‘Bachelorette’ Alum Hannah Brown on Her “Empowering” Solo Trip to Europe After Winning ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’

For so prolonged, my dream has been to go to Europe on my possess. Other than currently being on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — with tons of persons watching my each individual move — I experienced under no circumstances traveled outside the house the United States, or traveled solo. It was actually pivotal for me to be able to offer that for myself and do it without the need of a male or girlfriend.

I decided to do Particular Forces, which filmed in Jordan, and then continue on on to Italy. I feel it really assisted my psychological point out and saved me likely by way of the toughest detail I have at any time done to know I was heading to be on this aspiration vacation proper following. I was also just truly energized to be equipped to bathe in an suitable shower rather of just buckets of drinking water.

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My buddy Stacey Cousineau does luxurious vacation planning, and I arrived at out to her for aid figuring out the greatest areas to go. I required safety, considering that traveling by itself as a girl can look daunting. I also genuinely desired the initially destination to be comforting — I required to get massages, facials and just lay by a pool and recuperate my exhausted system. We made a decision I’d do Italy all on my personal then I’d fulfill up with my boyfriend, Adam Woolard, in France, since he was functioning at Men’s Fashion Week in Paris.

I went to Positano to start with, and stayed at Villa Franca, actually at the quite major. It was attractive. I experienced viewed pictures of Positano on Pinterest and Instagram so considerably, and it is definitely spectacular. I laid by the pool, I obtained a terrific massage and I splurged on a very Missoni dress. I ate 2 times at Chez Black and grew to become very good pals with the owner. They were just so sweet to me.

Hannah Brown - Travel Diary - Villa Franca - Positano - Italy — “First early morning out of the desert. Almost nothing like breakfast and a check out,” claims Brown, who stayed at Villa Franca in Positano, Italy, following completing *Particular Forces* in Jordan.

Then it was time to go examine. I did not want to be booked and chaotic to the stage that I couldn’t just wander, simply because that’s what I’ve uncovered is the natural beauty of travel — to just absolutely immerse you with no designs. I’m very relaxed in my silence, and I really like to folks-view. I’m the worst eavesdropper there ever was, but regrettably a large amount of periods it was in a language I did not speak.

I went to Florence subsequent, and it is in all probability one of my favourite metropolitan areas I have been to. I just beloved the electrical power there. I liked going for walks all over at sunset — it just sparkles. Florence felt extremely doable on my have to walk all over, explore and pop into all the lovable minor retailers. I turned buddies with the concierges at Lodge Continental Firenze and they helped me make certain that I was likely to great places to eat and excellent regions. Everywhere you go I went, I ate cacio e pepe. I was obsessed. Pasta commonly hurts my abdomen, but there it was completely high-quality and I ate it for every single solitary meal. A person night, although, I acquired a steak the measurement of my face. I ate a large amount of protein and a whole lot a lot of carbs — not several veggies. And I never regret something!

“I ate the cacio e pepe multiple nights in a row at Castel Monastero,” says Brown. — “I ate the cacio e pepe a number of nights in a row at Castel Monastero,” says Brown.

The very last location I went solo was Castel Monastero Vacation resort, outside the house Siena. It’s an aged monastery in the most lovely area. It felt truly, truly unique with so a great deal historical past. It felt like my individual small magical castle. They assisted me e book a definitely interesting hot air balloon experience more than Tuscany. And I also went truffle hunting! We were basically chasing this dog via the woods acquiring black truffles and afterward ate a pizza with the truffle we acquired. I did not know there was an practical experience like that, but it’s one thing I figured out about myself, that I genuinely like acquiring those sorts of exciting new adventures anywhere I go.

Hannah Brown - Travel Diary - Picnic in Tuscany — Brown all through a picnic in the countryside just after a sizzling air balloon trip in Tuscany.

I had been sleeping on a filth pillow in Jordan and my pores and skin was breaking out so poorly. I was really self mindful about it. I booked a facial at Castel Monastery’s spa and, I’m telling you, I went in there with pimples and I came out devoid of pimples. Some sort of Italian witch magic transpired in there — my skin has by no means been far more remarkable. The facialist does not discuss any English, but she is aware of what she’s executing.

I was thrilled to see my boyfriend when we met up in Awesome, France. We stayed at a really famed resort termed Le Negresco and we cherished it. The hotel is mainly an artwork museum — each floor has hundreds of parts of art, so we would just walk the distinct flooring and seem at all the artwork. They have a beach club on the pebble beach, wherever the h2o was so stunning. We experienced the best time, the most effective drinks, furthermore I acquired to buy hen fingers and French fries — my favorite foodstuff — suitable to our seats. The services was amazing. We attempted to take a look at a very little little bit, but we beloved the seashore club so much we generally stayed there.

My most loved put that I have been, and favourite resort, was Villa Gallici in Aix-en-Provence. If I could be a Villa Gallici ambassador, I would be. It is this lovely property with couple rooms wherever I felt like a character in Splendor and the Beast. The room transported us again in time. There is an outside terrace you take in on, a small residing room house exactly where everyone would gather and the food by the pool was so scrumptious. I’m normally a pink wine female, but I was consuming copious amounts of rosé since it was genuinely freaking very hot. I cherished strolling all-around Provence — I beloved the stores, the smells, all the bread. Every little thing!

We took a train to Versailles — I enjoy the coach — and we checked into Trianon Palace hotel, right beside the Palace of Versailles. When we frequented Versailles, it was the best working day and I regret not viewing Marie Antoinette’s area we could not make it throughout the massive grounds in time. But I relished the guided tour, listening to all the heritage. When we obtained also hot we stopped at Ladurée in the palace and ate some macarons. Then I was superior to go.

Nearby we were suggested this restaurant, La Tour, that grew to become just one of my favorites. It does not look like considerably, but we ate there every single working day. It had the very best steak I’ve at any time had and, dare I say, best dessert I have ever experienced in my existence, type of like bread pudding with salted caramel ice product.

Then it was time for Paris! We stayed at Lodge Costes initial for a couple evenings the bar there is a hot location, it is just so neat. We had been at The Hoxton, Paris, following, and while Adam worked I went discovering on my very own. Observing the Eiffel Tower in particular person is a quite magical working experience, particularly at evening. It could possibly seem touristy, but it’s just actually so gorgeous. I also put in time in Musée Marmottan Monet, which was so very. I cherished the cabaret reveals, it was surely my highlight. I went to Moulin Rouge and Outrageous Horse Paris, and the dancers have been amazing.

Hannah Brown - Travel Diary - Paris - Louvre — Hannah Brown in Paris at the Louvre.

I shopped a lot, far too! I put in a couple several hours at the Dior Museum, La Galerie Dior, discovering the background. It was intriguing, and I ended up having a genuinely unique Dior bag, which felt like a wonderful way to remember the knowledge. The vintage procuring in Paris is a little something that are not able to be skipped. My favourite retailer was goodJo Paris, and I invested an whole working day there. The gals have been so knowledgeable about style and clothes. As weird as it sounds, I really feel like I was far more myself in Europe. I’ve normally been form of conservative in the way I dress, and being in Europe assisted me be accurate to my fashion. Everybody dresses in a basic, intimate way, and I felt far more self-confident in placing my outfits jointly.

Traveling solo as a lady was essentially truly, seriously empowering. I loved it and will to go on to do it. My biggest takeaway is that the environment is so big and there’s so a lot to find out and so substantially value in vacation. I did not know lots of people today in which I’m from who traveled outside the house the U.S. But now I know transferring ahead that a massive section of my daily life will be journey and obtaining these new ordeals that give you far more point of view on various people’s ways of daily life. You know how smaller you are and how major the globe is, and I consider that’s a truly humbling and lovely thing.