About me

Hi! I’m Amanda. I’m a writer living with my husband and our two daughters in St. Louis, Missouri. This is my little space on the internet where I chronicle life’s adventures near and far. I love sharing tips and recommendations to help you have amazing travels, too!

I’m a Michigander at heart, having spent more than 20 years of life in the “mitten state,” so you’ll see me often writing about Michigan.

I also spent five years living and traveling in Europe so I focus a lot of my content in this region, too.

Before moving to Missouri, I lived in New England for over five years, and that’s where the majority of my content is focused. Why? Because I absolutely love it there. 🙂

My love story with New England began long before I had moved there. My dad was born in Massachusetts, so our family travels sometimes brought us back to New England. I’ll never forget spending one summer vacation on the island of Nantucket as a teenager.

After that, I made a point of traveling to New England several times throughout my late teens and twenties to see more of this beautiful part of the U.S.

Fast-forward to after I got married and my husband’s job brought us to the East Coast and I could travel around New England as much as I wanted! There are endless places to see in this small corner of the country, and even though I live far away in Missouri now, I still make a point to go back to visit as much as possible.

Countries I’ve visited:

📍Armenia: Yerevan, Pokr Vedi (Khor Virap)

📍Austria: Altach, Bregenz, Dornbirn, Feldkirch, Innsbruck, Mauthausen, Salzburg, Vienna, Villach

(I lived in Altach for a year teaching English at two high schools and have traveled the country extensively.)

📍Bahamas: Nassau, Princess Cay

📍Belgium: Brussels

📍Brazil: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Ubatuba

📍Canada: Algonquin Highlands, Banff, Calgary, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Vancouver

📍Costa Rica: Palmares

📍Cyprus: Paphos

📍Czech Republic: Prague

📍Dominican Republic: Puerto Plata (Damajagua Waterfalls)

📍England: London, Sheffield, York

📍Finland: Helsinki

📍France: Mulhouse, Paris

📍Greece: Halkidiki, Santorini, Thessaloniki

📍Germany: Aachen, Berchtesgaden (Königssee), Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Fürth, Füssen (Neuschwanstein Castle), Heidelberg, Jena, Koblenz, Lindau, Mainau (Insel Mainau), Mayen, Munich, Nürnberg, Weimar

(I lived in Fürth for four years as a kid, spent a couple of months in Mayen for a study abroad program, and have traveled extensively throughout other parts of the country.)

📍Hungary: Budapest

📍Ireland: Cliffs of Moher, Dublin, Galway

📍Italy: Florence, Lugano (Lake Como), Milan, Pisa, Rome, Venice, Verona

📍Jamaica: Kingston

📍Liechtenstein: Vaduz

📍Mexico: Rosarito, Tecate

📍Netherlands

📍Northern Ireland: Belfast, Giant’s Causeway

📍Portugal: Faro

📍Scotland

📍Slovakia: Bratislava

📍Slovenia: Lake Bled, Ljubljana

📍Spain: Madrid

📍Switzerland: St. Gallen, St. Margrethen, Zermatt (Matterhorn), Zurich

📍Turkey: Istanbul

📍Turks and Caicos

📍United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai

📍United States: I’ve been to all states except Alaska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and North Dakota. I’ve also been to Puerto Rico (one of the best trips I ever took!). I hope to reach all 50 states within the next five years.

States I’ve lived in: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and Missouri

📍Vatican City

📍Wales

Places in New England I’ve visited:

Here are the main destinations I’ve been to in each New England state.

📍Connecticut: East Haddam, Kent, Griswold, Hartford, Milford, Mystic, New Haven, Niantic, Washington

📍Maine: Acadia National Park, Bangor, Bar Harbor, Bristol (Pemaquid Point), Camden, Portland, Ogunquit, York

📍Massachusetts: Beverly, Boston, Cape Cod, Concord, Gloucester, Marblehead, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Northampton, Peabody, Rockport, Stockbridge, Watertown

📍New Hampshire: Portsmouth, White Mountains (Kancamagus Highway)

📍Rhode Island: Jamestown, Narragansett, Newport, Providence, Watch Hill

📍Vermont: Bennington, Burlington, Stowe

Where I’ve been featured:

I’m always happy to partner with other travel bloggers and websites and share my perspectives. Below is a list of other publications I’ve contributed to.

Best Life: The 12 Most Beautiful Libraries in the U.S.

Best Life: The 10 Best Mansion Tours in the U.S. That Will Leave You Awestruck

Emma Jane Explores: Is Istanbul Stroller-Friendly?

Faraway Worlds: Spitzbuben Recipe – German Jam Cookies

Globe Trove: October In The USA: 19 Picturesque Locations For The Perfect Vacation

Many Other Roads: The 21 Most Unique Places To Visit In Europe

New England with Love: Things to Do in New Haven, CT

New England with Love: Things to Do in East Boston

Nina Out and About: 21 Pros and Cons of Living in Austria

Our Woven Journey: Things to Do in Boston with Kids

Salut from Paris: 35 Romantic things to do in Paris for Couples

Tara Lets Anywhere: 11 Unmissable Things to Do in Brooklyn for First-Timers

The Common Traveler: 11 Best Things to Do in Ocean City, NJ

Traveling Tulls: 15 Fun & Romantic Winter Getaways in the Northeast

Yahoo: 14 Cheap Places To Travel in August

Why “My Vintage Map?”

I first came up with the name because of a vintage-style map I had glued to foam board in my old bedroom at my parents’ house. I would get so much joy from pinning all the places on the map where I had been, and this is a tradition that continues to this day for my family of four.

I hope you enjoy exploring my site and get lots of helpful information for your upcoming adventures. You can also follow me on Instagram to see more from my day-to-day.

I’m so glad you’re here!