Amore Abroad: Post Engagement Trip

The following day after our engagement, we set off on a European adventure to celebrate this exciting new chapter in our lives. In addition, this was a way for me to let loose and relax after such a long and stressful proposal (you can see that proposal story here). I rewarded myself in the best way I know how: by packing my bags and heading to the sky.

For this trip, we purchased all of our airfare with cash. Due to my recent obsession with using credit cards for the benefit of travel, this will probably be one of the last trips where I pay full price for flights. Read here to find out how to travel cheaper, more luxuriously, and more often. As for accommodations, we alternated between staying in really nice hostels and hotels. For most of the hotels, I used points to obtain free stays. We used Hilton Honors points to stay at the Double Tree hotel near Hyde Park in London. We also used IHG points to stay for free at the Hotel Athenaeum Intercontinental in Athens, Greece. Both were really great hotels. As for Santorini Greece, we stayed at a budget hotel at the beginning and then transferred to a luxury hotel for the final two days. We splurged on a beautiful room at the Pegasus Suites for these two days and it was most definitely worth it. The views were to die for and we had our own private hot tub! I highly recommend.

This was Kristina’s first time ever in Europe and I think it was a great all around taste of what that region has to offer. It started with my 3rd time to London. I absolutely love that city and all that it has to offer. Every time I have been there has been a different, and equally special, trip. The first time was for the first stop on my first solo trip. The second was to get my first tattoo. The third was to celebrate a beautifully executed engagement. On our first night and our first stop, we got to indulge in a culinary masterpiece of a meal. Heston by Blumenthal near Hyde Park has to be one of the top restaurants in the world, and it is most definitely worthy of such a title. Prague was a first time visit for both of us and we were both equally blown away. Every inch of that city is simply impeccable. We wandered around the picturesque streets, alleys, and canals of Venice, which has to be one of the most unique cities in the world. The Amalfi Coast in Italy was truly one of the most stunning coastlines either of us have ever seen. We rented a room inside a cliffside home with a view. Our local host treated us like family and prepared decadent and traditional home cooked meals each morning and night. We took a private boat ride to Positano and Capri (including the blue grotto), which had to be one of the highlights of the entire trip. Mykonos in Greece served its purpose appropriately. We partied until the sun came up. Lastly, Santorini Island certainly left an impression, as it always does. It was my second time there and a place I always said I would go back to with someone special. Sunsets, a volcano, four wheelers, a red sand beach, a black sand beach, a white sand beach, and a ultra luxurious hotel suite provided a perfect ending for an epic adventure.

This was truly a trip to remember. We visited some amazing places, reminisced about the proposal and all of it’s details, and simply got to spend some quality time together. Life is about creating experiences and memories, ones that you will cherish forever. This trip, as well as this video reminder, will certainly be a way to do just that.