February 2, 2016

Month #9 recap and photos

Sara Expat, Expat Life Recaps Expat in Ireland, US expat, working holiday authorisation 25 Comments

Ah, what I’ve been secretly dreading…2016 in Dublin. The year when my life as an expat in Ireland could come to an end, with my visa expiring in May of this year. But I don’t want to be sad and think about it too much. Instead, I’m going to continue sharing what life is life as an expat in Dublin!

Of course I had SO MUCH FUN ringing in the new year in Dublin, and there’s a lot of things I’m looking forward to in the next few months. But, it being 2016 means I’m even closer to having to leave this wonderful life behind. It means the end of my year of being an expat in Ireland.

That’s right. My Irish Working Holiday Visa officially ends at the end of April of this year. So I’m currently trying to figure out a way to stay. I’m even looking into some classes to be able to stay as a student. Because I REALLY want to stay.

But other than that semi-stressful endeavor, life here is (of course) wonderful. January was yet another great month on this beautiful island I’ve been lucky enough to call home for the last 9 months.

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January 26, 2016

Walking in (Hyde Park’s) Winter Wonderland // London

Sara England, UK Christmas in London, Hyde Park, London at Christmas, review, Winter Wonderland 16 Comments

Dublin is currently rainy and miserable due to the leftovers of Storm Jonas and getting warmer the day. So, I can’t stop thinking about drier and colder weather not too long ago during my Christmas trip, and how much I want to go back!

I already gave a bit of a spiel about my wonderful Christmas holiday in London. Bbut I thought I’d hone in on one particular activity a little more that was a highlight of the trip. And that is Winter Wonderland in Hyde park – an absolute necessity for anyone visiting London over the holidays.

With carnival rides, ice villages, Bavarian beer gardens, market stalls, and food offerings, it’s the perfect way to spend a crisp day in the capital city, and definitely a fun thing to do in London if you’re there around Christmas!

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January 12, 2016

The Best Holiday in the Best City // Christmas in London

Sara England, Travel, Travel Inspiration, UK Christmas in London, London Christmas Day, things to do in London for Christmas, US expat 23 Comments

I’ve probably mentioned this many times before, but London truly is my favorite place.

I know it’s expensive…super expensive. I know it’s crowded. That housing is ridiculous. That living there probably isn’t as glamorous as it’s made out to be.

But still, there’s just something about it that I love. The history, the beauty, the parks, the accent. It’s all just perfect. And that is my honest opinion, as a tourist wearing rose-colored glasses of course.

I’ve been to London 3 times previously, but always during the summer. So this was my first time visiting not only during the winter, but during the holidays. And it’s no surprise at all that it’s just as wonderful, and even more magical, during the holidays. There just isn’t anything quite like Christmas in London.

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January 7, 2016

My 15 Favorite Travel Photos of 2015

Sara Photo Diaries, Photography 2015 in review, Expat in Ireland, favorite photos of 2015, photos of 2015, US expat 4 Comments

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is taking pictures. People who travel with me know that not only am I going to have my huge Nikon DSLR around my neck, but will probably have my GoPro and iPhone in my bag as well.

This has been the biggest travel year of my whole life. Sure, I may not have been to as many different countries as some other years, but instead of just traveling around, spending a few days in each country, I’ve actually fulfilled my dream of moving to Europe. Well, Ireland (which is technically Europe but the Irish don’t consider it as such). I’ve been able to travel to some amazing places in Ireland, and used it as an easy base to travel other parts of Europe.

So, I decide to steal this idea from Lauren on Location, because it’s a great way to look back on this amazing year through one of my favorite keepsakes – pictures. I’m using her great idea to look back on 2015 with 15 of my favorite travel photos from the year.

Now, these won’t all be stunning landscape shots or epic GoPro pictures. But, they’re the ones that mean the most to me, and the ones that highlight the best parts of 2015 for me. So without further adieu, here are my 15 favorite travel photos of 2015.

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January 5, 2016

Expat Life in Ireland // Month #8 recap and photos

Sara Expat, Expat Life Recaps American living in Ireland, Expat in Ireland, US expat, working holiday authorisation 8 Comments

December was a whirlwind of a month, with the holidays being so fun yet so busy! So, I apologize for my lack of posting.

But, the good news is that I have SO MUCH to share about Christmas in London and the general holiday season in Dublin! Last month may have been quiet, but this month was cold, hectic, festive, and perfect! And spoiler alert: I’m still having an absolute BALL being an American expat in Ireland.

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December 23, 2015

Hiking the Wicklow Way: Glenmalure to Glendalough

Sara Europe, Ireland, Travel, Travel Guides + Itineraries Dublin Day Trips, Expat, Expat in Ireland, Glendalough, Things to do in Dublin, Wicklow Way 9 Comments

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ireland has some of the most amazing natural landscape I’ve ever seen. Ireland is famous for its rolling green hills, beautiful coastlines, and breathtaking cliffs. With that comes MANY amazing walking/hiking trails that offer people a taste of the natural beauty.

I’m trying to take advantage of the landscape here since where I’m from (South Louisiana) is totally and completely FLAT. Couldn’t be flatter. I already shared all about cliff walking in Howth (which was AMAZING). But during my time here in Ireland I’ve gotten a chance to do a few different hikes. It’s great for getting some fresh air, clearing your mind, and seeing some unbelievable sights.

…Weather permitting of course.

Well, one amazing hiking trail in Ireland (that’s also easy to get to from Dublin city centre) is the Wicklow Way, in County Wicklow.

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December 14, 2015

The Harry Potter Studio Tour

Sara England, UK Harry Potter, Harry Potter London, London, studio tour, things to do in London 3 Comments

For today’s post, I’m taking it wayyyy back to the Summer of 2012. I went on a great trip through Europe with a group of college kids. One of our stops was London, and THE single most epic day of our London rendezvous started with a double-decker bus tour that led us to seeing THE QUEEN, and ended with the Harry Potter studio tour.

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December 1, 2015

Expat Life in Ireland // Month #7 recap and photos

Sara Expat, Expat Life Recaps American living in Ireland, Expat in Ireland, living abroad in Ireland, US expat, working holiday authorisation 4 Comments

We’re over the halfway mark 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 OK you get it, I’m sad that my time as an American expat in Ireland is FLYING by.

The month of November will be known to me as The Month Where Not Much Happened.

Yeah, my hectic and crazy streak over the past 2 months was bound to come to an end sometime. I mean, last month I did visit another country and 2 different Irish cities. So to be honest, this month didn’t have too much going on.

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November 24, 2015

Cliff Walking in Howth, Ireland

Sara Europe, Ireland Howth, Ireland, Ireland walking trails, Things to do in Dublin, Things to do in Howth 16 Comments

Cliff Walking in Howth - the perfect day trip from Dublin

As much as I love city life, it’s sometimes nice to escape the busy streets, constant cars, and general hustle and bustle of Dublin. Well luckily, there’s plenty of beautiful natural landscape that can be seen by just doing a day trip from Dublin!

When I first moved to Dublin I posted about the cute little village of Howth, just a 20-30 minute train ride North of Dublin’s city centre. Besides being a great and easily assessable getaway for anyone living in Dublin, it’s also great for visitors wanting to see a bit more of the renowned Irish landscape that may not have the time/money to travel far (a day return ticket on the DART train to Howth is only €6!!!)

The best part of this cliff walk, and the day in general, is that I hadn’t planned it at all. I had heard about the cliff walk, but I thought it was just a short trail. We ended up walking for hours (because we chose the longest trail of the 3 options).

If you want to see some breathtaking Irish nature and stunning views, this is something I DEFINITELY recommend.

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November 19, 2015

Fall in St. Stephen’s Green // Dublin

Sara Europe, Ireland, Photo Diaries, Photography autumn, Expat in Ireland, Fall in Dublin, St. Stephen's Green, Things to do in Dublin 10 Comments

Louisiana is one of those places that only has 2 seasons – really hot summer, and then a little less hot “winter.” Some years the winter can be classified as “cold.” But most years, you can get away with wearing a thin, long-sleeve, silk blouse on Christmas Day.

And obviously, such is not the case in Dublin. And that can be seen by simply taking a stroll in St. Stephen’s Green park in fall.

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