We returned from our honeymoon and are settling back into life post-Italy. Our trip was life changing. We packed so much into one week, living each day from sunrise to way past sunset and seeing everything from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum to Cinque Terre, Tuscany, and the Grand Canal in Venice. The food was incredible, the people amazing, the sights breathtaking, and the weather absolutely perfect. And there was so… much… gelato! The best honeymoon we could have ever dreamed of and so worth saving up all those months. We can’t wait to return!

All this adventure, though, has made it difficult to come back to reality. And reality includes keeping up with my blog. Ever since the wedding (more about that at a later date – promise!) I’ve been super lax on keeping up with my illustrations and posting frequently. And there’s so much guilt that comes along with it… how will I ever grow and get better if I don’t keep practicing, how will my work get out there if I don’t keep posting, etc. And it’s built up so much that I couldn’t even sit down at my desk and get started.

Which is so sad because I know that it is something I love to do, and that’s why I started my blog in the first place. It’s hard to come home after a long – very long – day at my design job and squeeze an ounce of creativity out for my drawing.

But this blog and all the people I’ve met through it are why I need to keep going. It’s the potential connections and friends I have made, the new illustration collaborations and projects, the fact that it pushes me to get better and reach out, all of these things help me grow as an illustrator and a person.

So I’ve decided to start again slowly, a couple little Italy illustrations along with the most amazing parts from our trip. I hope you’ll enjoy looking through them and thanks so much for your support and hanging in there with me!

Now for some Italy tips from our trip:

1. Florence – we stayed here the whole week, it was a great home base for all our day trips. We found an apartment super close to Ponte Vecchio through Airbnb. Affordable and the perfect little place to come home to after a long day of exploring!

2. We went on two day-long bus tours while we were there and they were absolutely amazing. Since we didn’t rent a car, it was the best way to explore the countryside outside of Florence. Both tours were with Walkabout Florence, we highly recommend the Cinque Terre and Tuscany day tours!

3. Visit Mercato Centrale in Florence and experience the amazing food and wine, but don’t forget to pick up fresh veggies and handmade pasta for a home cooked meal the next evening!

4. Don’t try to do Rome in a day, or if you do… make sure you plan to go back. We spent so much time at the Vatican, there was little left to see the ruins. We will definitely have to go back and give it the time it deserves!

5. We went the first week in May and the weather was absolutely amazing, 72 degrees and sunny every single day. Not a drop of rain. Can’t guarantee this of course, but early May was a great time to visit Italy!

~Joanna <3

P.S. – More honeymoon pics on my Instagram!