I first traveled to Greece in college through the University of Wisconsin. I went to Greece on a three-week summer study abroad trip with the Classics department. It was the dream of my life to travel to Greece and one that I didn’t intend to fulfill at 20. I still remember when the plane touched down and I saw the Greek mountains outside the window. I was so happy that I cried. Me, a 20 year old Wisconsin girl from a tiny farm in a tiny town - I was in the land of the Athenian Acropolis and the numerous statues and temples that I had studied in my classes. It was an indescribable feeling. Since then, I have participated in several archaeological excavations in Greece, Italy, and Morocco and continued to study ancient Greek and Roman archaeology in graduate school. I’ve lived in Rome, where I worked as a tour guide at a hostel, and in Athens, fulfilling a new dream that was born from that first trip to Greece in college.

One of my favorite pastimes is creating trip plans for family and friends traveling abroad. I have led many friends, family, and students on trips in Greece and Italy - and they all live to tell the tale! - and have advised many others on their Mediterranean adventures. I craft each plan to the desires of the people I travel with, peppering in places and experiences that I think my family and friends will enjoy. I was able to share some of these experiences with UW students that I led on a study abroad trip to Italy in 2024, which included an adventure to an artichoke festival, a natural hot spring in the Tuscan country side, a gelato crawl, a visit to a newly discovered ancient Etruscan-Roman healing sanctuary, and so much more. I’m excited to help you live your Mediterranean dreams and discover the joys of travel.

I’m “mildly” obsessed with Mediterranean food festivals and once flew to Rome from Athens for 24 hours to go to four food festivals: pizza, gelato, beer, and artichoke. My artichoke festival count is now at three! I’ve also visited honey, pomegranate, pistachio, strawberry, and lavender festivals. In Italy, these are called sagra; in Greek, yiorti. These adventures have been some of my favorite, as these festivals are often in smaller towns and create opportunities to get a know a different side of the country you visit. What does this mean for you? Truly unique and unforgettable experiences, revolving around food. Also, gelato. Lots of gelato. Ask me about my gelato map!

These festivals also inspired my archaeological research. I study food and food offerings to gods in the ancient Mediterranean and teach a UW course on the Mediterranean diet.

People often ask me about my favorite places. Well, it’s a long list, but mostly centered in Sicily, where I have long excavated in a tiny community where I feel at home, small-town Tuscany, a handful of Greek islands, the Moroccan mountains, and more recently, southern France. It’s in these small towns that I learned how to speak Greek and Italian, often because English was not an option, and met some of the kindest people in the world. Ask me about my favorite places!

Click the link below to learn about how I can help you with your Mediterranean adventure.