• Travels With Nerds
  • Travels With Nerds

Wild Queens in Italy

Wellness retreat with Wild Queens Rising followed by some solo travel! Read more
  • Wait Some More

    April 20 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Made it to my gate with all my pieces (but not my pride) intact.

    My bank recently switched to Discover debit cards, which aren't accepted much in Italy. Silly me thinking businesses at the airport would accept pretty much everything.

    The account I use to pay bills doesn't have enough to cover the withdrawal, conversion rates, and international transaction fees because, well, I use it to pay bills. And those come out even when you travel.

    My main credit card? The one with travel points and no international transaction fees? No one knows why it's not working.

    The lady behind me in line paid for my breakfast when she saw me struggling. I was willing to walk away (it's not like I couldn't stand to miss a meal or two), but she insisted. I have her all my (American) cash and asked if she had a Venmo, but she just wants me to pay it forward.

    You know I will. Thank goodness for travel angels.
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  • Made It On Board!

    April 20 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Want to know how to get pulled for security screening? Because I think I checked all the boxes.

    1. Purchase a one-way ticket.
    2. Change your seat assignment the night before your flight.
    3. Try to understand rules that don't make sense and choose not to go talk to someone else about it because it still won't make sense.
    4. Have odd things like jeweled pill cases containing your ibuprofen that set off security scanners.
    5. Run hot when you're moving and cold when you're not so that you set off all the microwave scanners because of your layers at security.
    6. Put your hair up with a hair stick instead of a scrunchie. (I actually skipped that one this time.)
    7. Wear giant shoes (like hiking boots) so you don't have to take space in your luggage packing them.
    8. Run out of money.
    9. Change clothes at the airport.
    10. After changing clothes, realize your boarding pass did not update with your new seat assignment and request printed boarding passes.

    What am I missing?
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    Trip end
    April 20, 2026