one way flight to europe... ✈️

Packing your entire life into a single suitcase isn’t just a logistical nightmare.

It’s an identity crisis wrapped in a 50-lb weight limit.

Because this isn’t just about willpower—it’s about playing God with your belongings. Deciding which parts of your life get to come with you and which ones get banished to storage, never to be seen again.

It’s emotional Tetris on expert mode, with a TSA agent judging your every move.

Every item I fold—a sweater that saw me through endless Boston winters, the shoes that danced on cobblestones during late-night dinners, the worn journal with scribbled promises to myself—feels like a tiny, high-stakes battle between comfort and freedom.

And right now, freedom is winning—but only because I’ve convinced myself that yes, Genta, you can survive with just two pairs of jeans.

And yet, in 11 days, Danny and I will zip up these definitely overweight bags, roll them through an airport, and board a one-way flight to Europe.

🚫 No return ticket.
🚫 No backup plan.
🚫 No “let’s see how it goes.”

Just us, two suitcases, and the bravest, messiest, most are-we-seriously-doing-this versions of ourselves.

(If you see me at the airport, locked in an emotional standoff with my suitcase, whispering “You better weigh in at 49.9 lbs, you little liar”—no, you didn’t.)

For years, we talked about this. Over coffee. Over wine. Over long, exhausted sighs at our desks.

Dreaming of a life where freedom wasn’t something you had to negotiate with a Google Calendar.

A life where I wasn’t aggressively typing my best years away at a desk, waiting for PTO approval like a medieval peasant begging for the king’s blessing.

And now?

No more “one day.” 

No more “maybe next year.” 

We’re burning the boats.

Just us, Europe, and whatever chaos ensues.

It’s funny—big life changes don’t always announce themselves with a dramatic drumroll.

Sometimes it’s quiet.
Unassuming.

You're curled up on the couch, lukewarm coffee forgotten in your hand, scrolling past another Work-From-Anywhere reel, muttering bitterly to yourself, “Yeah, must be nice,” wondering if it’ll ever be you.

Maybe you’re sitting in traffic, staring at the brake lights ahead, realizing you don’t even recognize the life you’re living anymore.

Or maybe it’s not some grand, cinematic epiphany at all.

Maybe it’s just another Tuesday night. The pasta is boiling over. The TV is on in the background. And one of you says, "What if we just did it?"

And instead of laughing it off like every other time, you look at each other and realize… you’re actually serious.

That was us, last April.

And once we made the decision, everything else fell into place—almost suspiciously fast. Like the universe had been sitting there, arms crossed, waiting for us to finally catch up.

We kept waiting for the freakout.

The oh god, what are we doing?! moment.

The sweaty-palmed, middle-of-the-night panic spiral that would make us slam the brakes, retreat into our comfort zone, and decide that maybe next year would be a better time to blow up our entire lives.

It never came.

Not when we put in our notice for our apartment.
Not when we started selling our furniture.
Not even when I realized I was about to condense my entire wardrobe into the airline-approved weight limit of one checked bag.

Instead, the more real it became, the calmer we felt.

Which is when we knew—this wasn’t just a move. This was THE move.

So we booked the one-way ticket to a country most people only know from a Liam Neeson movie.

Wait… Albania?!

Yes. That Albania. And yes, I’m serious.

(Besides the fact that it’s literally in my blood—and yes, Danny is now an honorary Albanian. Working on his citizenship via excessive byrek consumption.)

Because when you say, “We’re moving to Europe!” people assume Paris. Barcelona. Maybe a charming little villa in the Italian countryside where I spend my mornings harvesting olives and my afternoons drinking wine with people named Franceska or Luca.

(Which, to be clear, I am still very available for.)

But Albania? That gets the look—the raised eyebrow, the confused nod, and if they’ve seen Taken—the immediate urge to stage an intervention about international crime rings.

Which is why we need to set the record straight.

Because while Hollywood decided Albania should be the backdrop for a kidnapping thriller, what they failed to mention is that it’s actually one of the most underrated, jaw-dropping places in Europe.

🌄 Mountains that look AI-generated.
🌊 Coastlines that could body the Amalfi.
🍅 Food so fresh, it makes grocery store tomatoes taste like cardboard.

And if you’re still picturing Liam prowling through streets that scream sketch with gritty warehouses?

Listen… I get it. Hollywood did us so dirty.

But let’s hit pause on the Taken trauma and give Albania her redemption arc, shall we?

Here’s what does it justice—with zero kidnappings and pink flamingos.

Be Taken By Albania

(You’re welcome. And yes, this should have won an Oscar.) 

And for us, it’s more than just a destination.

It’s a full-circle moment.

Danny and I said “I do” there in 2022, surrounded by mountains, lakes, and the kind of old-world charm that makes you wonder if time slowed down just for you.

Looking back, it’s almost laughable that we didn’t see this coming sooner.

Because standing there in my wedding dress, on cobblestone streets older than anything I’d ever known, I remember thinking—God, this place is magic.

And now, almost three years later, we’re not just visiting.

We’re moving in.

And if you think we’re doing this solo—think again.

Because the best part? You’re coming with us.

Not just in the watch-me-post-aesthetic-pics-from-a-cute-balcony kind of way.

In a real, unfiltered, buckle-up-because-this-is-actually-happening kind of way.

The breathtaking landscapes.
The inevitable “what have we done” meltdowns.
The culture shocks that leave me internally spiraling in a bakery.
The tiny, quiet moments that somehow feel more alive than anything I’ve felt in years.

I want you to feel like you’re right there with me. Whether you’ve always dreamed of doing something like this or you’re just here for the chaos and commentary—I’m bringing you along for all of it.

So over the next few months, expect more of this:

🇪🇺 Life in Europe—the good, the messy, and the kind of stories you know I’m going to overshare. From the sun-drenched streets of the South of France to the winding canals of Amsterdam, the wild beauty of the Albanian Alps, and the glassy, you’ve-gotta-be-kidding-me waters of Lake Como—we’re making the continent our backyard.

🌱 A completely different approach to wellness—because spoiler alert: Europeans are not blending protein powder at 6:30 AM or counting macros on their iPhones. And yet? They’re glowing. Maybe it’s the slower mornings. Maybe it’s the wine at lunch. Maybe it’s just fewer spreadsheets and more sunset walks along the coast.

🧳 What it’s really like to live out of a suitcase—the joy, the freedom, the absolute drama of realizing you packed three jackets and not one useful pair of shoes.

And more than anything? A new chapter. A new season. A reset in every sense of the word.

But here’s the thing no one really tells you about fresh starts: they’re not just about where you’re going. They’re also about what you’re willing to leave behind.

Because spring cleaning your life? It’s not just old sweaters and expired skincare.

It's about deciding what truly fits the person you're becoming.

For me, that means letting go of what no longer serves me—physically, mentally, emotionally, even geographically.

It’s about making space for the life I actually want to live.

For you? Maybe it’s something entirely different.

Maybe it’s letting go of routines that quietly drain you.
Maybe it’s finally saying yes to the thing you’ve been circling for months.
Maybe it’s just deciding that this season? Gets to feel lighter. Slower. More yours.

Whatever it looks like for you, , I hope you go all in.

Because what if it all falls into place faster than you think?

What if, instead of waiting for the “right” moment, you just decide—this is it?

What if the life you keep circling in your mind… the one that keeps nudging you in the quiet moments… isn’t some far-off fantasy?

What if it’s just been waiting for you to finally choose it?

I don’t know what your version looks like.

But I do know this—
The life you can’t stop thinking about?
It’s not just a dream. It’s a decision.
And no one else can make it for you.

So if not now… when?

I’ll let you sit with that.

In the meantime, Marko from Tropoja and his entire family are expecting us. 😉

Tell Liam to sit this one out—we’ve got it from here.

Your favorite soon-to-be European local,

— Genta

P.S. Ever had a screw it, let’s do it moment? Moved somewhere new? Quit the job? Took the leap? Hit reply and tell me your story—I want to hear it.

P.P.S. Been to Albania? Know someone who has? Drop your best recommendations—restaurants, hidden gems, places I absolutely need to see. I’m all ears.