Bryce Conway: Owner of 10XTravel

By Halie Taylor

Bryce Conway: Travel and Personal Finance Guru

On a consistent basis Bryce Conway found himself giving travel advice to friends, family or anyone who asked. Becoming quite the expert on topics like points and miles he felt compelled to help more people with his insider knowledge so with this in mind Bryce created 10XTravel.

"[10XTravel is] a community focused on travels, personal finance, and the lifestyle that is afforded by being able to travel the world for next to nothing."

Sounds awesome, right!?

Bryce hopes his site will help those yearning to travel, but who are afraid of the financial commitment, learn that they can travel without a lot of financial strain. This is such an important mission to Bryce because he knows first hand how life changing travel can be.

His exposure to so many different cultures has given him a brand new outlook on people and how differently each person experiences the world. Travel has also given him the opportunity to really look inside himself, to figure out all his likes and dislikes and to really learn who he is.

The need to depend on yourself and make decisions in tough situations is a character builder like no other and Bryce loves that he has cultivated himself into person he is today because of this.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYCE CONWAY (PRAGUE)

For Bryce, travel is a chance to break out of your normal routine and become aware of the world around you which is why he urges people to take the leap and begin traveling.

Travel forces you to escape your comfort zone and thrusts you into situation where you learn all sorts of new things whether that be about a particular culture, a certain tradition or more about yourself.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYCE CONWAY (THAILAND)

With so many amazing trips under his belt, Bryce struggles to nail down just one destination that is better than the rest because each destination has something unique and special about it.

However, Thailand is a destination that always sticks out in his mind because it has so much to offer: incredible people, amazing food, low cost of living and a range of beautiful sites/areas.

Another "traveler's utopia" that sticks out in Bryce's mind is Italy. Having spent time in such places as Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany, Bryce was blown away by the landscape of the area while food and wine were just as amazing as the people.

All of these things, added to the laid back culture and inspiring history, make Italy a must visit destination. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYCE CONWAY (VENICE, ITALY)

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYCE CONWAY (VENICE, ITALY)

We agree with Bryce and love his mission! Here in the travel industry we love working together to help create amazing experiences for you!

"Travel opens the doors for a new way of thinking and a deeper understanding of yourself. It’s an opportunity to learn and grow."

To learn more about Bryce and to grab a FREE copy of his EBook "How to Travel the World in Luxury for Next To Nothing" visit his site 10X Travel.

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Halie is the Travel Marketing Trends Coordinator for Travel Italian Style and is currently a senior at College of Charleston in Charleston, SC where she is majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Living in Charleston, Halie developed a love for beautiful scenery and unique culture. This love led her to her passion for travel which allows her to discover beautiful scenery and unique cultures in places all over the world. When she is not daydreaming about her next traveling adventure she can be found redoing warn out furniture found on the side of the road, writing fiction and attempting Pinterest crafts.

Photo Tour of Bologna, Italy

By Giorgio Nardini

Bologna

A little history for you: largest city and capital of Emilia-Romagna, the 1-million population town has been a melting pot of cultures since the Etruscans and Celts and is home to the oldest university in the world that dates back to 1088.

Bologna is a lively and very livable city. You can easily move around by walking or by bike. I visited Bologna last year for just one day. I hopped on a train from Rome in the morning and got back in the evening; a tiring adventure, but well worth it!

If you ask any Italian what's the first thing that comes to mind when you say "Bologna", they will say "Tortellini".

PHOTO BY GIORGIO

These rings stuffed with meat and sometimes cheese, are usually served in a broth of beef or chicken. I personally prefer them dry like the ones in the picture.

PHOTO BY GIORGIO

Other than tortellini, a must-eat local food is mortadella. It’s a sort of huge sausage made of pork (and pork fat, the white circles you see in the picture here) and spiced up with black pepper and pistachios. It’s a classic in every Italian region though: a “panino” with mortadella was my daily lunch during university because it’s cheap and delicious. In Bologna, it’s accompanied with tigelle. See those round slice of breads? Those are tigelle, usually served warm. And yes, everything else is good on a tigella: cheese, salami or ham.

Aside from the DELICIOUS food, there are also some great cultural attractions in Bologna.

PHOTO BY GIORGIO

Portici are these elegant archways that line a large part of the city's streets. There are more than 23 miles of portici in the old town only. If you count the outskirt's portici, it's 36 miles!

PHOTO BY GIORGIO

Between the XII and XIII century, the total number of towers reached 100. Nowadays only 24 survived.  Two towers of Bologna are ones of the landmarks of the city: the tallest one is called Torre degli Asinelli, while the shorter one is the Garisenda.

“As when one sees the tower called Garisenda from underneath its leaning side, and then a cloud passes over and it seems to lean the more, thus did Antaeus seem to my fixed gaze as I watched him bend…”

-Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, Inferno, XXXI, 136-140

PHOTO BY GIORGIO

PHOTO BY GIORGIO

Surrounded by historic and administrative buildings, Piazza Maggiore is the main square of Bologna. This majestic Medieval wonder dates back to 1200s and it was one of the first piazza built after the Roman Empire’s downfall. It is spectacular at night.

Bologna is a destination you don't want to miss out on.

Want to visit some other awesome places in Italy? Check out some of Travel Italian Style's tours!

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Giorgio Velardita Nardiniand was born and raised outside Rome! He is joining the TIS team as International Public Relations and Branding Advisor. As a passionate amateur photographer, traveling is the thing he loves the most  can’t live a day without thinking about his next destination. When not researching for TIS, Giorgio shares his photos and advice on his very own blog wanderlustdaily.com/en which is written in both in Italian and in English. His goal is to inspire people to travel more. While he loves Italy his dream is to live somewhere in the USA (every since his first visit in 2009 when he was 18 & fell in love with the American culture (and burgers). Oh yes: he is also a foodie. Say “pasta” and “pizza” and Giorgio is your friend.

An Average Day in Florence, Italy

By Kelsey Gibson

Ever wonder what an average day in Florence is like?

 

"One of the great joys of traveling through Italy is discovering firsthand that it is, indeed, a dream destination."

 

Living life in a foreign city that is so full of life, art and entertainment makes it impossible to be bored. Working in Florence creates the challenge of balancing work and play. Let me take you through an average day of mine while living in Florence.

Mornings:

Working in the evenings made me make the most of my mornings and early afternoons before heading off to work. My day started in the early morning with a run down to the Arno River, across to Santo Spirito, or, if I am feeling ambitious, up to Piazzale Michelangelo! Running always got my day started and let me enjoy the peace in the city before the streets got crowded with tourists and locals.  After returning to my apartment to get ready for the day, I would stop by the caffe across the street in order to get my daily cappuccino or espresso on my way to the Oblate Library, a quiet spot in Santa Croce, or a near by park to read a good book or work on some assignments. Not many cafes are made to do work in like Starbucks and other coffee shops in the states, so the library is a better option for that as well as having an excellent view of the Duomo too! However, if you are determined to find a coffee shop with wifi, Ardnold Coffee by the train station is a great place to grab something to eat, people watch, and get some work done!

PHOTO BY KELSEY, ARNO RIVER

PHOTO BY KELSEY, SANTO SPIRITO

Afternoons:

After getting some light reading or work done, I head to the Central Market or Sandwichic, my all time favorite panini shop on Via San Gallo, to grab a light lunch. After lunch I would walk around and explore a new area of town that I may not have ever been to before. My favorite place to walk around is the Oltrarno neighborhood. There is always a new shop or caffe that I haven’t seen before that turns out to be a hidden gem. Last summer I found a tea shop, La Via Del Te with a friend where we sat for hours reading and enjoying time together in their beautiful back garden. Then, heading to work around 6 was also not a boring part of the day! I always looked forward to going to Touch to eat dinner with the restaurant family and working with my local friends!

PHOTO BY KELSEY, SANDWICHIC

PHOTO BY KELSEY, LA VIA DEL TE

Days Off:       

On my days off, I would love to go to the pool and rides bikes in Cascine Park. It is extremely easy to get to by bus and only about a 15-minute ride. There you can rent bikes, pay for a day at the pool, enjoy the outdoor market, or simply walk around and enjoy the scenery. I also recommend going to the beach by San Niccolo or finding a ride to the parks further outside of town.  San Niccolo’s beach also hosts some great free live bands and dancing on certain nights. Getting outside of the city center not only broadens your perspective of a city, but it also gets you out of the stagnant heat in the city center and gives you a nice breeze to cool off. Add a bit of gelato on the way and your day is made!

PHOTO BY KELSEY, CASCINE PARK

PHOTO BY KELSEY, SAN NICCOLO

I woke up every day in Florence excited to take on the day and see what it had in store for me. Due to their laid back culture, Italy is the perfect place to take a deep breath, let everything else go, and simply be in the moment to enjoy the little things in life.

Find it out for yourself and join one of our trips this summer to take in the sweet life, la dolce vita, of Italy and find a little more of yourself!

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Kelsey is the Part Time Assistant Travel Consultant for Travel Italian Style and is a student at the University of Mississippi studying Hospitality Management with a minor in Spanish and Business Administration. Kelsey took part in an exchange program in Argentina in high school which created a flourishing passion for travel and learning about other cultures. From then on she took every advantage to study abroad and backpack through Europe. This past summer, Kelsey interned for a local restaurant, Touch, in Florence, Italy and fell in love with the Italian culture. She was able to have a real local experience by making friends with coworkers and locals. She wants to make it possible for everyone who travels to be completely immersed into the culture in order to gain another perspective and to be able to enjoy life even more.