Back to the States & Reality

The States welcomed me back with sleet & snow! Hello to you, too, Miss America. Sadly, it was warmer in Reykjavik when I left than it was in Baltimore, temperatures dipping down from the {heatwave} of 40° F in Iceland to the depressingly chilly 27° in Maryland. Yuck: slush and ice.

A relatively uneventful bus ride through Dublin city centre back to the airport, face plastered to the window to absorb every millisecond I had left of this beautiful city...I was not quite ready to go, my list of micro-adventures seemingly growing the more miles I put on my tan boots.

Nonetheless, I was in good spirits and made excellent timing to Terminal 1, keeping my cool so as to retain all of the chocolate smuggled {in plain sight} in my hand luggage. Hey, everyone has their vices.

I'll be talking about travel tips in the next blog post, here, and will be discussing travel attire, pros and cons of the sort.

Ha! I nearly forgot how much I love to be frisked at airports when I set off the metal detector twice....blonde moment: I had forgotten I had over £4.80 in the form of about 15 or so coins stashed away in my front pocket, tucked under my button-up and jumper.

Whoopsies... Security was nice about it as I stood awkwardly and complied with all instructions. Perks of looking like a 15yo, I guess...?

In Iceland, I was quite ravenous awaiting my connecting flight and thankful that the sandwich descriptions had English translations on the side. Sweet chili chicken sandwich for the win!

Einstök is also a new favorite of mine. Yaaaaaaaaass. Crisp and cool, this delish Pale Ale. Gull was so-so, but this beauty was smooth all the way down. I was still on vacation and not driving so it's okay to appreciate the finer {alcoholic} things in life once in a while.

5hr 55min flight from KEF {Reykjavik, Iceland} to BWI {Baltimore, Maryland, USA}. 5hr 55min spent attempting to sleep and do everything possible to make time speed up and to ignore the annoying American couple sitting next to me. I'm fairly certain the man took only about a 1/2 hr break from talking the whole dang time.

Flashing through my mind: you are the reason people don't like Americans and think us stupid and obnoxious.

On plus side, I had window seat for all four of my flights so nap time was more comfortable than anticipated. My coat made an excellent impromptu pillow for the many zzzz's.

America welcomed me back from abroad, once again, with shisty weather. Mother Nature certainly pulled out all the big guns for my return: sleet and snow. Thanks.

It was not nearly as terrible as the snowstorm through which Lovely had driven in order to pick up my emotional butt after my 3 months in London in December 2013, but it was poopy nonetheless. Luckily, I was in good company and in steady, superhero hands on the drive home.

Worse than packing is unpacking, so it's typically the first thing I do so the following day doesn't have a bad start....table properly covered, tell tale signs of a wonderful weekend, which only makes me dread getting back to the work grind all the more.

Flags: √
Gifts: √
Chocolate: √
Memories to last a lifetime: √

V-Day & Walks along Cliffs

Today was my trip to the beautiful Cliffs of Moher. WOW. {No, not the airline on which I traveled.}

Not quite as early as a start, thank goodness. I felt myself quite drained after such an adventurous past two days. 10am start after a brisk walk down to the meeting place - the Abercrombie & Fitch store on College Green.

Our driver was a little pushy, but nice. We had a 4hr drive ahead of us with a brief stop at the Barack Obama Plaza {no joke}. A quick brekkie of fizzy bubble bottles {sour bottle-shaped gummies} and a Monster {absolute zero for the win!} and I was set to retire back into snooze position for the duration of the drive {sitting, in my case}.

The view....let's just say, this spot should be on one's travel destination bucket list.

Much mud. Few wanderers. Many struggles.

While there were quite a few people on the easy roads - the pathways without all of the clay-like sticky mud, going off and wandering to the more difficultly accessed areas was worth it for the view and the serenity....

Much tranquility and peace found simply gazing down and smelling the sea.

Obligatory traveler selfie, eh?

Looking down, I could see how one may be captivated by the waves and hear that irresistible calling played by the lapping water many hundred yards down below... A large stone with a dedicated inscription for those who've lost their lives at the cliffs made this moment all the more somber. One could easily be enchanted by such a poetic death... and while I certainly did not feel that urge to leap upon the clear blue H2O, I felt that if, for some ungodly reason, I were to perish on the spot, I would die a happy gal.

Ireland! Beautiful green lands and kind people. Constantly feeling pulled, as usual when I travel. I fall in love with lands and its people, fellow travelers I meet along the way, the food and sights and smells, and yet yearn for my bed back home and the lovely people I have in my life back home, wishing I could so easily combine every happiness into one little space.

Mais, c'est la vie....life and happiness is scattered about the globe for a balance and it also makes traveling all the more worthwhile.

Ending this post with lunch. Naturally.

No, ma, it's not alcoholic, albeit the ginger was quite prominent in very swig.

xxxx

Luck of the Irish, eh?

Being friendly has its perks....or maybe it has something to do with being an American girl who doesn't quite look like an American girl in a foreign country? ...or it's the septum ring. Okay, multiple layers/factors... Or, I'm just a bright-eyed girl who somehow always manages to make friendlies with people, especially the English!

Met a few lovely English lads in a crowded bar when there was nowhere else to sit. Ah....how I've missed European pubs! Live music and people out for a good camaraderie, not to get into girls' knickers {okay, maybe there's a little of that, but it's more subtle and I never felt any of that nonsensical vibe}.

Getting ahead of meself, though. oi.

Early morning start with a quick, brisk walk down to the bus station, yummy Bueno bar tucked readily within reach in my bag for a light brekkie, my belly all wobbly from excitement and anticipation for the day.

Our tour guide was great, complete with commentary and a rad Irish accent! He filled in the void with witty stories and random facts about Ireland - not your typical tour guide! First stop after about a 2hr drive {and a brief pit stop for noms, Monster, & loo break}, was the Rock of Cashel, from which I nabbed a small pebble just for Teets! A beautifully constructed stone structure, it was abandoned after upkeep became too expensive & out of control....the priests left its cold walls for warmer confines and the ruins remain.

We walked about the ruins for a bit, taking advantage of the free toilets available as one does... Travel tip: use free loos whenever possible.

Then it was off to Blarney Castle! It was about a 15-minute drive from Cork city, but dang, it was mighty purdy. The castle sets upon a great hill so one can't miss it. Aside from that {of course, the main agenda for everyone was placing their plump lips upon that stone}, there were caves and waterfalls and walkways to explore. Wishing the rain would have held up a tad, but that deterred no one.

The walk up the castle is not for the feint of heart, practically climbing up the tight, spindly spiral staircase with not but a thick rope upon which to hold. I have tiny feet {US 6, UK 36}, but even so, if my blood wasn't flowing from exhilaration and excitement, I may have been a bit afraid of falling down upon the nice German lady following behind me.

Walking around was the only way to keep warm {as well as explore} and sooo, I did! In Cork city, I met a lovely Finnish girl named Jenni who was also on the tour and we walked around to find a late lunch, which was, of course, good ol' fish & chips at Thomond Bar as she had not yet experienced this wonderful tradition {sadly, not haggis on the island to be found}.

Mushy peas are the worst...

Afterwards, we ventured back to the lovely city of Dublin where I settled in at the hostel, attempted to FaceTime with a superhero, and made my way down to River Bar, where I was merry with my new English mates and danced with the locals. Live music and crazy dancing - yasss.

Tried some tasty beers, one in particular: Galway Hooker. When in Rome Dublin, eh?

Feet aching and a shit-grin on my face, I'm ready for what tomorrow shall bring!

Packing is the worst.

As much as I love to travel, packing is probably the worst part....aside from unpacking. Excitement builds but I always worry about over-packing or under-packing {I'm not sure which is the worse problem...}.

Naturally, I waited until the utmost last minute to finish packing before rushing out the door early, eager beaver that I am... Surprisingly, my pack was roughly 6-7lbs heading out. Thank goodness, as there is a weight limit with WOW Air, the relatively inexpensive airline with which I flew.

Tree picked me up and we were off to the airport! He kindly offered to take me as he did not have lessons and it proved a lovely catch-up and jam session, listening to the rough mixes for STT's upcoming album. Dayum. The guys only continue to get better and better! >gushing like a proud little sister<

We made a pit stop at Diner 83 en route to BWI, a small treat for his kindness. Omelettes and pancakes for fuel, anticipation mounting as we gained mile after mile towards the departure terminals....holy cow, I was doing it, I was heading to Ireland on my own!

The queue for boarding wasn't too terrible and relatively smooth ride over. Iceland was beautiful from above!! The Northern Lights were dazzling in the skies as we made our way across the Atlantic - no words, no words at all.

Toodle-oooh, Baltimore!

Icelandic beer from among the clouds - not too bad.

From Iceland to Ireland, let's go!

The adventures started upon touchdown at roughly 8:30AM GMT aka 3:30AM back home - my poor Mumsy stayed up for each leg of my journey.

So. Green.

After a brief bus ride to the center of Dublin city {none the worse for wear, surprisingly}, I made my way to the Old Jameson Distillery and discovered I really do not like whiskey. Jameson + ginger ale, tolerable. The tasting room made my stomach churn in all the wrong ways.... I don't know how Lovely acquired such a love for that vile concoction; I can appreciate the history without divulging in any...

Complimentary samples woot woot

From there, off to the Guinness Storehouse! Naturally. I'm in Ireland, so of course I have to take the Guinness tour and pour a perfect pint. FYI: it takes 19.6 seconds to pour the perfect pint from start to finish. I received a certificate saying I'm a pro, so I should know now. >giggle<

Obligatory dork pic.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church, so many churches and sites before checking in at the Ashfield House hostel, quick shower, and out for a delicious dinner of fish & chips and trying some local beers. Found a new favorite cider called Orchard Thieves!

>if you have the app Untappd, available on both iTunes & Android, let's be beer-appreciating friends! Handle: g33kandchic<

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Christ Church

Dublin Castle

Ha'penny Bridge

Early start tomorrow with a trip down to Cork to see Cashel Rock and kiss the Blarney Stone!

Off to the Emerald Isle

FYI: if you want to bring your throwing stars on an international flight, you're more than welcome to, provided they are in your checked luggage.

As it's been a while since I've flown internationally, I'm brushing up on my TSA knowledge. Prohibited items of which I never would have thought to bring on a flight include, but are not excluded to:

• Chlorine for pools and spas
• Recreational oxygen
• Tear gas
• More than 3.4 oz of Maple Syrup can only travel in one's checked bag....
• Brass knuckles must be in the checked bag
• Cattle prods prohibited from entering the cabin, but okay in the checked luggage
• No dynamite...ever
• Vehicle airbags

Umm...what?

Oh, but pies and cakes are allowed in both carry-on and checked luggage. Good. I wanted to take stow some in the inside pocket of my floral bag... {kidding}.

I understand, it's all for safety. It's similar to those strange state-mandated rules such as no singing in the shower - at some point, these must have been necessary laws to enforce because someone was dumb enough to bring them.

Last-minute packing. Naturally....good thing I did check up on my noggin's memory as I was thinking a gallon-size bag of liquids was too good to be true. Even with my minimalist product-usage, this is going to be tight.

Essentials...good enough, eh?

Excitement is mounting!

Wanderlust & Cabin Fever

Is it possible to get cabin fever if you can leave the apartment?

After being cooped up either in the hospital or briefly in my apartment for the past few days due to the shit storm of the century, I'm beginning to feel a little stir-crazy... 16 days until I leave for Ireland, exploring the Irish motherland for a few days and anticipating falling in love with yet another foreign country {England still holds my heart, followed closely by Switzerland}.

Reading travel blog posts and finding travel tips on Pinterest only instigates my extreme case of wanderlust and makes me yearn for the next adventure, whether it be state-side or any direction outside our borders.

This post explores this sweet gal's first 11 foreign countries, with much excited anticipation for the next 11+.

I've read about so many wondrous and brave people leaving "corporate USA" to fulfill their lifelong dream of traveling the world and you know, that doesn't sound all too shabby... Travel tips here on how to {basically} travel for free.

I'm just starting off my career, but know I'm not where I want to spend the rest of my life.... However, money is a necessary evil, particularly with nasty student loans {<$10K to go!!!} so I have to hang in there and make time to travel in between the craziness of operations while building my resume and bank reserves for such a daring and audacious action...

Oh! I have a travel tip! If you're planning on visiting Niagara Falls, you may want to do it sooner rather than later...according to this, they'll be shutting the falls off momentarily to allow for major repairs. So happy I went to see the magnificent falls in summer 2014 {holy cow, it's been that long??}.

I'm planning on taking a grand adventure back to Europe, scoping out the best way of going about this, with my sights focusing on this Ultimate Europe Adventure, but alas, this all depends on my grand life scheme career plan. Here's to hoping I have the proverbial balls audacity to pull this thing off....timing is everything, after all ;)

For now, looking forward to a mental getaway to the motherland in Bumfuck, PA and getting as many hugs from my mummy as I can before working a buttload and packing in between shifts.

Ireland and more adventures await!!

This gal's ready to jet off!

Luck of the Irish & other quips

Happy news....

My signed copy of Ron Pope's latest album: Ron Pope & the Nighthawks is en route to my humble abode and Hotel Room is available for a soothing, savory indulgement!

My other giddiness stems from the fortune I had in not spending a fortune on an impromptu purchase of a one-way {jk} two-way ticket to Dublin in February with a brief stop in Reykjavik, Iceland - it counts!

Excitement does not begin to describe the way I'm feeling, the chills and that inevitable oh, snap scared-shitless feeling of anticipation I always feel right before a big adventure. I absolutely love traveling, cruising off wherever my feet take me, or social anxiety as it steers me away from the masses and down roads less traveled. The little bit of nerves is perfectly understanding...I feel those are natural and also expected - in a sense, I've always been worried if I didn't feel nervous before a test of any sort. Those nerves keep me on my toes, otherwise, I get too cocky and might blow it.

I think I'm all ready to goooo, based on this questionable pic from my humble flat in middle-of-nowhere central PA... And hey, I just found out I have some Irish roots so I'm ready to roam the land of my people and lay a wet one on that ol' Blarney Stone.