April 22, 2015

5 Things I’ll Miss About the US When I Move Abroad

Sara Expat, General Musings America, things I love most about, things I miss about the US 17 Comments

5 things I'll miss most about the US once I move abroad

I have been totally and completely MIA from this blog since last week. Things have been CRAZY around here. I had my last day of work, I had the last day at my gym, I had a weekend getaway to a little beach on the Louisiana coast with a bunch of my best friends as a farewell trip.

Anyways, a lot of “lasts” have been happening all of a sudden, and it’s hitting me now more than ever that I AM MOVING TO IRELAND A WEEK FROM TODAY. Like…what?! Some nights, I have trouble falling asleep because I can’t stop thinking about it and everything I need to do before then. And it’s really starting to hit me that I will be gone for an entire year. I sometimes get emotional thinking about it!

America’s not perfect, but it has got some pretty great things. Like, all-you-can-eat buffets, for example. Well, since the day of my departure is looming ever closer, I’ve started to think about what I’m gonna miss most about the US when I move abroad. Well, 5 things/places/events I’ll miss from where I live in the US at least.

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April 13, 2015

5 Reasons Why I Love Train Travel

Sara Europe, Travel, Travel Inspiration Europe trains, train travel, trains vs planes, why I love trains 9 Comments

One unique experience that I’ve found about traveling through Europe is how popular and easy it is to travel by train. Anytime I visit anywhere in the US, I’m driving or I’m flying. Although there are trains, they’re not nearly as efficient or popular as they are in Europe. Travelling by train in Europe is absolutely worth it.

Although trains used to be the cheapest way to travel around Europe, in recent years there have been a lot more airlines that offer affordable flights. Airlines like RyanAir or Easyjet offer really cheap flights around Europe that have many people thinking traveling by train may not be worth it, since typically the journeys are longer.

But personally, I LOVE IT. It’s a unique part of the European travel experience to travel by train. Obviously planes are very efficient, but there’s just something about trains. Here are 5 reasons why I love train travel.

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April 10, 2015

The Abbey Road FAIL

Sara England, UK Abbey Road, Beatles sights in London, how to get to Abbey Road 11 Comments

“Hey, look! It’s Abbey Road! We should go check it out!” I said to my friends while pointing to the tube map in my hands.

That’s how it all started. I saw a stop on the DLR line called “Abbey Road.” We were all the way in Belgravia area, by the Victoria Station, which was pretty far from the Abbey Road station, even on the tube.

But, I convinced my friends to come check it out with me. After all, I’m a huge fan of The Beatles. How cool would it be to see the real Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded the legendary album? And to take a (super touristy) picture on that same corner of the road as the Abbey Road album cover??

Besides, it wouldn’t be that hard, right? We could just take the tube to the station and check it out. WRONG.

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April 7, 2015

Florence and Venice in 72 Hours

Sara Europe, Italy, Travel, Travel Guides + Itineraries Florence, things to do in Florence, things to do in Venice, Venice, weekend in Italy 15 Comments

My first time visiting Europe was when I studied abroad after freshman year of college in Innsbruck, Austria. It was the most amazing 6 weeks of my entire life. It was what really started my obsession with traveling. During my time in Innsbruck, we only had classes Monday-Thursday mornings. So, as soon as the final bell rang (OK, there was no actual bell, this is just figurative) we would head to the Innsbruck train station to hop on a train to other countries for the weekend. Most weekends, we would focus on one place – some of my weekends were spent in Prague, Amsterdam, London, etc. Well, one weekend we decided to take on the heaping task of seeing TWO fantastic cities in a little over 3 days – Florence AND Venice.

How could we cram in two beautiful Italian cities in just 72 hours? Here’s how it went down.

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April 3, 2015

Marvelous Markets, pt. 1: Borough Market – London

Sara England, Markets, UK Burrough Market, London, London food markets, London Markets, things to do in London 13 Comments

Do you love London? Do you love farmer’s markets? Do you love food? I’ll answer all of these for you: YES. Well, those happen to be 3 of my favorite things. Although I haven’t posted too much about it (because I honestly don’t even know where to begin) I’m OBSESSED with London. Plus I LOVE markets of all kind – whether that be food, produce, secondhand, flea, etc. And, obviously, this gal loves to eat too! And I’m really good at it. #moretolove

One of the (many) reasons London my favorite city is because it has TONS of markets. I haven’t been to all of them yet, but I have absolutely LOVED the ones I have been to! And one of the best London markets I’ve been to is Borough Market.

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April 1, 2015

Scenes of Amsterdam from the Canals

Sara Europe, Photo Diaries, Photography, The Netherlands Amsterdam, canal cruise, The Netherlands, things to do in Amsterdam 21 Comments

A boat ride through the Amsterdam canals is a GREAT way to see the city. Amsterdam is filled with 100+ miles of canals and about 1,500 bridges, so if you’re visiting Amsterdam (especially if it’s your first time) you should definitely make it a point to see the city from the water’s vantage point!

Get ready for some beautiful views on the calm Amstel river, all while learning the history of this fascinating city.

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March 30, 2015

A Nice Day in Nice, France

Sara Europe, France Côte d'Azur, France summer destinations, French Riviera, Nice, Things to do in Nice 25 Comments

Sure, Paris is amazing. Obviously. But one area of France that you definitely don’t want to miss on (especially in the summer) is the Côte d’Azur / French Riviera. It’s located on the Southeastern coast of France, and close to the Italian border. This is reflected through its gorgeous Mediterranean waters, amazing sunny climate, and Italian-influenced architecture. The main cities of the French Riviera are Cannes, Nice, and the sovereign state of Monaco. Although I did visit all 3 towns, I want to highlight my day spent in Nice (pronounced “niece”).

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March 23, 2015

Expat News / Updates / Freak Outs

Sara Expat, General Musings Expat, expat advise, moving to another country, soon to be expat 27 Comments

I’ll admit it, last week I was hard core slackin’ on this blog. I didn’t post quite as frequently as usual, I was slow to respond to sweet comments, and I didn’t get to do much browsing of other people’s blogs. And I missed it! But I’ve been SO busy starting to really prepare for my big move to Ireland. That’s right, soon I’ll be an expat in Ireland ahhhhh!!!!!!

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March 17, 2015

The Mystical, Magical, Marvelous Quinta da Regaleira

Sara Europe, Portugal Lisbon day trip, Portugal, Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, things to do in Portugal 12 Comments

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal – the perfect day trip from Lisbon!

The Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal is the most magical, perfect day trip from Lisbon.

I mean, this place has everything. A palace with velvet walls, lush gardens, hidden caves, grottoes, statues, AN INVERTED TOWER. (Someone PLEASE tell me they read that in Stefon’s voice. Anyone? Please?)

What I’m saying is…you need to go. OK? Ok great. Now, onto the more formal breakdown…

When leaving Lisbon, Portugal to visit nearby Sintra one afternoon, we decided on a whim to visit the Quinta da Regailera. This Gothic palace and chapel is located in the historic area of Sintra and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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March 10, 2015

5 Reasons Why Cinque Terre is the Absolute WORST

Sara Europe, Italy Cinque Terre, Cinque terre reviews, Italian Riviera, Italy, Summer Destinations, wanderlust 32 Comments

Is Cinque Terre, the iconic cluster of 5 islands along the Italian Riviera, worth visiting? “Cinque Terre” translates to “The 5 Lands,” and consists of five small villages, which are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Its a popular tourist destination AND a UNESCO World Heritage site.

And it is just THE worst. Here’s why.

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