Miss Expatria
Member statistics
- Member since
- 23rd January 2009
I’m Miss Expatria, the Internet’s leading enabler of travel addiction! But my real name is Christine, and I grew up on the Jersey Shore. I spent a couple years of my childhood traveling around the U.S. with two national touring companies of Annie, and was a union card-carrying actor and singer until my early twenties.
I moved to New York at 17, and graduated from NYU. Various jobs followed: Running an experimental school project in the South Bronx; being the leather and suede expert for a Famous American Designer; and working at an ad agency, where I kept track of the money and logistics necessary to mail half a billion credit card offers a year. (Yes, that was me. Sorry!)
In late 1999, I took a trip to Rome and decided I had to live there. I came home, convinced my bosses to let me do my job virtually, and moved to Rome in 2002. In 2004 I met Paris-born, Jersey-raised Cal, where he lives in Montpellier, France; now I kind of live here, too. We are both freelance writers.
I say “I kind of live here” because I spend a significant portion of each year living my “real” life in Rome; I hope to return there permanently, soon, with Cal. Or maybe we’ll move somewhere else. Who knows?
Miss Expatria's activity
- June 2012
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post In Passionate Defense Of The Rest Of France
Sure, everybody knows Paris. People swoon when you say Paris. But even the French Riviera – which in my experience is the thing that people know the most after Paris – is not nearly as touristed as the many cities in Italy that people feel they “must see”"
- April 2011
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Good Friday
I just spent the most hallucinatory three hours getting back to Mandrione from Trastevere. Here are some things I witnessed:"
- August 2010
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post An American Mystery I Need Help Solving
So, when I’m in the States my mom and I watch House Hunters and House Hunters International."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Things I’ve Learned While Visiting America
In no particular order; more coming soon:"
- June 2010
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post The Savage Lushness of Rome
There is something about the green of Rome that is so appealing to me."
- April 2010
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post What The Volcano Has Taught Me About Travel Marketing
Damage controlling the Eyjafjallajokull volcano ashpocalypse"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Why The Mornings Made Me Move To Europe
There’s nothing like morning in Europe."
- March 2010
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My Stolen Afternoons in Ventimiglia
I've recently switched from a stop-over in Nice to a stop-over in Ventimiglia."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Picture Post: Train Travellin’
I complain ENDLESSLY about the length of time and amount of effort it takes to get to Rome from Montpellier. But, a confession must be made:"
- December 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Picture Post: Christmas Decorations In The South Of France
Yesterday I showed you the shops of Montpellier all dolled up for Christmas. Tonight, let’s take a walk around town and see what’s happening!"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Picture Post: French Shop Windows At Christmas Time
Say what you want about Montpellier – and you know I do every chance I get – but the town really is gorgeous, and at Christmas time the shops put on quite a show."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post What Google Goggles Might Mean For Travelers
While on a bus in New York, I observed someone point at Bergdorf Goodman’s and say, LOOK IT’S MACY’S. While on a bus in Rome, I observed someone point at a small public fountain embedded in a facade on a busy avenue, and say, LOOK IT’S THE TREVI FOUNTAIN."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets
I’ve been tagged by the Artist At Large to divulge my three best kept travel secrets. I’m horrible at keeping travel secrets, so faithful readers will no doubt remember these. But without further ado, let’s get to it!"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My Trip Home, Part Three: In Which Lenny Briscoe Finds My Mangled Remains
So, there I was, in the backseat of a taxi with the Spanish driver and the Middle Eastern passenger in the front seat. It was inconceivable to me that for a majority of the day, this was the only way to travel from Spain to France."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My Trip Home, Part Two: Why I Needed A Sherpa To Cross The Border
I’ve spent seven years bungling my way through variations of several languages, but after three months back in the States I felt like I had lost it all."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My Trip Home, Part One: Stateside Chaos At The Delta Terminal
When it came time to return home from my lengthy, satisfying visit to the States, my only goal was to find the cheapest flight possible. The search included arrivals into Barcelona, Paris, Nice, Milan and even London."
- October 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post New York: Revisiting My First Love
I'm fond of saying that I did not move away from New York, I broke up with it."
- September 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Get Ready, Get Inspired, And Go!
The first time I came back to the States, the people I spoke to wanted to know all the details of my shiny new adventure. In subsequent visits, it still seemed like a novelty and there were questions about whether or not it was really going to “take.” But"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post America: Three Years Later
I’ll admit it; I was nervous about coming back. Even though it’s where I grew up, and where my family and most of my friends live, it had come to seem so far away."
- August 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Passport, Luggage, Money… List of Foods to Eat
Ms. Adventures in Italy, patron saint of Italiaphile foodies everywhere, recently wrote a comprehensive ebook of 101 American Foods to Try for her Italian friend"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post On Reverse Culture Shock
A week from today, I’m heading back to the States for the first time in three years on a month-long visit with friends and family. This is the longest I’ve been away, and a significant percentage of the total seven years I’ve lived overseas. And I am brac"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Summer Memories From The Jersey Shore
"A ray of sun falling across my face wakes me. I lie in bed and listen to my father get up first. He puts the coffee on, which smells so good, and he tiptoes out of the house to get the newspapers from Wawa."
- July 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Rerun: Hotels, and My Love of Them
Hotels are my passion. From Motel 6’s to five-star luxury resorts, I love everything about them."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Miss Expatria’s Secrets to a Great Vacation
When I was six years old, my parents and I moved to their favorite vacation spot on the Jersey Shore."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Cheeky: Hotels or Vacation Apartments?
Miss Expatria’s gentle readers already know of my fierce and abiding love for hotels. But today, I came across an interesting argument for vacation apartments – and this has prompted me to give full disclosure:"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Rerun: My Favorite Hotels
I am thinking of great hotel rooms in my time, in no order:"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Italian Bloggers on Strike Today, July 14, 2009
On July 14, 2009, Italian bloggers will muzzle themselves in the Web as well as in Piazza Navona in Rome, at 7PM where they will meet to protest against an Italian government bill (the Alfano decree) introducing a number of new rules which will limit the"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Tour de France Team Time Trial Hits Montpellier, France Today
The Tour de France Team Time Trial Hits Montpellier, France Today… and I’m not ready for it."
- June 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Free Angels & Demons Guide to Rome
Back in the halcyon days of summer 2004, my best friend from college visited me in Rome. On a whim while in the airport she picked up a copy of Angels & Demons, and promptly became engrossed in the story – not only because it’s a good read..."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Epic Day Trip: The Aegadian Island of Levanzo, Sicily
I’m now going to tell you about Levanzo. You won’t believe me, nor will you trust your eyes when looking at the photos. But I was there, and all this happened, and you just need to do what I tell you after the jump to experience it yourself."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post 10 Things I Noticed In Trapani
1. The overwhelming majority of people we saw were either very old, or very young. People from, say, 20-55 years old seemed nonexistent."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Getting to and Eating in Perugia
You might remember that Perugia was not my favorite day trip from Rome – if anything, the distance alone would probably make it a better day trip from Florence. But, it’s worth visiting, if only to check out the freaky train station waiting rooms."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Getting to and Eating in Orvieto, Italy
Many of my dear readers seemed to agree: Orvieto beats out Perugia in my battle of the day trips. I’ll be doing a similar post to this about Perugia, too; but first, let’s talk about the particulars of a day trip to Orvieto from Rome."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Perfect Lunchtime Trip from Rome: Frascati, Italy
I don’t normally recommend day trips or really, much running around at all, for people who are on vacation. This is probably why I would make a terrible tour guide. But, if even a lazy bones like me can haul my ass up the hill to Frascati for a delightful"
- May 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My New Favorite Rooftop Bar in Rome
For years, I told people to go to the rooftop bar at the Hotel Mediterraneo, on via Cavour, which boasts stunning views and Italo, the most charming old waiter in town. But recently I went there, and it was CLOSED. Now they only serve dinner up there, a"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post The Hidden Elegance of a Bygone Era at the Perugia Train Station
First let me just say that once again, I love looking at my stats to see how people come to my blog. But yesterday there was one – “i can’t tell you how much i miss rome” – and it made my heart hurt."
- April 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Walk With Me to the Bar at the End of the World
Almost every day, I walk down the best street in the whole wide world to pick up some cigs and/or a tramezzino, which is a triangle-cut white bread sandwich half with no crusts filled with a slice of prosciutto and formaggio, or artichoke and hot dog, or"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post The Unbearable Lightness of being in Rome
I’ve been trying for four days to describe what I did Easter Sunday. It’s really annoying, because I want to write well; but I can’t find the words that put you there with me."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Travel & Technology: How Times Have Changed
My mother has discovered video calls on Skype, which has made me a frequent guest at various family gatherings recently. It’s been amazing, seeing everyone and talking and laughing with them."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Of Tectonic and Other Priceless Plates
I had lunch this weekend with Leo, Vincenzo and Hasan, a Pakistani student here in Rome whose parents are friends with Leo from his Pakistan years."
- March 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post The Cheese Lady, for Italiaphiles Everywhere
Jessica at WhyGo Italy recently told the story on Robin’s blog, MyMelange, about how a single Italian sealed the deal on her abiding love for Italy."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My Super Secret Bench at the School in Danger
One advantage of living in this fake-ass movie set town is that no one is ever on the back streets."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Friday Round-Up: All The Travel News That Fits
Much like Jack Bauer on 24, I find that Friday has come around and there is NO MORE TIME to do all the things I wanted to accomplish by week’s end. But, I have so much cool stuff I want to tell you about! So, here we go!"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post My Carnivale in Venice
The Count did not believe me when I told him that I do not function when awakened at 7:30AM by an alarm clock. We drove cross the Swiss-Italian border blasting Frank Sinatra at the Sands with Count Basie and he avoided me until..."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Montpellier’s Renegade, AWOL Mardi Gras
So, Montpel had their annual Mardi Gras celebrations last night. Kind of. Sort of. Well, in a way. Actually, unsurprisingly, in the only way that seems fitting for this town."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Traveling to Rome
I’ll be heading to Rome this week, where I’ll be until late May. I’m going to be hitting the ground running, with some exciting things happening! But first, a word about train travel into Rome."
- February 2009
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post How to Say it in Italian: Search Queries Answered
"Hello, my little chickadees! In my seemingly never ending quest to educate my readers, here is yet another installment of “How to Say it in Italian.”"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post Hotel Oswaldo, Budapest, Hungary
There is some right, but so much wrong with this website; and yet, if I were booking a trip to Budapest, I must confess I would be tempted to stay here. And do you know why?"
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post In Which Anthony Bourdain Makes Me Sad - TWICE.
Because he has my dream job, I get these little alerts about what’s showing every week on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Tonight he’s going to be in New York, revisiting all his old haunts and eating nostalgically."
Miss Expatria wrote a blog post SuperHotel, Paris, France
With a name like that, you know I had to check it out. And, just as I suspected, SuperHotel’s website did not disappoint. I have so many items to cover, I actually needed to make a list."
