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Showing posts from April, 2014

Munich, Germany: Beer, Food, and Festivals

" No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow"-  Lin Yutang It's a surreal feeling, arriving back to Ireland after a full month of living in a fantasy. I anxiously watched the ocean stretch out below me, waiting what seemed like forever for the beautiful Irish green countryside to merge with the crashing waves below me. Once I saw the first glimpse of patchy greenery, a smile spread across my face- who knew I would miss this little island so much? Our final stop on our European tour was to Munich, Germany. Aka, my homeland. German blood runs deep through my veins, and definitely has something to do with my drink of choice (uh, beer please). So we checked into our hotel and found a restaurant where we promptly had our first liter of beer. Yes, a liter. The mugs were unreal sized, and the beer was extraordinarily tasty- and only a small glimpse as to what we would experience during Spring Fest. When ...

Praha (lol)

"There's no where you can be that isn't where you're meant to be" - John Lennon  I knew that time wold seduce us into believing that our European adventure would seemingly last forever; but believing in forever is naïve when it comes to time. It honestly feels as if it were only days ago that our seven city adventure kicked off in Dublin, tearing up as I watched the Backstreet Boys live out my childhood dreams (still in awe that I actually saw them after 8 patient years of waiting). Yet here we are, a mere two days away from returning to our beloved Ireland- a very bitter/sweet feeling this is. On Monday evening, after a long tour of Italy (chalk full of carbs, wine, and nights slipping into mornings), we gladly welcomed the slower pace of Prague, Czech Republic. As we wondered the streets, hoping on and off the wrong metro a few times, it wasn't hard to quickly stumble into a helpless love for the streets and sights of Prague. Our hostel was in a great locati...

Rome: Where toilet seats are apparently a luxury.

"Where ever you go, go with all your heart" - Confucius  No one ever really tells you that being a world traveler is exhausting. They usually skip that part because they're too busy regaling you with semi-unbelievable stories and breathtaking photos to warn you of the side effects that come along with such an adventure. Side effects that include fatigue, swollen feet, achy bodies and (at times) complete and utter mental failure.  But, at the end of each new adventure, every single ache and pain is worth it- especially when you get to eat a weeks worth of real Italian food, play gladiator in the Colosseum, hang out with the Pope, and finally live out a real life "Lizzy McGuire" moment at the Trevi fountain.  Our trip to Rome started out with a visit to Vatican City to attend the Papal Audience. The Vatican was packed with people, literally oozing out of the massive pillars and spilling into the square. The ever-growing crowd erupted when Pope Francis emerged in t...

Oh, how veNICE of you!

"Sometimes when you lose your way, you find yourself"-  Mandy Hale Whilst sitting in a Gondola, strolling through the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, I had this sudden thought that life could not possibly get any better than at that precise moment. It seems so surreal, this European adventure of mine. It's as if I'm constantly checking new cities off my ever-growing bucketlist, seeing things I've only heard of, planting my feet on ground I've only dreamed of. Venice marked the halfway point of our extraordinary month-long journey that will end up taking us all across Europe, and back again (we had poor planning, ok?). Halfway through a month of unforgettable shenanigans, memories, and stories I only hope people won't get sick of- honestly, I'm sorry in advance to all my friends and family who have to listen (over and over) about that time I did this in this country, and that in another country.  But, for the past week, we've vacationed from our vacat...

¡BarTHelona(ugh the lisp), es muy divertido!

" I fell in love like you fall asleep- slowly, and than all at once"- John Green I'm pretty convinced John Green had it right when he wrote this line in  The Fault in our Stars , "what a slut time is, she screws everyone". I had never really thought of it like that, but I find it hard not to apply it to my life right now. In the blink of an eye, it seems I'm saying both hola and adiós to Barcelona.  Oh but what an adventure it has been. In just three days we were able to explore most of this incredible city- of course, I have to thank my beautiful friends, Mary Kate, Dana, Cait, and Bridget, for being our personal guides, 100% wouldn't have been able to navigate without you guys.  We arrived pretty late on Monday evening, probably still a little drunk from our Budapest escapades. We checked into our hostel, a great location with free paella upon arrival. I can't even describe to you how beautiful free food is, yet alone absolutely tasty free food- it...

Budaful Budapest

" Life's what you make it, so let's make it rock"- Hannah Montana (RIP) I'll be honest, I think this last week has 100% changed my life, and it may be directly associated with finally seeing the Backstreet Boys in concert (I have honestly waited since I was 8 for this magical experience). I'm also not afraid to admit that I cried (more than once) out of sheer joy- because dreams do come true and The Backstreet Boys are Most definitely back, alright!  After drooling over 40 year old men in matching outfits and some terrible choreography, we celebrated Heidi's 21st  birthday by exploring the Guinness Factory, and making friends with bartenders all throughout Dublin. The hotel pub, conveniently located directly below us made us, some beautiful birthday shots complete with a "birthday cake" made from a lemon and a candle. How sweet, honestly Monty (Python?) the bar tender was such a gem and adored us. 4:50 am rolled around way too early, but Budapest...