Author: mattathomeintheworld

I'm originally from New England, and am a psychology professor with a strong interest in travel. I actually taught a specialty course on the Psychology of Travel and have created my own travel website at www.mattathomeintheworld.com Please come check it out!

A Tour of Venezia: “La Serenissima”

by mattathomeintheworld, posted in Italy, Photo Gallery, Venice

My first visit to Venice was in 1999 and that was the start of my love affair with what has become my favorite city in the world. I’ve returned to “La Serenissima” (the most serene one – a nickname often bestowed on Venezia), many times since then and I’ve probably taken a few hundred photos as I’ve wandered the city. Yet, with every new visit I add a few dozen more because Venice has to be one of the most photogenic places on the planet. The light, the shadows, and the reflections on the water change a thousand times a day and look different with each season. Join me for a tour of La Serenissima and hopefully you’ll see why I love her so much. (Be sure to click on a photo to see captions!)

Andiamo!

Who Says You Can’t Go Home?

by mattathomeintheworld, posted in Blogs, Psychology of Travel

One of my favorite songs has always been Bon Jovi’s Who Says You Can’t Go Home. I can relate to the lyrics, which talk about coming full circle in life: from wanting to break away from your hometown to explore the world, but ultimately realizing that home is where you really want or need to be. As so often happens with music, this song has taken on new significance for me over the last few months.

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Road Trip! A Journey Across the USA

by mattathomeintheworld, posted in Photo Gallery, USA

My first cross country drive was in summer of 1976 at the ripe old age of 18, and since then I’ve actually lost count of how many round trips I’ve made from coast to coast to coast, but I do know that it is close to 50. One of those trips actually took me from San Francisco to Texas to Virginia to Massachusetts to Alaska and back down to California… a mere 10,000 miles. Many people can’t understand why any sane person would opt to drive for six or seven days rather than taking a six hour plane flight, but these pictures may give you a glimpse of why I crave the open roads. Here’s a compilation of photos I’ve taken along the way over the years. (I first posted this photo gallery in 2016, but have made significant updates and additions to it since then, so I decided to republish it now.)

Let’s hit the road!

Embracing the Bomb Cyclone

by mattathomeintheworld, posted in Blogs, U.S.A.

Much to the chagrin of most of my friends in New England, I love a good snowstorm. Seeing those first flakes start falling from a steely sky makes me feel like a giddy 5 year old, even at the ripe old age of 63. Granted, I’m staying in a place where there’s a generator to ensure that I still have heat and lights if the power goes out, and my landlord plows out the long driveway on the property.

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Ghosts of Christmases Past

by mattathomeintheworld, posted in Blogs, Psychology of Travel, U.S.A.

As I’m sure is true for many of you, Christmastime has always been my favorite time of year. With my birthday in late November, the entire month between Thanksgiving and Christmas has always been one of celebrations, good food, and the company of friends and family, culminating in Christmas Eve, which to me is the most magical night of the year.

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