ABOUT ME

I lived in Rome for a long time and I just moved to Venice. I am a writer, information curator, traveler, coffee and cocktail drinker. My friends call me “the Source” and I am your go-to girl for the best information on just about anything in the eternal city, Venice, Capri, and the island of Ponza.

I have lived in some very interesting places in the past 20+ 30+ years since leaving my home state of Tennessee. Washington, DC; Niamey, Niger; Harare, Zimbabwe, and now I live in Rome. Venice. 

In all of these places, my favorite thing to do is figure things out. I love to research and investigate and find the best things a place has to offer. That might be a great restaurant or beautiful beach or the practical things like a dentist that speaks English or a good yoga class. What I enjoy is the hunt, a skill I learned at the knee of my treasure-hunter grandmother, Ethel. The best part of this for me is sharing what I have discovered. That is where the idea for Gillian’s Lists came from.

My first list, which was scribbled on a piece of paper, came when I was studying in London during my Junior year abroad and a visiting sorority sister asked me for my favorite things to do and see in London. I have been giving friends and friends of friends advice on what to do, eat and see in places I have lived or traveled to ever since. 

Once I moved to Rome and the email requests for where to eat, who was a good doctor in town, and how to rent a villa in the Italian countryside got too numerous to individually respond to, I created Gillian’s Lists as a place where I could more easily share my knowledge in one dedicated place.

From the blog came my two successful apps; Rome for Expats and Amalfi Coast Travel Essentials. Both served as another medium for me to collate and curate my favorite discoveries. Those apps turned into digital guides on Instagram and a Substack Newsletter. 

Since I currently live in Rome a lot of what you will find here is information on where I like to eat, museums I love to visit, and tours that you should take. While all roads may lead to Rome, I often head in the other direction and you will soon see I write about places other than Rome too. Like the peripatetic life I lead what you will find here is a little bit of everything.

Welcome to Gillian’s Lists; A place for travel inspiration, practical information, and a whole lot of fun. I would love to hear from you. Find me on Instagram and Twitter, or drop me a line.