by Mackenzie Patel Hello world travelers! A few weeks ago, I decided to embrace my inner weirdness and throw an ancient Roman-themed party for myself. Three years this past December marked the start of my obsession with ancient Italian history, Rome, and everything associated with classical culture in general. My love affair first started after… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel A few weekends ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Tampa Museum of Art and walking along the Hillsborough River boardwalk. I had never the visited the museum before (I usually only frequent the Dali Museum), but they had several exhibits that I had heard about in the paper and from… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel  I recently finished reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, one of the most famous writers of the Lost Generation. The book’s protagonist was Jake Barnes, a young man in his 30s who fought in Italy during WWI. His interactions with his friends as well as his travels set the tone… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel      Hello World Travelers! This post is not going to be long, but I wanted to share with you a very special food that I recently received as gift. As hinted in the title, my mother bought me hand-painted chocolates from William Dean, a delicacy chocolate store in Florida. The company… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel I am utterly enamored with the Mediterranean pace of life, food, culture, and people. The image of the dark blue Mediterranean Sea shimmering in the sunlight during the scorching month of July 2013 will forever be branded into the back of my mind. Whether it be the French Riviera, Italy, or the… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel First Impressions: This ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide included four famous novels that have spawned wanderlust and imagination for several decades. First published in the 1980s, these novels (1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 2. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, 3. Life, the Universe, and Everything, 4. So Long, and… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel Hello world travelers! Everyone knows the Last Supper by da Vinci, but there have been thousands other worthy, but less known renditions as well. I would like to discuss three Renaissance Last Suppers (including the overrated one by Leonardo), and give my opinion on which one I think is the best (i.e.… Read More


by Mackenzie Patel What with the current health craze gripping American society, it is no wonder that essential oils and their many benefits have become popular “natural” remedies in the last couple of years. Essential oils, simply put, are “the blood of plants.” They are concentrated extractions from the leaves, roots, and stems of plants… Read More