Bonjour, de Marseille, France!!! I am writing to you from Le Café de la Banque, a charming little café in the city. After what seemed like a long spring in London, I am happy to share that I have officially completed all of my Master’s courses, and will be working on my final dissertation throughout the Summer. It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 months since making my big move across the pond. I am totally falling in love with the version of myself that I am becoming. I have created an incredible network of friends, reconnected with my core values and passions, and discovered a new sense of independence. And now, I get to start yet another journey of travels, blogging, and creating more stories to share with those I love most.
Over the next four weeks, I will be traveling throughout the South of France and regions of Italy with my good friend, Jesse. Those that have followed along throughout the years may know the story of Jesse and the Aussie chaos that follows him. When G and I met Jesse in Rome two years ago, I would have never believed this is where our friendship would be today. The story continues and I look forward to the adventures that are ahead.
As thrilled as I am to share my travels with someone who has been a significant part of my past journeys, I remind myself of the importance of maintaining my independence and protecting my peace. “Protecting your peace” has come up frequently in recent conversations with my closest friends. The beauty of the phrase lies in its personal meaning, which varies for each person and each situation. For the current version of myself, it means finding calmness within my heart amidst the noise of the outside world. Energy is everything; it radiates from those around us and has the power to create magic. We are the creators of our universe, and the power of attraction lies in how we envision ourselves in the world. Protecting your peace allows you to embrace who you are and who you choose to become. This energy is sacred.
Over the next four weeks, I am making a promise to myself to protect this peace and continue on this path with an open heart and mind. As always, I am so excited to share what’s to come and lessons I learn with my Bella’s Blogs readers. Stay tuned! Thank you for staying on this journey with me and for loving me and my curious mind.
Hello, and welcome to the new addition of Bella’s Blogs! About a month ago, I was robbed at knife point on my walk home and had my phone stolen. The people who took my phone were able to access almost all of my personal information, compromising both my personal and financial accounts. While I was unharmed, the last month has been spent recovering what I can and working through the trauma of these events. The e-mail associated with Bella’s Blogs was one of the things that I was unable to recover, and has since led to the revamp of my site. As always, I am happy you are here and feel at ease knowing I still have this as my outlet to discern and share all of my journeys with those who follow along.
After my incident, I spent a lot of time trying to write my narrative about what happened. I struggled to put my story into words, doing my best to share my vulnerability. But, as I sit on my flight back to London from a beautiful weekend in Chicago with my best friends, I reflected on a different perspective. What happened on February 22nd was horrible, but I never was able to feel sorry for myself or angry with the people who did this to me. Instead, I felt love. Love from my support systems both back home and in London. And also love for the world that we live in, even when it feels especially scary and confusing. It’s heartbreaking that we live in a world where bad things happen to good people and power and conflict are accompanied by fear and hate.
I am a girl who loves to wear her heart on her sleeve, telling the people I love that I love them and encouraging others to do the same. That’s what this blog is all about. Maybe some of my bleeding heart is a result of my astrological nature of being a Cancer or my secure attachment style thanks to my awesome parents, but all jokes aside I wouldn’t be the person I am without the dozens of people in my life who I admire, learn from, and lean on in tough times. While each person is special to me in their own ways and ones who I should probably tell more often how much they mean to me, this blog is in special tribute to my college friends, Handshake.
I’ve always known my friends from Creighton were special and what our 20+ friend group had was rare. Each friend unique in their own ways, all of us having different relationships to one another. However, it wasn’t until two years ago to this day where all of our lives were changed forever. On March 25, 2022, about six weeks before graduation, we lost our friend Mary Kate in an accident. I have journaled about this before and given thanks to Mary Kate for being the light that has guided us for the last 730+ days. Mary Kate is, (among a million other wonderful things), the epitome of friendship. She is the person that brought joy and laughter to every room she walked in, and continues to show herself to the world in the most dazzling ways. We miss her so much and never a miss a chance to celebrate her life the way she did day in and day out.
While I can probably speak for many of my friends when I say that we owe so much to MK and her family, I give thanks to Mary Kate for leaving the everlasting impression on me that life is way too short, to always seize the day, laugh a little more, and to give grace to those around you. It is the lessons of Mary Kate that pushed me to make my move to London and continue to explore and enjoy the world around me. Thank you MK for being you and for continuing to shine within all of us.
Being so far from home has been the toughest transition yet. But, thanks to social media and our iconic group chat, I get to see all of the wonderful accomplishments that my friends have achieved in these last two years. While I am envious that most of them get to see each other everyday, I feel blessed that I get to watch from afar. You have all grown into brilliant human beings, doing what you love and taking care of one another in ways you may not even realize. You are a constant reminder that care and value are among some of the most important characteristics of friendship. As friends, we teach each other that generosity and kindness anchor us to sanity in times of grief and loss. That friendship is the kind of thing that reminds you of the love that you are not only capable of giving and receiving, but that you embody. Thank you for making me laugh until I cry and for cheering me on all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. And while I wish so deeply that MK could be here with us, I know she, like me, is so fucking proud.
I feel very sad leaving everyone behind this weekend, but know in my heart that these relationships will only continue to blossom. There is nobody else I would rather share in the joy of Jays win and pain of a brutal hangover the following day with. Let’s keep taking over bars, dancing on party buses, and singing karaoke with bartenders who are professional harmonica/kazoo players. Thank you for loving me and for letting me constantly share my love letters with you. Cheers to continuing to live life like Mary Kate and honoring her in every way, big and small.
And thank you to my readers of Bella’s Blogs, I cannot wait to see what new adventures are on the horizon.
Here is part-two to our high school Europe reunion. (Part one: Copenhagen Christmas and Berlin Blues)
I headed back to London and spent 36 hours preparing for the second leg of my two-week trip. Nick flew in on the 30th, sleeping on my super comfortable floor, with his camping mattress and cozy blanket provided by British Airways. Of course, I insisted on sharing my bed, but given our epic 6-month relationship from when we were 16 years old, we didn’t want to make things ‘too awkward’. Caitlyn and Matthew arrived on the 31st after being in Amsterdam and we all rang in the New Year in London at Thirst Bar Soho, dancing and walking around the streets of Central London.
On New Year’s day the four of us moved from one hotel to another, me, still in my hair, makeup, and dress from the night before. We walked around a park nearby, listening to music, and acting as if we were in some sort of coming of age film. To be fair, hanging out with your three best friends and blasting Kings of Leon on your portable speaker on a sunny New Year’s day in London, will definitely have you feeling some type of way. We met up with Maddy and Ava for one last dinner in London before saying our goodbyes and heading to Edinburgh and Dublin.
I underestimated how long it would take me to get from my place in East London to the train station the next morning. With our train leaving at 10:00 am, I sprinted to the end of the train, stepping on (full of sweat), at exactly 9:59 am. I obnoxiously made my way from carriage K to carriage A to sit with Matthew and Caitlyn for our 4-hour trip up to Edinburgh. Despite Matthew’s numerous sleep spasms, smacking me at random points throughout the journey, I was still able to enjoy the unreal views of the UK’s Northern countryside.
We spent the next day in Edinburgh with Nick’s friend, Jack of Glasgow, serving as our lovely tour guide, navigating us around the surprisingly hilly city. I lived out my Game of Thrones dreams, walking around the Edinburgh Castle and imagining life as it was in the 11th century. We finished our sight seeing with a swing ride at the mini amusement park and pints at a local pub. As much fun as the swing was, and although it was originally my idea, I discovered I do in fact have a fear of heights.
We said goodbye and thank you to Jack and went out for a Wednesday night in the city of Edinburgh. Caitlyn, Nick, Matthew and I ventured into multiple different clubs, embracing Edinburgh’s ‘interesting’ nightlife. Maybe it’s because it was a Wednesday night, or maybe it’s because we ended up at the 18-year old university club, but I don’t know how particularly high I would rank Edinburgh nightlife. But, of course, we enjoyed every single minute dancing around the room like nobody was watching and laughing at the drama of the teens around us.
The four of us headed for Dublin the next day, making the final stop of our two-week adventure. Dublin was definitely the peak of the trip for me, I think because it started to click how f***ing special these three friends are to me. When I am with each of them, I feel whole and loved for who I am. Every morning was gifted with endless laughs and boosts of serotonin that make you feel like you’re on a high.
Matthew, Nick, and I rented a car for the day on Friday and went on a mini road trip down the South of Dublin. We off-roaded through the countryside, making stops at some of the most incredible views. The drive was a bit sketchy, with thin one-way dirt roads, but Nick did a good job at honking on every turn, making our presence known by potential oncoming traffic. He says it’s something he learned in Vietnam, and although Matthew made a comment with every honk, I fully supported Nick and his right hand palm against the wheel. The photos below are 100% accredited to Matthew and his insane phone camera.
That night was our final night all together, as Matthew was headed back to the States the next morning. Naturally, we all partied extra hard wandering around the streets of Dublin, bouncing from one bar to another. The night is a bit of blur but we ultimately ended up at a bar called Nolita’s where a live saxophone and drum player played classic EDM songs. Nick Irish goodbye’d (literally), only to have an insane night of his own, role playing as a therapist and eating his french fries at Johnny Rockets. Somebody stole my nice winter coat (my AirPods included), and it was our sign it was probably time for bed.
We all woke up the next day quite unwell, saying a sad goodbye to Matthew. Nick, Caitlyn, and I spent the rest of the trip enjoying each other’s company, reminiscing on all of the chaos. We scuffed down some Nando’s for lunch and walked to a nearby bookstore, each picking up a new book to start off our year. Nick also picked up a mini version of Cards Against Humanity, so we went back to my hostel and sat for a couple hours laughing, playing, and drinking some coffee to help revive us.
A nice Italian dinner was followed by a stop at the infamous Temple Bar Pub. The pub had to be one of the coolest pubs I have ever been to, with live Irish music and pints of Guinness in almost every person’s hand. I am proud to say that I did in fact hop on the Guinness train, but can’t promise you will see me with the harp marked pint anytime soon. What was supposed to be one drink, turned into three or four, and it was another late night on the town for Caitlyn and I. Nick Irish goodbye’d, again, but we thankfully saw him the next morning before he headed back to New York.
Despite our horrible headaches and tired bodies, Caitlyn and I decided it would be fun to book a Jameson cocktail making class at the Jameson Whiskey Distillery. My love for bartending came alive during the class, and I showed off my shaking and mixing skills. Three cocktails later, however, I bursted out in hives all over my face and body. Either I was allergic to something in one of the drinks, or my body had simply had enough alcohol, I rushed to the pharmacy for some Claritin to help clear up my symptoms. The Claritin did its job within minutes and I started feeling back to normal.
Caitlyn had met a Deutsch guy the night before and was keen on seeing him again before we both took off the next morning. Of course, I’m an awesome wing woman and agreed to entertain the boy’s friend. We played a few games of pool, horribly I might add, and called it a night. I hugged Caitlyn one final goodbye and made my walk back to the hostel.
My final day in Dublin was a solo one, exploring more of the city before catching my quick 1-hour flight back to London. My mom’s side of the family has some Irish ancestry, with family from Wexford. There is even a bar called “Sinnott’s”, my mom’s maiden surname and Grandpa’s family name. I obviously had to make a stop and take a photo, copying my aunt from when she had studied abroad in Ireland years ago. I reflected on the trip and impulsively found myself at a tattoo shop close by. I haven’t had a tattoo since my trip to Australia, so I took it as a good excuse to permanently commemorate the most amazing last two weeks.
The short Winter days in London make me miss and appreciate the sun more than anything. The tattoo depicts both the sun and the moon and lies right below my lotus flower. While I have wanted the sun and moon on me for quite some time, I find a deeper meaning to it today. The sun and moon operate equally as opposing forces, representing that different powers exist within all of us, and there is peace within that truth. For me, these two forces act as friends to one another. While the sun acts as masculine energy, and the moon feminine, they complement each other providing strength and power. I will now think of every friendship I hold dear to me when I look down to my right arm. Herman Hesse beautifully states, “We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other’s opposite and complement”.
I am blown away every day by the people in my life. I know that I preach and express my gratitude over and over, but just when I think I have run out of words to describe how much the people in my life mean to me, they continue to amaze me. Matthew, Caitlyn, and Nick thank you for loving me, challenging me, and complementing me. Our friendship holds an extra special place in my heart (and now arm) forever and I cannot imagine a better way to end and begin a new year. It’s truly a beautiful thing watching your loved ones grow and flourish right in front of your eyes, living out our wildest dreams and continuing to become the best versions of ourselves. Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer. I love you with all my heart and soul!!!
Part one of two week Europe trip with my best high school friends. (Part two: Sun & moon, best friends).
It has been approximately 48 hours since my return back to London. I said goodbye to my three best high school friends, Caitlyn, Matthew, and Nick after spending two weeks together. Our goodbye was obviously bittersweet. The four of us grew closer than I could have ever imagined and now have stories to share and cherish for many more years to come. This year will be the 10 year anniversary of knowing and loving each other and if you were to tell the 14 year old versions of us about this trip, we would probably all laugh in your face. Our two weeks together was absolutely surreal and a dream that I am having a hard time waking up from.
Matthew, Caitlyn, and I started our adventure in Copenhagen, Denmark, spending Christmas together and walking and eating our way through the cute little city of Copenhagen. My college friend, Maddy and her roommate, Ava, also joined and the five of us enjoyed the luxuries of our hotel at the Villa Copenhagen. It’s always hard being away from family during the holidays so it felt nice being around friends that feel like home and are also family. Christmas Eve dinner was spent at the Hard Rock Cafe (yes, very American of us), while Christmas dinner was at a restaurant near the infamous canal of Nyhavn. The weather in Copenhagen was cold, rainy, and windy, so much of the trip was spent within the walls of our Villa.
On the 26th we all made our way to Berlin, Germany. The five us all had separated at this point, staying in different accommodations around the city. I was originally bummed out to be in a hostel by myself, but I took it as a learning opportunity and chance to explore the city solo. Besides my move to London, I had never stayed in hostels by myself. Parts of me doubted my ability to make new connections without my sister or friends. I always think it’s such a scary and uneasy feeling, but also a moment where I have to remind myself that people will love you for who you are if you let them.
My first solo day in Berlin was spent walking around the remains of the Berlin Wall and taking photos of graffiti in a nearby alley way. I’m such a nerd for our world’s most famous historical spaces; and it’s always such an eerie feeling standing in a place where war, conflict, or destruction has since been overcome with resilience and hope.
It was only 33 years ago when the Berlin Wall was eradicated by the people of Germany in 1990. A place where individuals and families were once separated by unjust politics and tyranny of the Soviet Union has since become a space of powerful art and community. After visiting the Wall, I decided it was a good idea to listen to a podcast to refresh my knowledge of the Cold War and existence of the Wall. I walked around, ate some lunch, and uncovered so much history in a short 45 minute span. This upcoming year I want to listen to more podcasts, and highly recommend that others do the same.
The podcast shared many interesting facts that stuck with me. The West and East sides of the Wall were covered in graffiti, a defiant gesture or statement of unrestricted artistic expression. It was the art, along with iconic Rock ‘n Roll performances that became beacons of hope for the people on each side of the Wall. Most notably, Bruce Springsteen’s four-hour debut of his ‘Tunnel of Love’ tour gave the youth of Eastern Germany the courage to decide what kind of life they wanted to live. He shared, “I am not for or against a government. I’ve come to play Rock ‘n Roll for you in hope that all barriers will be broken down”. His 1988 performance was shortly followed by the teardown of the Wall. And while I obviously don’t credit Springsteen and his epic rock performance to the fall of the Wall, I do believe it made many young East Berliner’s enthusiastic about change. The podcast served as a beautiful reminder that people have the power to be the change they want to see, and in todays world political climate, this is something that remains especially relevant.
I made friends with the people in my 10-bed hostel and hung out with them the next day. Yoni and Adam were friends from Portland who had been staying in Israel with family and decided to go on a Europe trip to enjoy life away from obvious political reasons. I enjoyed breakfast with them that morning, sharing stories and recommendations for future travels. Following breakfast, I met up with my Australian mates, Bianca and Grace, to walk up and down the East Berlin Gallery.
Bianca, Grace, and I bonded over our many similarities of love for music and adventure. I think the girls were definitely a sign from the universe and a reminder of how important human connection and compassion is. I feel like the two of them would be some of my best friends if we lived on the same continent, but for the time being I feel lucky to know them and share my love via Instagram from thousands of miles away.
Hello and happy holidays from Bella’s Blogs to you!! It’s hard to believe 2023 is coming to an end and as I reflect on all that this year has brought me, I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude. In 2023, I traveled to eight different countries, five different states, and three different continents. I fell in love once, spent hours laughing with friends (old and new), and continued to be in complete awe of the world around me. As quick as the year has seemed to have gone by, it’s the little moments I remember most, the moments where I took the time to sit, observe, and embrace what was right in front of me. I decided to write a 2023 year in review as an ode to each of my adventures, but also in celebration of the loved ones around me. So here’s a cheers to every person who made this year unforgettable.
I apologize in advance for this long love letter, it’s been an exciting year!
I rang in the new year with my best friend, Matthew and his cousins at Decadence, downtown Denver. We spent the 31st dancing the night away and enjoying some of our all time favorite artists perform. New Years day followed by a mad hangover and delicious brunch provided by Justin and his family. Just days later, G and I were off to our adventure down under to explore Australia and reconnect with our infamous Aussie mates. I won’t speak too much on our travels, as I have already shared all about them, but Australia was most definitely the perfect place to kick off 2023 and all the joy that it had in store. Mom and Dad ended the month in Mexico for Mom’s birthday, always taking the time to be with one another and set an example for the rest of us of what true love looks like.
NYE!!Australia Happy birthday, Mama!!
February is what can be referred to as ‘cuffed’ month given me and my two best girl friends, Lindsey and Mandy, spent most of it hanging out with our boyfriends. We did our best to make our boyfriends besties too, but considering all of our relationships ended by the end of this year, that clearly did not go as planned. However, I speak for all of us when I say there are no regrets and we appreciate all that our boys did for us for the time we were with them. A special shoutout to Mom for receiving her certification as a psychedelic-assisted therapy provider earlier this month too!
The girls
On Valentine’s day I received my acceptance letter from King’s College London, and spent the day crying tears of joy at P.F. Chang’s, texting everyone I knew the good news. I was sent home from work early that day, because I was clearly incapable of doing my job up to Chang’s standards. I ended up quitting weeks later to work for a different corporate chain restaurant, but this time it was Mexican food, and I was pretty frickin’ stoked to be whippin’ up margaritas. Plus let’s be so for real, it was time for my two year-long Chang’s era to come to an end anyway.
We spent Lindsey’s 23rd birthday at the Gimme Gimme Disco, celebrating the angel that she is. Justin and I ended the month with a late Valentine’s day celebration up at Black Hawk, Colorado, working the black jack tables and scamming the slot machines. I walked out of the casino with $1000 cash on hand, thanks to those little Asian drums that busted across my screen at 1 in the morning.
Winna Winna
March was a busy month with trips to San Diego and Chicago with my best college friends. G turned 19 and my dog Bonnie was spoiled with her 3rd annual gotcha day. Stella, Eric, Sarah, Matthew and I met up in San Diego for a music festival for Sarah and Stella’s senior spring break. Our favorite artist, Odesza, headlined the show, and we spent the hours leading up to it with bottomless mimosas and walks along San Diego’s beautiful beach towns. I ended up losing my wallet and ID at the festival, and to this day never got it replaced (oops, sorry, Dad).
Bottomless mimosas, duh!!!Sarah ❤️Day 1’s
I continued working as a bartender at both Hacienda and Blackstone Country Club, and although I complained about both jobs almost every shift via my Snapchat story, I am thankful for the friendships and connections that it gave me. A member at Blackstone gifted me two free tickets to the March Madness game that was held at the Ball Arena in Denver. My Dad and I enjoyed our seats, watching Creighton go head to head with Baylor, eventually advancing on to the Sweet 16.
Roll Jays!!!
March ended with a trip to Chicago, with my 20 best college friends (Handshake). It was a bittersweet weekend, as we grieved the one year anniversary loss of our sweet Mary Kate. The 20 of us traveled from seven different states to come together and celebrate the life of our beautiful friend. This had to be the highlight of my 2023, and I am forever grateful that I have friends who can come together despite all of our busy schedules to laugh, love, and cry with one another. The weekend began with another big Creighton win against Princeton, taking us to the Elite 8, but unfortunately ended with a devastating loss against San Diego State (that I still believe, was rigged).
April was a relatively quiet month on my end, but the rest of the Scipione’s got some good travel time in. G and I enjoyed Dom Dolla at Red Rocks, aka one of our most favorite Aussie performers. However, we did spend the second half of the show sitting in my car and enjoying from afar, because we both became extremely overstimulated and had to come back down to reality. Mom and Dad celebrated Dad’s birthday with a trip to Roatan and Dom and Joseph visited our Aunt Tiffanie in Sacramento.
Dom Dolla! Dad in paradise Addiegos!
May was filled with celebrations. Dom graduated from High School with his high school diploma and associate’s degree. At only 17, Dom had finished his high school courses with flying colors, was accepted to Creighton with multiple scholarships, and had an associate’s degree and college credits under his belt. I will always admire Dom for his strong work ethic and thrill to achieve his greatest goals, no matter what challenges may come his way.
I headed back to Omaha a few weeks later to be with Stella, Sarah, and Grace on their big graduation day. Both Stella and Sarah are now kick ass BSN, RN’s, working as nurses in Chicago and Omaha, while Grace works in Seattle as a Territory Manager. Molly and Eric were also about to begin PA school in Milwaukee, WI, so there was much celebrations to be had. More of Handshake made the trip to Omaha to congratulate all of our brilliant friends and their grandest new achievements. Sometimes, I still can’t believe I spent four years living in Nebraska, but I will never miss an opportunity to go back to those cornhusker roots.
Grace and Sarah 🙂
Summer started as a newly single Bella, preparing for a season full of work and enjoying time with friends and family before heading across the pond. I headed back to San Diego, to visit with Sadie, one of my best friends from middle school. Sadie and I have been friends since we were awkward little 12 year olds, sitting in science class, sharing our love for softball, and planning movie dates to the theater to see Pitch Perfect, and other great hits of 2012.
Sadie!
Christian turned 31 on June 7th and began making plans to come back from Vietnam to the US to introduce us to the love of his life, Meo Meo. He is working as an English teacher in Ho Chi Minh, and has received numerous teaching awards. We are so proud of him. G also got boo’d up with her boyfriend, Will, and I lived vicariously through both of their love lives, sitting by the pool and floating on my pineapple floaty. The end of June was spent dressed up in rainbow and glitter at Denver’s Pride parade. There will never be a time where I pass up a chance to dress up and strut downtown with all the girls, gays, and theys. Love will always conquer hate.
Pride!!
July quickly crept up on us, marking the beginning of the second half of our crazy year. It’s Cancer season baby, and parties, bars, and traveling is simply the best way to spend it. The fourth of July began with a pool party at Justin’s apartment (yes, single Bella, did have a relapse), and ended with an intense rainstorm and card games. A few days passed and the girls and Bonnie went up to Boulder for a beautiful hike and celebration of Chautauqua Park’s 50th annual birthday party.
Chatauqua Park 4th of July
A week later, my 23rd birthday commenced. I enjoyed brunch with my family, followed by a trip to Boot Barn for some authentic cowgirl boots (thanks, Mama), a Yankees-Rockies game, and ended with dancing the night away at the Irish Rover. Growing up I always disliked having my birthday in the middle of the Summer, because I never got to bring in birthday cupcakes for my classmates. As I got older, however, I realized how awesome a Summer birthday is and now know that I was meant to be a Cancer baby.
Mama<3Me, G, and free birthday shots
My love for traveling has made a birthday trip now a tradition. Since 2020, I have had the joy of sharing my birthday with my closest friends, always planning a trip to remember. 23 was celebrated in Austin, Texas – quite a change up from the previous two years in Vegas. As much fun as Austin was, I do not recommend planning a trip there in the dead of July, unless you love the beating sun and 80 degree (f) nights out. Nonetheless, my friends made me feel like a princess gifting me with 818 tequila and birthday cake in our stunning Airbnb that overlooked the riverfront.
After being back in Denver for a brief two weeks, G and I made our way up to Toronto, Ontario, for a weekend to see our all time favorite EDM group, Rufus Du Sol. Our “hotel” room was actually a joke, with its one twin bed and single desk chair. But of course, G and I always make the most of things and took it as a sign to avoid the room at all costs by exploring the city of Toronto. I don’t know why I thought going to Canada was going to be somewhat of a life altering experience, but it’s pretty much just like the United States, except for the occasional ‘ay’ and friendlier strangers. Rufus was obviously the highlight, and there’s no better person I would have wanted to experience ‘Innerbloom’ live with than G.
Dom celebrated his 18th birthday in New Jersey with our great uncle Donald, and enjoyed his last few weeks of Summer before heading off to start his Creighton adventure. After sharing a few ‘see you soon’ hugs, I headed back to the midwest myself for my friend Molly’s 5th annual Kalb Family Boil. The Boil takes place every year in the small (but quickly growing) town of Waconia, MN and is an event that isn’t to be missed. Molly, her five siblings, and their significant others throw the most legendary seafood boil. The weekend was filled with drinking games, baby Luke time (Molly’s adorable newborn nephew), and loads of crab, crawfish, potatoes, corn, and more. Molly is the only single one out of her siblings, but lucky for us that means we get to be her +1 (or +6) every year.
Dom and Oliver’s grad party!!Waconia!Boil baby
I drove down to Minneapolis later that weekend to see my aunt Christine, uncle Jason, and three sweet little cousins Addison, Payton, and Jackson. It’s rare that I get to spend time with my extended family, so I was sure to enjoy every moment, most notably our trips to the winery and Barbie movie. However, it wasn’t long before September came around the corner and the entire family was reunited for the most epic event of the year.
Addison and Payton!
Christian and Meo were home from Vietnam, Dom was off at Creighton, G was navigating her future career through yoga and real estate, Joseph was turning 14, and I was headed for my year in London. In lieu of each of these major life events, Mom and Dad hosted a pig-roast and invited about 150 of our closet friends and family to share these moments with us. Friends and family drove, trained, and flew from all over the world to spend an entire day with us dancing, mingling, munching, and enjoying. The Addiego clan came in from Sacramento, Prostrollo’s from Minneapolis, and my dear friend Lexi from Omaha. Nobody knows how to throw a better party than the Scipione’s and this was sure a day that will forever go down in history.
Welcome to America, Meo!All the cousins! Sweet bestie, Lexi! Synnott girlsMom and Dad ❤
Weeks later, Christian and Meo were officially engaged and I was on my plane to London. In my most recent London blog, I shared the challenges I was facing during my initial few weeks of my life, thousands of miles away, on my own. I am proud to say that I have begun settling in with much more ease and I am finally starting to embrace the fact that I have set myself on this journey of a lifetime. I have learned how to love hanging out alone and encouraged myself to go outside of my comfort zone to build new friendships.
Umbrella selfie Too cute
October was a filled with fruitful new friendships that I now hold dear to my heart. My friend Molly is a joy to be around and someone that feels like home. The two of us were initially supposed to live together, and although things fell through, we made sure to stay in touch and explore the best (and worst) of London’s pubs and nightlife. Molly introduced me to my now, best friend, Nadeem at a gay club called Heaven. Nadeem has pretty much become my twin flame ever since and we have a shared love for adventure and just purely iconic moments. I met Jason through mutual Omaha connections, and he has continued to be one of my closest friends as well.
Molly!Nadeem! Jason, Imogen, Nadeem, and Miss Kaylee!
I started November in Spain with Lindsey and spent the rest of the month focused on school. I absolutely love what I am learning and cannot wait to see what my future career has in store. I have a different answer for pretty much every person who asks “what is that?” when I tell them I am earning my master’s in Global Health and Public Policy. While my answer is usually along the lines of, “well you know the WHO, and CDC? yeah, basically that”, I realize that this is absolutely no help. Although, I think it’s usually my answer because I am still not even fully sure what global health truly means to me given its broad discourse. Either that, or I can’t be bothered to mansplain to people who usually don’t really give a shit.
What I do know, however, is this is the first time in my academic career where I have never felt more challenged to think critically about the world that we live in. We all live in such bubbles, and while I believe there isn’t any inherent fault in this, I have learned that it is a personal obligation to actively reflect on the the core of who you are and where you come from. None of us have any control over the lives of which we are born into, but I do encourage those that will listen to go outside of their comfort zone and ask questions about things that don’t always seem to make sense. I share this in the space of not just exploring the current global events and tragedies happening around the world today, but also in a reflective space of the people you choose to love, lean on, and learn from.
Kat! Department friends!Pauline, Lily, and Kat!
My first semester at King’s College ended early December and I celebrated with a friendsgiving, lunch dates in the city, and Christmas drinks before saying goodbye to many of my friends as we all went our separate ways heading into the new year. I made a visit back home to Denver to surprise my parents and hang out with my siblings, friends, and Bonnie.
Xmas dinner with Molly and Sara!Lunch time viewsGoodbye drinks
My trip home was put on hold for 24 hours after missing my connecting flight in Iceland. As discouraged as I was, I took it as a sign to make the most of it. Icelandair hooked me up with a night’s stay in a hotel nearby along with some free meal vouchers. I met a guy from New York who was in the same situation, so we ended up having dinner and drinks together. We wandered around the town of Keflavik, searching for the Northern Lights, only to end up at the local Irish bar called Paddy’s. Numerous shots of traditional Icelandic liquor called Brennivin, also known as ‘Black Death’, led to a random, but wild, Saturday night in Iceland.
Iceland selfie!
I eventually made it home and Mom and Dad were pretty much speechless. It felt so good being back and taking the time to rest and recharge. I kept thinking about how I couldn’t believe I have an entire different life now in a city across the world. It still feels incredibly surreal, and as I sit on my flight back, writing this year in review, I am filled with so many emotions. While I am thrilled that 2023 has been one I will never forget, I am sad leaving my family yet again, unsure of the next time I will see them. But, home will always be home and it’s a joy in of itself to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
Surprise!The girls go to Texas Roadhouse
This year will conclude with Christmas in Copenhagen, followed by a trip to Berlin, and New Years in London with five of my closest friends. My three best high school friends, Matthew, Caitlyn, and Nick, and my close college friend Maddy and her roommate, will be meeting me in Copenhagen to celebrate the holiday all together. Matthew has just been accepted to medical school, Caitlyn is finishing up her master’s degree at Syracuse, and Nick just started a big boy job in NYC. 2024 will be just about 10 years of the four of us being friends, so a mini Europe tour to end and start 2023 and 2024 is just what we need. I will be sure to share some of our wholesome, or unhinged, adventures when the time comes.
In the meantime, I am living out all of my wildest dreams, ones that I didn’t even think could be made possible. A big thank you to every person that follows along Bella’s Blogs. And a big congratulations to every one of my friends and family who have celebrated major life milestones this year. Your endless love and encouragement is what makes all of this possible and there is no better life that I wish to be living. Hats off to you 2023, and cheers to 2024, we welcome you with nothing but joy, love, and grace – let’s ride!!!.
Hola de Alicante, España!! I am writing from my 18-bed hostel with my best friend, Lindsey lying right below me. Lindsey has been traveling around Europe for the last two months and is currently living in Madrid with a host family teaching two cute little kids English. Lindsey’s solo travels have seemed to be nothing short of amazing and I am so proud of her for taking the time to enjoy herself and explore our magical world.
We met up in Alicante on Wednesday and have spent the last 72 hours catching up on each other’s lives. The trip started with a reunion on the beach followed by some delicious tapas and paella. The two of us desperately needed some sunshine and bestie time, and surely not a minute was wasted.
Upon arriving to our hostel, we were greeted by two British blokes named Dale and James. Dale and James’ energy was completely contagious and set a nice positive tone for our stay at Hostal Numero Trece. Dale has spent two and a half months at the hostel and prides himself on being the face of the space. Every person that walks through those doors will be sure to know all about Dale and his kind, goofy self.
After a nice long siesta, Lindsey and I got ready to go out and explore Alicante’s nightlife. A sweet drink on the marina lead to free tequila shots at a bar called Haka. Before we knew it we were on our way to the club Opikum with our friend James and a group of Irish and French boys. Because it was a Wednesday night, the club wasn’t crowded at all. And thank goodness for that, I don’t know if we would have been able to dominate the dancefloor the way we did if not. Lindsey and I made some more friends from the Netherlands and completely lost track of time dancing and singing to hip hop and reggaeton. I don’t think I can even count the amount of characters that we met this night, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
5 am hit and we decided it was probably best to start heading back to the hostel. We strutted down the street, making tik tok’s and having dance breaks along the way. Much to our surprise, there was Dale at the front door, glass of red wine in hand, ready for a late night (or early morning) chat. An hour and a half and some snack smashing later, it was time for bed.
As one could probably assume, yesterday morning was a rough one. By 2pm, Lindsey and I resurrected and went for some lunch and pastries at a café called Santa Gloria. Santa Gloria made our hangovers much more tolerable, and fueled us up before heading to el Castillo de Santa Barbara.
El Castillo de Santa Barbara is Alicante’s most infamous landmark and has the most incredible views of the city. We walked around the castle in awe trying to find the perfect spot to watch the sunset. A little off trailing took us to one of the most beautiful spots of the castle. There’s nothing quite like watching the sunset with your best friend in a country thousands of miles away from home. Lindsey is my oldest friend of 21+ years and I just know the 10 year old versions of us would think we are pretty awesome.
After getting swept away by an intense windstorm, we headed back to our hostel for one last night together. Our original plans of going out to grab some food were changed when we walked downstairs and ran into Dale and James yet again. A quick chat turned into a group of 8 hostel mates sharing stories, drinking beers, and listening to music. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love playing DJ and I don’t go anywhere without a speaker on hand. There’s no better compliment than others enjoying and appreciating your music just as much as you, and I was very pleased to provide a nice range of tunes for the night.
Out of respect for the rest of the hostel, we moved our little party up to the terrace. With the 8 of us sitting in a circle, Lindsey and I thought it would be fun to teach everyone some classic American camp/ice breaker games. We spent almost 5 hours playing ‘down by the banks’, ‘human knot’, ‘ninja’, and ‘paranoia’.The games were such a fun way to get to know one another and embrace our inner child.
After a few rounds of ninja, Dale and James left for 10 minutes and returned with two bottles of champagne. The champagne was such a sweet gesture and a special cheers to the connections that were blooming. The night could not have been more perfect and saying goodnight was very bittersweet.
I will continue to reiterate how important human connection is and how much it shapes us as individual beings. Meeting new people from different walks of life not only broadens the mind, but is essential to how we live. As humans we long to love and be loved. And especially with today’s current world events and political climate, love, compassion, and kindness are more crucial than ever.
I am headed back to my life in London and look forward to making even more connections and growing in the ones that I have started. A special shout-out to Lindsey for being the most amazing best friend. Lindsey, you are forever my soulmate and this world is so much brighter because of your light. I love you!!
It has officially been one week since making my move to London. In all honesty, it has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. I am extremely emotional and it is taking everything in me to hold myself together and express myself through a space of positive self-reflection. I was hesitant to write about and share the start of my journey, because the feelings of anxiety and self-doubt circulate through my mind in various moments of my days. However, as I sit at my hotel bar with my bottle of Pinot Grigio, I remind myself that not far around the corner is a chapter turned and a version of myself who is transformed.
In the last week I have adjusted to the hustle and bustle of London city culture, started classes as a master’s student, toured various shared homes and flats, and moved myself and five bags of luggage around three different places of accommodation. Every day brings new challenges and I do my best to navigate them with patience and resilience. I have quickly become accustomed to my reality that this shit ain’t easy and all I can do is take it one day at a time.
Despite these shortcomings, it is only right that I get to share some of the joys of my long, but quick, week here. Last Friday I was able to meet my future flatmates, Sally and Ali, who I absolutely love and adore. They are both British natives and I will be joining them in their lovely flat located East of London, in an area called Stratford. Nobody tells you how seriously difficult and competitive the housing market is in London. And although I am unable to move into the flat for another two weeks, I consider myself so lucky that I quickly found a place that I can soon call home.
On Saturday, I decided the best form of self-care of the day was to take myself dancing to the club, Infernos. Infernos is the club that our British mates Mungo, Archie, Tom, Hugo, and George took G and I to last time we were in London. Funny enough, exactly one year ago from when we were there last, I was there again, and even ran into the boys once again (totally unplanned). It felt so good seeing the boys and catching up – most definitely a sign from the universe that things are working out exactly the way they are supposed to.
Declan, an Aussie I met at Infernos
I had my first day of classes on Tuesday and am re-adjusting to life as a student. This semester I am taking two courses, one in Critical Bioethics and the other in Critical Global Health. My classes consist of 30-60 students from over 20 countries. In the field of Global Health, it is seemingly important to hear from different voices around the world. We are all encouraged to approach our own work critically in regards to our own context. In other words, how does my own cultural background and upbringing shape my thoughts, opinions, and ideas about the social determinants of health. It is incredible to be in a room with so many people of different disciplinary backgrounds and listen to their own lived experiences. We have so much to learn from the people who are different from us, and I am so grateful to be in a space where I am able to do just that.
Grandma and her good friend, Sanaa, had just finished a cruise around the Mediterannean and spent three days in London exploring. The timing worked out absolutely perfect and I was able to spend three nights with the two of them enjoying and exploring my new city. We saw the Lion King at the famous Lyceum theater and enjoyed a four-course river cruise dinner on the Thames River. I love my Grandma so much and could not have been more excited that she was here to be my crutch through this tough week.
I will be staying in a hostel for the next two weeks until my flat is ready to move in and will be taking the time each day to embrace the upcoming challenges. And as I write this and find myself on the brink of tears, I recognize that this continues to be the absolute journey of a lifetime, and for that I remain hopeful and thankful. When we are growing we are always out of our comfort zone. The most we can do is to live, embrace, and enjoy. I share this through a form of self-affirmation, but hope that it encourages strangers and loved ones to do just the same. Make your happiness and personal growth a priority in your life. The more you take care of yourself, the more you can take care of others.
Hi everyone and welcome back to Bella’s blogs! It is almost impossible to believe that I am sitting in DIA right now, sippin’ on my blackberry margarita, about to embark on one of the greatest life adventures yet. I am so excited to share that I am officially on my way to London, England to attend King’s College of London’s Masters of Science program, with an emphasis on Global Health, Social Justice, and Public Policy. After a year of adventure and traveling with G, I have decided to take a huge leap of faith and move myself (along with my five bags of luggage) 4685 mi (7540 km) across the pond.
One of my favorite music artists, Odesza, has a song titled, “This Version of You”. As I find myself caught up in all of the emotions that this next chapter brings, I look towards this song for comfort, safety, and reassurance. It is a reminder that this version of myself is being welcomed to see things as they really are. “This version of you simply becomes real”. I am here, right where I am supposed to be, being guided and support by not just my amazing family and friends, but by myself. I am anxious and I am scared. I am excited and I am curious. Both sides of these emotions are coupled together and urging me to enjoy and be present in every single moment that this next chapter brings.
To my family and friends, I love you so much and I would not be this version of myself without your continued love and support. I am forever grateful that I have a support system that makes saying goodbye so f***ing hard. Your love lives within every part of me and will be spread to every new connection and experience that I encounter. It is time for growth and I cannot wait to see what next versions of myself I get to share with all of you and the rest of our crazy, beautiful world.
G and I have concluded our travels around Australia. We are leaving the world down under full of emotion and with a completely different outlook on life. When you are placed in an environment different than your own, you learn and observe the different ways in which people in other societies live and interact. You become exposed to new ways of life, ones that make you question your own purpose. Our time in Europe last Fall introduced us to this mindset, but I speak for both G and I when I say our travels in Australia not only solidified a lot of the emotions and feelings we had already experienced, but transformed them.
Time is such a funny thing. We left Sydney at 8pm Tuesday night and landed at our first stop in Honolulu (10 hours later) at noon, still on Tuesday. Maybe some of you will come at for me not properly understanding the concept of time but in my mind, G and I are now fully certified time travelers. We are currently on flight two of three back to Colorado and while we are both exhausted, we are leaving Australia with new mates, endless memories, and an abundance of love filled in our hearts.
G at golf club
We started our first night in Sydney with Jesse, Callan, and Michael at the golf club for some dinner and Keno. G and I were so excited to see the boys again and spend the rest of our time in their company. We spent most of the weekend relaxing in Callan and Jesse’s unit watching movies and sharing some of our favorite Byron, Melbourne, and Surfer’s Paradise adventures. We attempted to have one last night out in Sydney on Saturday, but ended up drinking beers outside of a bar for about two hours instead. Despite not stepping foot into the bar, (except to use the bathroom), G, Callan, Dane, and I found it special that we could all still have a lovely time together doing the simplest of things.
On Sunday night, G and I thought it was only right to cook a meal, Scipione style, for the boys before saying goodbye. We called up our Dad for some secret Scipione family recipes and headed to the supermarket to buy all of the works. We cooked up homemade spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmesan, with some caprese and fruit salad on the side. While the food wasn’t as perfect as our Dads, G and I were proud of the outcome and hoped the boys enjoyed the food as much as we enjoyed cooking it.
Home-cooked meal, Scipione style YumCallman, G, and Michael posing “for the blog”
Dane and Callan were off to New Zealand and Michael had to return to work Monday, so our last two days without them were spent relaxing at Bondi and Malabar beach soaking up the sun before returning home to the freezing cold. Callan, Michael, and Dane are all such sweet blokes and we are forever grateful to have them in our lives. G and I grew a lot closer to each one of them, learning more about them as people and observing them in their home environments. Callan has the kindest heart and is always one to make others feel included, safe, and valued. Michael is driven, caring, and spirited. He is full of so much potential and will always be there to listen. And Dane is someone who knows how to brighten your day, with his goofiness and effortless kindness. These boys are mates for life and we cannot wait to see them soon again one day.
G and I found it necessary to get matching sister tattoos before coming home. Since our time at the art museum in Melbourne was so profound, we decided to get some permanent lotus flowers on our arms. We both broke into tears walking into the flower room at the art experience. In Vietnam, (where our brother, Christian, is living), the Lotus flower is the national flower. It is known as the flower of the dawn and is the symbol of purity, commitment and optimism for the future. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater and rises and opens again at dawn. These lotuses are a forever reminder of the beauty of life and that my sister will always be with me, no matter where we are in the world.
Bondi beachMalabar beach
As I watch the sun set beneath the clouds, I find myself in some deep and profound conclusions. This feels like an end to a movie – a movie full of different plots and character developments. There was drama, adventure, and comedy; moments that your mind can replay over and over again if you just close your eyes. And while we were unable to see a lot of the glorious ‘touristy’ things Australia has to offer, I am going home with zero regrets and a better appreciation for every aspect in my life.
G and I have had many meaningful conversations ever since our visit to the ‘LUME Melbourne’. Throughout all of these conversations, one thing that G said that stood out to me was, ‘our only purpose is to live’. There are many ways that this can be explained or interpreted but these words speak exactly for what they mean. We are placed on this Earth with the understanding that our life has meaning and it has purpose. I reckon this to be true, however over time, we as humans are constantly seeking a deeper purpose. Society, especially American society, has made it seem that the only path to happiness and success is granted through power, control, and assets. The gap grows wider as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We are working to survive, when we should be working to live. We try to find purpose within our identities and how we are labeled and perceived by society; but at the end of the day our only purpose should be to live – to live and to be and to enjoy.
Living is something most Europeans and Australians know how to do best. Parents are actively engaged in their children’s lives, small businesses thrive, and people do things they genuinely enjoy. I have always been someone that is drawn to helping those in need, it is something that I enjoy (hence my degree in Social Work). However, I often struggled with the thought that maybe I only enjoyed helping others for the wrong reasons – reasons out of guilt or shame for the privileged life that I have lived. These thoughts scared me. I didn’t want to be a part of the small percentage of individuals in the helping professions that are labeled with a ‘white savior complex’ or struggle with ‘survivor’s guilt’. But what I have come to realize is that the shared goal of those of us in helping professions is that we strive to help our clients succeed by giving them resources to better their life conditions. Basic human needs like access to healthcare, housing, food, water, and safety. Needs that are often not met in America and other parts of the world. Conditions that provide you with such a simple purpose, the purpose to live.
And while I could go on more of a tangent, this is not a persuasive essay, I am not in school anymore, and these blogs are meant to be light-hearted. So, I will leave it at this: I encourage you to live a life full of wonder, love, and admiration. Be curious, ask questions, and learn from people with different ideas and opinions than your own. Love. Love unconditionally, fiercely, and courageously. Appreciate and admire the special people in your life. We are not who we are without our friends and family, so hold on to each and every one of them dearly. And always, always, tell someone you love them. You never know what day will be your last.
I am a few days behind on blogging our recent adventures. G and I arrived back in Sydney early Friday morning and are staying at Callan and Jesse’s place for the remainder of our trip. It feels good being back in Sydney and ending our trip where it all started. Visiting the boys was one of our main reasons for coming to Australia, so I am glad we have been able to spend as much time with them as we have. Michael, Callan, Dane, and Jesse will always be such special people in both of our lives and we are so lucky to have friends for life in a world thousands of miles away. We are unsure of our plans for our last three days but I know we will enjoy and appreciate every minute.
City of Melbourne
Our last two days in Melbourne included a visit to the ‘LUME’ art museum and ‘Eureka’ tower. Eureka Skydeck is the southern hemisphere’s highest observation deck at nearly 980 feet (300 meters). The boys we met in Byron Bay, Tim and Rory, trained an hour to the city to see us for our last night. They treated us to dinner at a restaurant on Yarra River. The restaurant was literally floating on the river and our table overlooked the city’s skyline. We shared pizzas and cocktails before starting our night out. The evening started at a cute little mini golf place called, ‘Holey Moley’. Tequila shots were followed by one of Holey Moley’s signature cocktails, ‘Rub a Dub Tub’. We played 18 holes of mini golf, Rory being champion of the first nine and G and Tim tying for first place for the latter nine. In other words, I was the loser (I blame it on the heels).
After our 18 rounds of the multi-sensory labyrinth of putt putt holes, we made our way to a bar called Lucky Thursday’s. The four of us spent hours dancing at the underground club. G and I are so happy we met Rory and Tim back in Byron and are lucky to have met boys who share our love for boogying and who never let a day go to waste. They both radiate love and show genuine care for all those they come in contact with – something so admirable. We have convinced the two of them to come visit us in Colorado – contingent upon us learning how to ski. We had an early plane ride to Sydney the next morning, so we parted ways with Tim and Rory and headed straight from the club to the airport.
Rory and GMe and TimRub a Dub TubView of Yarra river
I speak for both G and I when I say that our time in Melbourne changed our lives and growth mindset. In my last blog, I mentioned the works of Claude Monet and his impressionist philosophy. I wrote my previous blog shortly after we visited the ‘LUME’ art exhibit in Melbourne. The entire experience shifted my views on the world and has completely overwhelmed me with emotion, guiding me towards a new perspective of life. I have had some time to reflect on this experience and feel ready to share some of my insights.
The LUME Melbourne invites you on a journey through the vibrant world of French Impressionism. Part of the Impressionist philosophy was to capture a single moment in time on the canvas, preserving the sensation of the experience – the impression. The featured experience, Monet and Friends, compels you to leave the world behind and step into this fascinating period of modern art. From the musical score to the little details of using modern technology to bring different paintings to life, the experience completely echoed the mood and emotions of the 19th century.
I thought of both my Grandpa Bob and Grandma Joyce as I walked through the different spaces of the exhibit. I could picture my Grandpa sitting and reflecting on the various quotes of French impressionists displayed on the screen and my Grandma walking around and admiring each and every piece of the modern art. I’m unsure as to what exactly moved me so deeply, but I found myself crying on the floor and discerning all of the moments in my life that have lead me to exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Impressionist painters captured moments they saw and sensed, often depicting ordinary people and ordinary things. Their paintings were rarely staged, instead resembling a specific snapshot in time. ‘Art is about emotion; if art needs to be explained it is no longer art’ – Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The things we perceive through our eyes and how our brain understands what we perceive are two very different things. As I sat and watched each painting come to life, I came to realize that what is so extraordinary about life is really all the things we find so mundane.
It’s sitting in a room of silence with your best friends, holding each other, crying, and grieving. Extraordinary is home cooked dinners on a weekday with your family, finding time to come together despite everyone’s busy schedules. It’s going out to dinner with a person you love after a long day at work. Beauty is all around us and if we have the desire to truly appreciate it, we require an attitude of open receptivity; a willingness to receive and feel things that are usually met with an upturned nose – refusing to accept something that is sincerely good. Finding beauty in the mundane forces us to let go of our misguided judgements. Our world is full of wonder and mystery, and if you take a minute to pause and feel what you perceive, the world will be revealed in the most dazzling, impressive, and unpredictable ways.
Bella Scipione 