Although I absolutely love all things summer, there’s something to be said for autumn, too. Even though it’s the beginning of the weather getting colder and the daylight hours getting shorter, I really don’t mind. Sure, there can be some VERY dreary days, but when it’s sunny, it’s just amazing. Is there anything nicer than going on a walk on a sunny, crisp autumn morning with a big coat on and a hot coffee in your hands? I’ll tell you the answer – no, there is not. And trust me, autumn in Dublin can be pretty magical.
Now that it’s December (wtf?) and Autumn has come and gone and replaced by winter, I thought it was the perfect time to look back at the GORGEOUS autumn we had this year here in Dublin, Ireland!
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, YA’LL! In honor of the most American of holidays, I thought I’d share a few things about America that I’ve come to learn are considered a little weird now that I live abroad.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, if there was one, literally one, silver lining of the pandemic, it’s that I was able to visit home much more in the last year than I ever had before since I was able to work remotely.
It was soooo nice to be able to go home for so long. I mean after all, they do say distance makes the heart grow fonder. Although I’ve found that to be partially true, when it comes to going back to the US to visit now that I don’t live there anymore, in my experience distance ALSO makes me realize that there’s some super weird things about America that literally no other country does.
Here’s 10 normal things in America that I now realize are a little weird now that I live abroad.
Hello? Anyone there?? I know I fell off the face of the earth for a while there and haven’t written a post in *checks notes* THREE YEARS, so I thought I’d post a lil life update. I promise I am alive and well! I’m still in Ireland and still loving it.
Actually, the fact that I’m loving it is part of the reason I haven’t posted in so long.
I consider myself an avid traveller and adventurer. I’m lucky enough to have had the opportunity to visit lots of beautiful countries, tour some amazing cities, and see some unbelievable landscapes.
But, I feel like my international travels have been exclusively in Europe. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE European culture, food, people, and there are so many amazing cities and stunning landscapes in Europe. However, I’m ready to go explorin’ out East, y’all!
I’ve been dying to go to Asia and the Middle East for a long time, but recently this craving has been hitting me HARD. Between my friend who went to visit her sister in Dubai and said it was one of the coolest places she’s ever been, to another friend who travelled throughout Vietnam and told me about how she lived like a queen for very little money, to ANOTHER friend who went backpacking around the Philippines for a month solo and had the time of her life, and lastly to ANOTHER friend who will be spending a month this summer working at a special needs orphanage in India through a school program, my itch to explore past the borders of Eastern Europe is stronger than ever.
Not only have I been hearing amazing stories from my friends about their travels, but OF COURSE Pinterest is also giving me some serious travel porn to get me inspired. I’ve seen so many pictures and read so many articles, especially of some UNBELIEVABLE temples and mosques around Asia and the Middle East that look absolutely incredible. I’ve started making a “wishlist” of sites in Asia and the Middle East that I really want to see when I *FINALLY* get to visit.
Here are the top 5 temples and mosques in Asia and the Middle East that are on my wishlist.
France is one of the most visited countries in the world, and a lot of that is because of Paris. The “City of Lights” is widely acknowledged to be one of the most striking and romantic cities in the world. Everyone wants to see it at some point in their life. But Paris is far from the only place that draws people to France. In fact, I really wasn’t crazy about Paris when I visited (see here). It is pretty amazing, but there’s more to France than just Paris.
Enter the French Riviera. Boy is it BOUJIE, but it’s also GORGEOUS. Stunning beaches and charming towns, topped with delicious French food and friendly locals. What’s there not to love? That’s why I had to put together a list of 5 places to visit in the South of France.
As much as I love living in Ireland, sometimes I really, really crave the sun. Back in Louisiana, I used to go to Florida beaches at LEAST once a year, and it was a great way to relax and unwind. I just love the sound of the waves and the sun on your skin.
So, as many of you who follow me on Instagram *may* have guessed (based on my influx of posts), to cure the beach withdrawals I decided to take advantage of Easter break this year and book a lil getaway to SPAIN! That’s the great thing about living in Ireland – all of Europe is right at your fingertips. It has such diverse culture and weather between all of its countries. Plus, everything is just a few hours flight away. A 2-hour flight from dreary Dublin transported us to a sunny Madrid!! Sunny skies, sand, beaches, and cheap cervezas, what more could you want?!
Our trip started in Madrid and ended in Murcia, with stops in Valencia and Alicante along the way. Nothing like a little Spanish road trip to get some Vitamin D into me! And even better, since it’s still not summer yet, the beaches weren’t as busy as peak season and we were able to relax without the massive crowds. We did sightseeing in Madrid, snorkelling in Alicante, and a lot of paella-eating in Valencia. So all in all, one can say it was a SUPER successful spring break trip!
After my Iceland video, I decided to try my hand again at a little highlight video of my trip! I’m new at the whole video thing, but I’m really having fun with it. Like photos, videos are a great way to remember the highlights of your trip and have something to look back on.
So here is my short Spain video diary of my Spanish road trip last week! Can’t wait to share more details about the trip later on!
Since I’m still experimenting with video editing, let me know what you think of my Spain video diary in the comments below!
During my travels, there have been cities that were a let down. I’ve sometimes found that what I thought a place was going to be like and what it was actually like are two totally different things. Usually, being in a new place, discovering the unknown, wandering streets, and experiencing new architecture and culture leads to a great experience. Traveling around, you’re seeing these new places through rose-colored glasses.
Well, most of time.
Other times, I take a trip somewhere and leave underwhelmed and unimpressed. There could be a lot of factors for why I end up thinking “this place just didn’t cut it”. It could’ve been because of the weather. It could’ve been who I was with. It could’ve been because I was comparing it to the amazing place I had visited right before. It could’ve been that I didn’t have enough time there. Or, it could’ve been that I hyped it up so much in my head that it was destined to not live up to my expectations.
Throughout my travels throughout Europe over the years, there are only a few places I visited that I’m not in any rush to go back to. The majority of places that I’ve visited have been absolutely amazing. But, there are a handful of places that were just OK. Here are 5 of those European cities that were a let down for me.
Land of the Free, Home of the best fast food in the world. I LOVE living in Dublin, but oh how I miss the greasy French fries and overly-generous portions of American fast food. There’s really nothing quite like it.
And though Ireland does have a few US chains like McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC, they’re just not the same. The portion sizes are smaller, and they just taste different. (That’s probably because they’re lacking the artificial ingredients found in the States that are illegal in most other places because they aren’t meant for human consumption, BUT STILL.)
I’ve gotten used to, and mostly forgotten about, fast food places they have in the States that they don’t have here in Dublin. But then, every once in a while, I’m reminded. Someone utters the word “Popeyes” and I start foaming at the mouth. I wasn’t even a huge fast food eater back at home, but as soon as I hear magical words like “Taco Bell” uttered, I’m a goner. What’s that phrase again, “Distance Makes the Heart Go Fonder?” Well, that’s exactly what I’m suffering from.
Now, keep in mind that I’m from South Louisiana, and I realize that some of these chains aren’t everywhere in the US. But for me, these are THE best and the American chains Dublin needs, like, STAT.
Lucerne, Switzerland. I wasn’t here for very long, and yet it has such a special place in my heart. It was absolutely stunning, and where some of my favorite travel memories took place.
One of those memories was when my best friend and I rented paddle boats and went out on the beautiful Lake Lucerne. We had an afternoon to kill, because the rest of our friends had gone to Mount Pilatus.
Don’t get me wrong, I WISH I could’ve gone up to Mount Pilatus. I’ve read about it, and have heard first-hand accounts from my friends about the AMAZING views from up there. Do I regret not going because I was running low on funds? Kind of. But what started out as a way to pass the time ended up being a highlight of my trip.
I’ve been reminiscing on Iceland SO much lately. The glaciers, the volcanic landscape…it’s only been a few months since I’ve been but I’m already DYING to go back! It’s such a unique place with the most unbelievable natural beauty. There’s not really any other place like it. So even though I recently posted my photo diary from the trip, I decided that I also needed to post an Iceland video diary too!
When my friend Ciara and I went last September, we saw glaciers, beaches, waterfalls, and mountains. We got to snorkel in the Silfra Frissure, go glacier hiking on Solheimajokull Glacier, and take a dip in the Blue Lagoon. Such diverse landscapes and such varied activities, all in one trip!
The weather was moody and it was EXPENSIVE, but those unique landscapes and terrains really made it all worth it. It was just so different than anywhere I had ever been!
Usually, a take a few videos when I’m traveling but I don’t really think much of it. And I certainly don’t do anything with the footage other than a few Instagram video posts. But I decided to try my had at a little bit of video editing. I love editing photos so why not try videos, too?!
So here is my short, shaky Iceland video diary with footage from my trip in September 2016.
Any video editors out there that can give me any tips, please do! Let me know what you think of my Iceland video diary in the comments below!
