About Spaghetti & Summits

The leap

From Chicago to the Alps

It started when Daysi was up for the hundredth time, trying to log enough billable hours to meet her requirement. There had to be more to life than spending most of the week staring at a computer screen. So, she started dreaming.

David, being from Europe, was not exactly a hard sell when she floated the idea. When Daysi finally worked up the courage to say, "Huh, I wonder what life would be like in Europe?" David, who was also burnt out after nearly a decade in finance, jumped at the thought.

Over a year of planning later, we made it. In August 2025, we officially started living la dolce vita in our favorite type of terrain: the Alps.

The name

Why Spaghetti & Summits?

Because it captures the two things we love most: simple Italian pleasures and wild alpine peaks.

For us, mountain life is not about being expert climbers or elite athletes. It is about feeling small in big landscapes, savoring slow mornings, and learning to live with a little more intention (and a lot more pasta).

Yes, we'll wake up at 4 a.m. to summit a mountain, but you can bet we'll race down just in time for aperitivo and a plate of pasta. We're mildly wildly ambitious when it comes to adventures, if that makes sense.

The honest bit

Very much amateurs

Everything you see here, from photos to stories to videos, is created by us. We're not professional athletes or influencers. Just two regular people figuring out how to do cool stuff, one caffe at a time.

If you’ve ever felt like alpine climbing, cycling, or skiing have huge entry barriers, we’re here as proof they don’t. These things are more accessible than they look with the right preparation and courage.

Every hike, climb, and ride reminds us that reaching the summit — in life or in the mountains — takes patience, humility, and really good snacks (which Italy just happens to excel at).

And if you still don’t believe we’re amateurs, just know:

• Daysi spent most of her life in Florida, where the tallest "peak" is a landfill.
• David is from the Czech Republic and spent more time in pubs than on peaks.
• For six years, we lived in Chicago, home to deep dish pizza and baseball, not mountains.