Snow bombarded mid-Missouri this month, and I’m so over it. The number of snow and ice days were more than I wanted or needed, and they had me dreaming about my glory days bopping around Europe but also blogging about them. This month was short but packed with celebrating gal pals for Valentine’s Day and sharing my European adventures. Here’s my top 5 for the month:

1 . What I’m reading

My favorite way to end the day is turning on my lamps, crawling into bed and reading even if just for five to 10 minutes. This month I’m reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed, which is a nonfiction account of a woman’s journey through the Pacific Crest Trail on the West Coast. Travel has helped me find myself, and I want to read more nonfiction travel books. (Hit me up with suggestions in the comments!)

“I was amazed that what I needed to survive could be carried on my back. And, most surprising of all, that I could carry it. That I could bear the unbearable. These realizations about my physical, material life couldn’t help but spill over into the emotional and spiritual realm. That my complicated life could be made so simple was astounding. It had begun to occur to me that perhaps it was okay that I hadn’t spent my days on the trail pondering the sorrows, that perhaps by being forced to focus on my physical suffering some of my emotional suffering would fade away. By the end of that second week, I realized that since I’d begun my hike, I hadn’t shed a single tear.”

2 . Gelato in Rome

I’m weak with when it comes to dessert, especially of the icy treat variety. In case you missed it, I detailed my traipsing through Rome including my top three gelato shop picks.

3 . Hiking in Spain

Sometimes I inhale deeply to drink up as much fresh air as I can, and this was the case during my hike in Montserrat, Spain. I led the pack up (part of) the mountain, and I’m still dreaming about this day. You can relive my hiking bliss here along with a city guide to Barcelona.

4 . Paris for 12 hours

I would pay good money to relive this day, but I’d rather put that money toward a trip to return to my beloved France. I tackled as much as a girl could during 12 hours in Paris, and I walk you through it step by step in my Paris city guide.

5 . Steak-frites in Brussels

I can still taste the garlic butter on my juicy steak complemented by the sweet, bubbly champagne. This is also a moment I’d love to transport myself back to, but the next best thing is sharing my adventures in city guide form so that you too can enjoy Brussels.