Hello and Welcome to Andiamo Adventures!

I am Lisa DeSimone: avid traveler, amateur photographer, and lover of life.

 

When I was growing up, I always loved to read and write. I dreamed of being an archeologist or a detective like Nancy Drew. Books always transported me to far away places. I would spend hours and hours devouring the written word, fantasizing about adventures around the globe.

Although my adult years followed the traditional path of college and a corporate job, I always made sure to find time to travel. With my backpack in tow, I embarked on whirlwind two week trips to places like Nepal and Ethiopia that left me breathless, exhausted, and craving more. When I traveled I was looking to get lost, but what I could never seem to lose was my need to always be “working”: I would check my emails every time I had wifi access; I thought about work 24/7; I worried that something back home was going wrong; I felt guilty for leaving.

Several promotions, tens of thousands of emails, and countless meetings later, in 2013 I realized that I was financially able to “retire” — and a year later I took the plunge! Since then I’ve been spending more than half of the year on the road, visiting new places and re-visiting areas of the world that I love. These day, though, I approach my travels at a much slower pace — and with a clearer mind, a newfound sense of awe, and a more open heart.

My Italian-born parents always used to say “Andiamo” whenever they were trying to gather up their 6 children for a family outing or event. This Italian word translates to “Let’s Go” — and my family still uses it today. For me, that word is so much more: it always reminds me of family, love, warmth, adventure, fun.

I decided to start this website to capture my photography and writing, but also to share tip, tricks and stories from the road. Come with me around the globe, and let me take you on a journey that I hope will inspire your sense of wanderlust, evoke a strong emotion, or simply just cause you to pause and think.

So to you I say — ANDIAMO!