The Grand Tour D'Europe – Travelling across the continent

Breanna Rose – I am Breanna Rose

photos by Breanna Rose taken in Prague & Rome

After finishing school, graphic designer and art director Breanna Rose immediately founded her own design studio, Rowan Made . Breanna is also a co-founder of the online workshop BeFree, Lance where creatives from all around the world can learn all about freelancing. Today, Breanna Rose is working and blogging from Minneapolis, giving her readers a special and personal insight into her life, combining beautiful photography and witty writing with a clean layout. Whether she is sharing inspirational moodboards or introducing her favourite designers, Breannas blogposts are visually unique and refreshing.

What was your itinerary for your European summer trip?

I went to Europe with two of my best friends this summer and our itinerary consisted of visiting Rome and Prague, with a few day trips sprinkled in between. We kept the whole thing very relaxed and simply decided what we wanted to do on a daily basis. Of course there were the more »touristy« things to check off our list, like The Vatican, Roman ruins, etc., but our favourite days were spent slowly wandering alleyways, laughing, and enjoying some amazing food (and gelato).

Have you been to your travel destinations before?

Growing up, my family didn‘t travel outside of the United States, so I only very recently started venturing over to Europe. That said, Rome and Prague were both completely new to me! Luckily, one of my friends who came along on the trip studied abroad in Rome during undergraduate school, so she was amazing at showing us around and knowing exactly where to go. That was a major help!

What was the reason for the trip?

The two friends I travelled with had been planning this trip for almost two years, and I wasn‘t sure if I‘d tag along or not at first, wary of committing to something so far away. But last January, when they updated me on their plans, I was all in! Timing wise, this trip came at a perfect moment for me, as I‘ve spent the last 3-4 years heavily focusing on my business and stressing out a little too much, if I‘m being completely honest. I used this trip as a break for perspective and didn‘t work whatsoever. It was just what I needed, and I‘ve returned feeling more relaxed, focused, and motivated than ever!

When did you start planning? How did you go over the planning?

As I said before, my two friends started planning this trip over two years ago, throwing around destination and itinerary details. I didn‘t come into the picture until January, when they had already settled on the cities they‘d like to see. But once I officially came on board, we spent a lot of time researching places to stay, booking affordable flights, checking out day trips and thinking about some of the things we‘d like to see. My favourite thing is food (go figure), so I personally enjoyed reaching out to locals about the best places to eat in their cities!

How did you research the most intriguing places to visit?

I‘m a big fan of seeing cities as the locals do, so I reached out (via my blog and social media) to those who either live in Rome or Prague, or have visited themselves, for recommendations. By the time we left, I had emails full of restaurants, museums, shops, special sites and so much more to check out. I saved most of them into my offline map app (Pocket Earth), knowing that if we passed something, we could easily stop by and check it out!

What was your favourite moment and spot of the trip?

My favourite moment of the trip would be any time we simply wandered around, without much of a plan. More often than not, we stumbled upon the most beautiful alleyways, with vines crawling up buildings hundreds of years old, something you just don‘t see in the States. I could do that for hours, anywhere and everywhere! My favourite spot of the trip was hands down Osteria Dell‘Anima in Rome, a restaurant that had me dying over the best pasta of my life ... ravioli stuffed with pear and cheese, topped with a creamy white sauce and carrot puree. If we would have gone to this spot earlier on in our trip, I can assure you that we probably would have ended up eating there every single day. It was that good!

Did you meet any locals?

The only locals we met were the staff at our accommodation as well as our tour guides during our various day trips (to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and Cesky Krumlov). They were all very helpful in sharing information, pointing us in the right direction and generally being pleasant people. I wish we could have met more people, but it just didn‘t happen this time around!

Any accommodations you would especially recommend?

(no answer, we stayed in crappy hostels, haha)

Any souvenirs you brought home?

I packed everything I needed for 11 days into a small backpack, so unfortunately, I didn‘t have any room left to bring home souvenirs. If I could have, I would have purchased some Limoncello from Italy to share with my husband and parents! There‘s always next time, right!?

What does travelling mean for you? (relaxation, inspiration, adventure etc.)

For me, travelling is a lot of things. There‘s a mix of adventure, perspective, newness and a hint of relaxation. I typically use travel as a way to take a break, let go and simply enjoy my time away. And every time, it‘s been completely rejuvenating.

What was the most interesting new thought you took from your trip?

I often find myself repeating »somebody lives here, just like this« over and over as I travel and experience new and different ways of living around the world. It‘s eye opening to see how other people live and think about how you can apply it to your own lifestyle. For instance, Italians are really great at slowing down, something I have difficulties with in my own lifestyle. They take more vacations, stroll slowly and often enjoy dinner for three hours or more. The idea of »slowing down and enjoying the present« is something I‘ll take away from my trip.

How do you prolong the travel vibe in everyday life?

I feel like I‘m always thinking about travelling, so I do a lot of research in order to stay excited about whatever is next. We‘re off to Iceland in August for a five day road trip, followed by a few days in Copenhagen, so that‘s what I‘m currently planning and scheming! Other than that, everyday adventures around our own city, Minneapolis, are the absolute best. We love it here and enjoy getting out and seeing more and more of what there is. Sometimes the best things are closer than you think. ;)