Prague is one of my favorite European cities. Walking down the streets of Old Town, you really feel like you’re walking back in time. The medieval influences are literally everywhere and the history is so evident. Not only that, but it’s absolutely beautiful. I’m talkin’ like… eye porn everywhere you turn. I know most European cities are older than the entire United States, but Prague was the city where I most felt the whole “Holy crap, these streets, these buildings, EVERYTHING I’m seeing here is older than my entire country.” It was such a cool and surreal feeling to think about how far back the city has existed.
Here is a recap of our first day in Prague, including recommendations and things to do!
One day I’m going to make amazingly detailed city guides of various cities, Dublin included, but today is most definitely not that day. I know I’m going to be talking a lot more about Ireland soon, but before I move there and get the real “local” experience, I wanted to share what I think to be the top 5 things someone who’s a “Dublin virgin” MUST do when visiting this great place!
5-6 hours on a high speed “AVE” train in Spain can get you from Barcelona to Sevilla, the capital of the Andalucia region in the south of Spain. And there stands the “Real” (Royal) Alcázar of Sevilla (“Seville” in English), an old Royal Palace built in the 1300s with Moorish influence.
Exploring the Real Alcázar was a highlight of my trip, and definitely one of the best things to do in Sevilla!
I see here in my bed on a Sunday night reflecting on the past week and looking forward to the week ahead, I thought I’d share the thoughts that are running through my brain.
1. This weekend was absolutely nuts.
The lease in my apartment was up on Saturday the 31st, so this weekend was all about me moving out. Since I’m moving to Ireland in late April, I’ll be spending these next couple of months back home at my parents house…which should be interesting. Going from living on your own to being back with your parents is such a tricky move. I have a feeling there will be quite a few little arguments. But it’ll be great to spend some time with them before I leave for a year (the longest I’ve ever been away from home). Not only that, but I’ll be able to save money on rent for the next few months, which means more I can save up for my big trip! I feel like I’ve been packing, unpacking, taping, carrying, lifting, pushing, and cursing boxes all weekend. I’m so glad I finally get to relax and enjoy the last of my precious weekend.
2. Was anyone more excited to see the Puppy Bowl than the Super Bowl or was it just me?
I only attended a Super Bowl party because word on the street was that there was going to be King Cake there..and there totally was! But my favorite part of the game was the commercials, and in particular the Budweiser commercial with the puppy and the horse. How adorable?!
3. I’ve been binge watching Friends ever since it got on Netflix and I. Can’t. Stop. Won’t. Stop.
I started Season 8 last night. (That means I’ve gone through 7, 25-episode seasons since about the 2nd week of January. Whoops.) And all I can keep thinking about is WHERE HAVE I BEEN? How have I never watched this show before? It’s so great! It always plays on TV, but I had never seen it before because I HATE watching shows out of order. If I’m going to start watching a show, it has to be from season 1 episode 1 and in order. I’m just weird like that. Now that’s its on Netflix, I’m breezing through this show. It’s so addicting. Instead of hanging out with my real friends, I’ve been spending Saturday nights hanging out with Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey. Soon enough I’ll be finished with the series and can go back to real social interaction. But for now, ONWARDS.
4. Today marks exactly 3 months until I leave for Ireland!
Probably the most anxiety-inducing of all my thoughts on this Sunday night. Time is going to go so slowly because I’m so ready to leave! I’ve already started mentally listing out what I’m going to pack, and quite honestly I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pack for a whole year in a 50-lb suitcase (I love shoes……), so I may have to bring 2 or something. I’ll deal with that when the time comes.
6. I’m really trying to watch all the movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (so that I actually know what’s going on) and I’m almost half way there.
I’ve seen The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, and The Theory of Everything but still need to see Boyhood, Birdman, Selma, American Sniper, and Whiplash. I would be much further along IF FRIENDS WASN’T GETTING IN THE WAY (see #3). I loved the 3 that I’ve seen so I’m sure the other 5 will be just as good, I just need to buckle down and watch ’em!
So, the moral of the story is: puppies > football, Friends is zee best, I foresee a lot of TV/movie watching in my near future, I basically need to leave for Ireland NOW and moving is the worst. And that’s it for my Sunday night thoughts! Happy Sunday everyone! Let’s have a great week!
I have been dying, and I mean DYING, to finally share my big news! I have been looking into the Irish Working Holiday Authorization for months now. I’ve been preparing all the necessary paperwork, filling out the application, gathering documents, etc. I finally submitted my visa application to the Irish Consulate Embassy in Chicago a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been waiting patiently to hear back from them, since it usually takes about 3 weeks.
Well, I got my approval email this week, so I’m finally approved for the visa which means I’M MOVING TO IRELAND FOR A YEAR, YA’LL!
So for those of you who don’t know, I’m a Graphic Designer. I graduated from LSU with a graphic design degree, and currently work in Baton Rouge in a communications firm. When I was in school, I would always seize the opportunity to mix my love of graphic design with my love of traveling. Of course, the projects assigned to us didn’t always allow that…
Dublin is one of my favorite cities I’ve ever visited. Maybe it isn’t the most picturesque, and maybe the weather can be a bit of a downer for people who don’t like cold weather, but I absolutely adore it. The people are so friendly and it’s always so much fun. One of the top things to do in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse, a tour through the brewing process of Guinness beer. AKA the sweet nectar of the Irish Gods. The Storehouse is located right in the heart of St. James’s Gate Brewery, in the center of Dublin. I had a great experience Guinness Storehouse and think it’s is definitely worth visiting
Here’s a review, recap, and what to expect from the Guinness Storehouse tour!
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with travel. I mean, obviously, I have a blog dedicated to it. I specifically love traveling around Europe – there’s just something about the culture, the cities, and the lifestyle that I just absolutely adore. Although I’ve been on my fair share of trips through Europe, I also think I’ve visited my fair share of great destinations here in the good ol’ US of A. I have a never-ending list of “places I must go to before I die” (don’t we all) around the world, but my list of cities here in the states keeps growing as well! So I’ve tried to narrow down my top 5 US cities that I want to visit!
Before being fortunate enough to see the Ben Howard concert in the Civic Theatre in New Orleans on Saturday night, I got to spend the day roaming the French Quarter with my friends.
Most of the times when I go to New Orleans, I end up spending time/staying uptown. I absolutely love uptown because its so picturesque and a lot less busy than downtown and the Quarter. But, sometimes it’s nice to wander around the French Quarter and see all the “touristy” stuff. What’s even BETTER is seeing all the touristy stuff on a beautiful day. Which is exactly what happened on the lovely Saturday I found myself wandering the Quarter.
