keyleth cosplay, I had the orange wig and the crown, which were the most uncomfortable parts of the look. I only ended up wearing my floral crown for twenty minutes before having to take it off because it dug into my forehead. While I had a wig line on my forehead from wearing the wig for close to eight hours, it was worth it. Being in cosplay, I felt it contributed to the energy of the live show.

The live show started at seven, but I was scrolling through the official Critical Role Discord, and some fans mentioned that a long line was beginning at the merch line. I convinced my husband we needed to get there early, so we called Uber and arrived at Wintrust Arena at 4:30 PM-ish. The merch line wasn’t nearly as long as I feared, but we immediately went to the line to wait. While waiting in line, several people handed me trinkets. Some fans made stickers, pins, buttons, and bracelets and would hand them out to people regardless of whether they were cosplaying. While in line, I received several stickers and a Pâté charm. I received so many trinkets that I had to start handing them to my husband to hold because I had no pockets. When we entered the arena, a Pike cosplayer handed me a Keyleth friendship bracelet. I am obsessed! I will never be taking this off and will wear it every day.

I didn’t buy VIP tickets, so we entered the arena at 5:30 PM when the doors opened for general admission. The stage was exquisite! It was lit up with blue and red lights. It gave off a darker carnival type of mood. The live show started on time and went till 12:15 AM or so. I wasn’t sure how long the show would be, as I know Critical Role’s streams are longer. I’m not going to spoil the live show, as the recording of the show won’t be uploaded for some time. It was entertaining, to say the least, and the energy within the arena was exuberant.

I am so happy I was able to attend the live show! This is my first time seeing Critical Role, but it might not be the last. I’m not sure how far I would travel for a live show, but if they are ever in Chicago again, I will be there.

Last weekend, I drove to Kansas City, Missouri, for Planet Comic Con. I have family in the area, so I’m fortunate to stay with them, making it a pretty cheap trip. I look forward to Planet Comic Con every year. I always go on Fridays, which ends up being one of the less crowded days of the convention. On Saturday, I spend the day with family roaming around the city, and then I drive home on Sunday. Planet Comic Con was successful, as I bought new comics to read and debuted a new cosplay.

At Planet Comic Con this year, I wanted to buy comics to have something new to read. There are several comic book vendors, but they mostly sell single-issue comics. I used to read a ton of single-issue comics when I went to my local comic book store regularly, but now I have switched to reading trade paperbacks or graphic novels that contain five issues in one book. It’s much easier for me to keep up on a series than trying to purchase each issue separately. I found two vendors selling graphic novels at half off or significantly discounted. I purchased four new graphic novels: Dark Ride Volume 1 Hell Ticket, Crossover Volume #1, Moonknight Volume #2, and Snotgirl Volume #3. I haven’t started them yet, but I plan on reading them in the next few weeks.

Besides shopping for comics, I debuted a new cosplay! I have wanted to cosplay Scarlet Witch for a while, as I loved her in WandaVision and the various Avengers movies. I have also been reading Steve Orlando’s run on Scarlet Witch. There are a lot of different ways to cosplay Scarlet Witch. There’s her traditional look with the red leotard, all her looks from the movies, and her darker look from Doctor Strange. I found a costume online from her look in Avengers: Endgame with the red coat. I ordered it, and it worked out great! I will write about this in an upcoming post, so I won’t go into further detail right now.

On Saturday, we went to City Market, an outdoor market I had never been to. It’s funny; I have been to Kansas City several times, and each time I go, I always end up going somewhere new. I purchased some candle melts from one of the vendors there, and after, we went to a few breweries. Kansas City is known for its breweries. We went to River City Bluff Brewery and Callsign, the latter being owned and operated by veterans. Both were breweries I had never been to before. We ended up having lunch at J Rieger & Co, a historic distillery, before finally ending up at Boulevard, a brewery that I have been to several times and ends up being a go-to.

It was a fun filled weekend! It’s nice to be able to leave Minnesota every now and then. I love how Kansas City is only six hours away because you can get away without being too far. Planet Comic Con was a blast as always and I can’t wait for next year.

Last weekend, me and my husband went to the Minnesota Ice Castles. The Ice Castles are exactly what they sound like. We went to this event several years ago, but it was in a different area. This year, it was at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Near the Ice Castles, there was an ice sculpture park where you could watch contestants create ice sculptures. Someone made a Trojan; another sculpture was a beer bottle from a local brewery.

It’s nice to have outdoor events in Winter. I don’t mind Winter as a season, but these months can drag on.

A few weeks ago, one of my friends had marked that they were interested in attending the Book Fair at Inbound Brewco. I’m all for supporting local bookstores and I’m a beer drinker, so the event sounded like it would be fun. On top of that, it’s cold in Minnesota this time of the year, so it’s nice to have something to go do inside. The event happened this past Saturday and I was excited to see how many people showed up for this event.

Me and my friend drove downtown which is where Inbound is. As we approached, there was horrendous traffic everywhere. I haven’t seen traffic like this unless it’s a sporting event such as the Twins or the Vikings playing. I knew immediately that this would be people who wanted to attend the Book Fair. We drove away from the traffic and parked several blocks away which worked well. We walked several blocks and approached the brewery to see a massive line! The line was out the door, all the way down the street, turning left and down a side street. Me and my friend were committed, we already paid to park and had friends we were meeting up with, so we ventured to the back of the line.

One thing I always appreciate about a situation like this is meeting new people. I have stood in long lines at conventions and always ended up chatting with those around me. There was a woman and her friend behind us who would jump into our conversation every now and then. We found out that we were reading the same book and would chat about the various books we liked to read. It gives me a sense of community that we are all united in attending this event because of our love for local businesses and books. After an hour and forty-five minutes of waiting, we were ushered into the tap room.

I’m not complaining about the wait time to get into the brewery. I’m not an event planner and I could never be an event planner. I have massive respect for event planners for this reason. I think the brewery did not anticipate this many attendees which is why the line was so long. Inbound is one of my favorite breweries, but it’s not big enough to handle this event. However, if the event were in summer, it wouldn’t have been as big of a deal to wait. Me and my friends were not dressed for the weather. My feet were freezing and I should have worn fleece socks. I didn’t bring gloves and trying to call friends and let them know where we were in line did not help. I’m choosing to focus on the positive things about this event which is how exciting it is to see this many people show up. It was fun to chat with different people and be in the atmosphere. After the event, I drove home and didn’t talk to anyone for the rest of the day. I felt I had too much social interaction and needed to recharge my social battery.

With that said, I’m happy I went. Me and my friends survived the cold together. I would attend an event like this in the future, but knowing how popular this event would be, I don’t think I would attend again in January.