Hi! I’m Alex Gennaro. I’m not a freelancer, digital nomad, a backpacker, a world travel blogger or any variation thereof, nor am I a particularly good photographer. I’m just a guy who loves to travel and enjoy new experiences. 

If I had to describe myself I’d say I’m a foodie, gourmand, oenophile, and cigar aficionado who is both easy going and knows how to have a good time. 

Since I was little I have always traveled extensively with my family when I had school breaks. In college, I studied abroad in Florence Italy which gave me the opportunity to zig zag across Europe on the weekends which solidified my passion for traveling. This is my third attempt at starting some type of traveling site / blog. When I returned from Florence I tried to start a traveling site with one of my good friends in college, it didn’t work out. A couple of years after college I met people who were trying to do something similar. I was really excited about the project and I asked if I could join and help make the site a reality, it was called Localite NYC. We started to gain some traction but ultimately it failed as all of the team members moved to other states and the idea failed. 

Years went by and I continued to travel expanding my traveling horizon to North Africa, Asia, and South America. Before every trip I always planned by looking up cool things to see, great places to eat, and fun places to party but always made sure to try and get recommendations frompeople who had been to these places. While on my trips I’d always write down the places both that I discovered and from my pre-planning list that I’d like to go back to and would recommend to other people. With restaurants I’d even write down the dishes I thought were noteworthy because I think I have a good palate and others might enjoy my suggestions. The list grew to be over 50 pages long in Microsoft word. 

I love to write already having published one book and my friends and family suggested I do something with the information. I contemplated a book but most people encouraged me to try writing a blog. I’ve never really been into blogs, and I don’t consider myself a “blog” person so I was always hesitant. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense as a way to organize my list, continually update it, and have it accessible to anyone who wanted it. So here I am, finally giving it a real shot. Third times a charm right?

I’m starting Budget2Bougie in the hopes that it can be a one stop shop for all travelers whether you’re studying abroad in college, taking a gap year, an inexperienced or experienced traveler, or whether you’re on a budget or more financially inclined. No matter your situation, I think there will be something for you on here.

Key:

b = budget 

B = Bougie 

No b/B- Somewhere in the middle

4/20 – Marijuana Friendly