Italy 2022 For Under $900

Solo adventure highlights, unexpected moments and what I'll do differently next time...plus a last minute gift idea!

Merry Christmas Weekend, Travel Friends!

How are we doing? With Christmas now only 3 days away, are you feeling it? The Joyeux Noël…Buon Natale…¡Feliz Navidad!…frohe Weihnachten!…god jul!..?

After being gone for 12 days just before Thanksgiving and coming home to turkey and the fast approaching Christmas holiday season, I have to admit that although my trip was glorious, it kind of quickly got lost in the holiday frenzy. That’s why I’m really excited to revisit my memories with you today and offer a little travel break to us all from the shopping and preparation for the biggest birthday party of the year. Then it’s back to ho-ho-ho ing!

(Hint, hint…and stick around for the end where I’ll reveal a really great last- minute Christmas gift idea FOR YOU!)

Budget and Views of Italy 2022

If you follow Big Story Living on Instagram, you have no doubt seen all the photos and budget outcomes of my recent adventure. I won’t rehash any of that here, but instead direct you to @bigstoryliving. It’s there where you will find all the posts and the stories icon entitled “Italy 2022” where you can peruse my views of each day. You’ll also see how I spent (and didn’t spend) the smallest amount of money possible while still having a fabulous holiday. A total of $864.90 is all this solo adventure cost! (See the cost breakdown HERE) And though there is no real way to value all the views, sounds, smells, tastes and travel, I can say for certain that the price was a screaming deal! Just take a look at those photos and you’ll surely agree.

You Went By Yourself??

You might say that solo travel isn’t your thing. I say, “don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.” I could write for days and days about my personal views towards solo female travel. Someday soon I’ll do that. I promise.

For today, here’s a few highlights that describe in a nutshell why I love solo travel so much.

• constantly discovering I’m braver than I knew

• doing absolutely what I want, when I want

• Traveling with one eye on the world and the other eye on Jesus equals a personal “camino” wherever the travels lead.

• the joy of getting lost

• saving money

• openness to meeting travelers and locals from all over the world

• unexpected conversations

• developing problem solving skills

• time, time, time…no schedules

• cultivating whimsy and curiosity

• creating a Bigger Story (Big Story Living)

Unexpected Moments

For me, it’s the unplanned and unexpected moments that become the highlights of every single adventure I take. I love them so much that I actually plan very little into my days, and instead just keep my head up and eyes open in anticipation of the unexpected. Again, each of these unexpected moments from my Italian adventure could be a chapter in and of themselves. Today it’s bullet points, baby!

The gems that Jesus drops into my lap are ALWAYS better than the ones I intentionally plan…definitely better than what TripAdvisor suggests. Here’s a few standout, unexpected moments from Italy 2022.

• turning a corner in the sleepy town of Orvieto to experience a sweeping view and my first glimpse of an olive grove…then sitting on a rock wall while savoring the moment, petting a local cat that curled up next to me as the sun set

• delightful bed and breakfast morning conversations with Mary and Damon from Canada

• discovering I accidentally bought an upgraded Italo train ticket (only $23) from Florence to Rome that served a full meal and wine

• shopping in a Vatican City Catholic gift shop with all the nuns giddily gathering their Christmas decorations

• getting lost in the rain in Florence, and discovering an alley that echoed a violinist playing Christmas carols

• being told my hotel in Florence had an open coffee bar with free cappuccinos on request 24/7

• meeting an American at the train station to share a taxi with

• having a long conversation at a local restaurant with Monique from Senegal

• finding the perfect journaling spot inside a Catholic church and realizing I was there just in time to enjoy choir rehearsal

• the peace and quiet of walking the dark and narrow streets of Orvieto alone

• views…all the views

• sipping from a Roman fountain in a secluded park on the edge of town

What I’ll Do Differently Next Time

I’m always learning. Learning the skill of traveling for almost free assures I’ll always have a chance to explore again and again. So…I’m constantly making a list of what I have experienced and what I would do differently next time.

This trip was my second to Italy, but first to Orvieto, Florence and Rome. Would I go back? Absolutely!!! Would I do it differently next time? For sure.

• begin in Rome and stay there for only two nights instead of four

• three nights in Florence and at least 3-4 nights in a smaller village like Orvieto (I stayed only two) to enjoy the slower pace more

• always take Italo trains instead of Trenitalia

• eat less gelato and more pasta

• go in October instead of November to avoid the humid rain that tricks you into thinking it’s cold but, results in puddles of sweat

• pack Ambien

• drink even more cappuccino

Travel With Big Story Living in 2023

And here it is…drumroll…the Christmas gift idea you’ve been waiting for!

December 28, 2022, is opening day to register for the next Big Story Living Curated Journey! This journey will be open to seven travelers who want to experience Europe for almost free in 2023. More details coming soon.

There will be a $200 deposit and the trip will be for 10 days, Fall 2023. We will explore multiple countries, and the entire adventure will cost no more than $1500!

Keep your eyes peeled for more information coming your way after Christmas day! How about adding this adventure to your Christmas wishlist? Yes, Santa, please!

Happy Travels and Merry Christmas!

Amy