About Sara Granados

http://saragranados.com

US Expat from Louisiana living in Dublin, Ireland. 30 years young. Graphic designer • Travel Blogger • Avid reader • Semi-professional thrift shopper

Posts by Sara Granados:

7 American Chains Dublin Needs

7 American Chains Dublin Needs, Ranked by Urgency

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7 American Chains Dublin Needs

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.

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Paddle Boating on Lake Lucerne

Paddle Boating on Lake Lucerne

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Paddle Boating on Lake Lucerne

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.

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Iceland

My Iceland Video Diary – September 2016

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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!

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Ultimate Guide to Ireland's Working Holiday Authorisation

Ultimate Guide to Ireland’s Working Holiday Authorisation

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Ultimate Guide to Ireland's Working Holiday Authorisation

I’ve gotten many emails over the past few years of people who come across my blog and want to know “How did you do it?” How, at 22 years of age, did I move from South Louisiana to Dublin, Ireland? Did I do it through a program? Did I have a job? How did I afford it? Was it scary?

Well, folks, I’ll tell you how I did it. I up and moved to Dublin, with no job or place to live, because of a little something known as the Working Holiday Authorisation – an amazing (yet little-known) program between Ireland and citizens of The US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Hong Kong, Chile, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

The rules and requirements vary slightly from country to country. For the purpose of this post I’m focusing on the Working Holiday Authorisation offered to people from the United States.

So here we go!

[UPDATE: This post has been updated in 2022 with new/updated information. For example, some processes/applications that had to be done in-person when this article was originally written in 2017 have now been moved online, companies that are no longer in business have been removed, etc. This has all been reflected here.]

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Iceland In Photos

Iceland, In Photos

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Iceland In Photos

So, I’m basically obsessed with Iceland. So I just had to share a little photo diary of Iceland, because it’s seriously stunning.

I came back from my trip over a month ago with 2,000+ photos of Iceland – including the cool city of Reykjavik, mountains, glaciers, caves, fissures, and about 43,039 different waterfalls.

The diverse landscape was the most stunning and naturally beautiful one I’ve ever seen. I mean….REALLY cool stuff happens there – hot water shoots up from the earth, tectonic plates shift and create a huge (and beautiful) fissure, glacial ice melts into a lagoon you can swim in, just to name a few. All this within the backdrop of moody Autumn skies, and my picture-taking-loving heart was in heaven.

I can’t wait to share in detail about my adventures there, as well as share a few tips of places you MUST be sure to check out on your visit there AND ways to travel Iceland on a budget.

But until then, feast your eyes on my favorite pictures from the trip. Iceland is GORGEOUS, you guys. So here it is: Iceland, in photos.

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The Ring of Kerry

Ireland Road Trips: The Ring of Kerry

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The Ring of Kerry

I know, I know. To say I’ve been AWOL from this blog is a total understatement. NEVER have I gone this long without posting! That just goes to show how insanely busy my summer has been, and how much I have to share! Since getting my visa situation sorted in April, it’s been non-stop! From road trips and rural hikes around Ireland to markets and music festivals, this summer has been a whirlwind of fun and great weather and I’ve only been able to squeeze in a few posts. But the chilly weather is creeping up, which means fall is approaching and the long summer days will be coming to an end soon. SO. Back to business then, shall we?

One of my favorite summer activities was actually one that could be done at any time of the year. A road trip! One of the best road trips in Ireland, actually. THE RING OF KERRY to be specific. Ever heard of it? If you’ve been to Ireland or done any research on things to do, you probably have. Along with The Giant’s Causeway and The Dingle Peninsula, The Ring of Kerry is one of the best and most well-known scenic routes in Ireland –  a 179km circular route through the Iveragh Penninsula in County Kerry. And after visiting it, I can say with certainty that has to be one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

Sure, I may be a bit biased with my love for Ireland. It’s a beautiful place with amazing scenery and stunning natural landscape, but there are many other countries that this can be said about as well. But one of the things I think makes Ireland unique is it’s charming people. And during my Ring of Kerry experience, the Irish charm once again made the experience truly memorable.

…OH, but so did the fact that in one day we drove past mountains, beaches, loughs (lakes), medieval ruins, and overall STUNNING views!

You should rent a car (and get over your fear of driving on the opposite side of the road – it’s not that bad!), pull over at as many photo-op spots as your heart desires, drive off the beaten path when you can, breathe in the fresh air, make pit stops at any chocolate factory you find, and enjoy the ride…

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Temple Bar

The True Temple Bar

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Temple Bar

Ah, Temple Bar.

Tourists know it as “the” place to go out and have a wild night. Locals know it as the area over-saturated with tourists and overpriced drinks. Everyone knows it as the messy headquarters of drunkenness come nightfall.

But, Temple Bar is actually much more than what both locals and tourists give it credit for. Locals tend to stay away most of the time because of the bad rep the tourists have given it. And tourists mainly go at night and dirty up the streets with trash and bodily fluids during their drunken escapades. But, it’s so much more than what it becomes come nightfall.

Since no trip to Dublin is complete without a look into Temple Bar, 99.9% of all tourists in Dublin WILL end up in there, and WILL want to see what the hype is about and why all the guidebooks always say to visit. Some may find that it’s overcrowded, overhyped, and overpriced. And it is. But there’s a also a certain magic to Temple Bar. You just have to know when and where to look for it.

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Game of Thrones tour - day trip from Dublin

The Game of Thrones Tour from Dublin

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Game of Thrones tour

I felt it was topical, being that the season finale of Game of Thrones aired here yesterday (I’m STILL in shock), to talk about the recent Game of Thrones tour I did departing from Dublin! Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, it’s a great option for a day trip from Dublin filled with scenic stops at castles, forests, and coastal viewpoints.

There are TONS, and I mean TONS, of options for day tours from Dublin. Whether you want a quick tour of the local area or a 10-hour day tour going across the country, there’s something for everybody.

And there’s even something for Game of Thrones fans, like this great Game of Thrones day trip leaving from and returning to central Dublin, bringing you on a long journey of different Game of Thrones sites in Northern Ireland.

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Bath, England: A 1-Day Itinerary

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Bath, England: A 1-Day Itinerary

Sometimes, you just need a little weekend getaway. Especially for those of us who have to be working adults, a quick little trip is a great way for us to still keep our wanderlust in check and see new places, but also not get fired from our jobs for taking too much time off. OK fine, by “we” I’m talking about me.

I for one am always browsing airline sites to see about cheap flights and deals. From Ireland the quickest and cheapest flights, and the most frequent flights, are to the UK. So, after some browsing and researching, I decided to make a little “hit it and quit it” trip to Bath, England. It seemed small enough to explore in a few days, it was cheap and easy to get to, and it looked beautiful.

Well, turns out you can see the best of Bath in just 1 day, and here’s a guide of things to do in Bath, England to help you make sure you don’t miss anything!

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