European Vacation (Part I)

Ireland.

Our trip to Europe didn't start out as smoothly as we had hoped.  We flew Aer Lingus (which overall, I enjoyed but it still had some issues).  We were delayed out of Chicago.  Lola fell asleep in the airport (which was cool....until we had to carry her like that all the way onto the plane).  Billy left his iPad on the plane we took out of Louisville...which ended up taking a trip to Minnesota, where someone contacted us weeks later and then mailed it back to us.  YAY! So there was that.  ;)  Anyway, I digress.  Because of the delayed flight, we got off to a late start in Ireland.

We landed in Dublin, had a bit of a snafu in the airport when an elderly lady fell down the escalator (a few steps, not like the WHOLE escalator) into Billy's lap.  Because she was hurt, nobody would let Billy leave until medical personnel arrived.  This delayed our start even longer.  I'm telling you, we have some crazy stories.  Writing about them now is bringing back so many memories!

Here's what is cool about our trip to Ireland.  I met a gal through mutual friends WAY back when Myspace was THE thing.  She was always so funny and we had a lot in common.  We became friends.  We even switched over to Facebook and became even better friends.  She lives in Cork, Ireland.  I was so excited that I would finally be able to meet her in person.  We rented our car and drove to Blarney Castle to meet her.  Blarney Castle?  Well, it's so cool.  Kissing the Blarney Stone....not so much.  I was in line to do so but totally chickened out and let Billy do the honors. HA!

We finished our castle tour and went to a lovely dinner with my friend and then we hit the road to Dublin to stay in our hotel for the night.  We were soooooo tired because we didn't really sleep on the plane.  We ended up having to pull off the road to take a little nap. We eventually made it back to Dublin for a short rest before getting up early to head to Germany.  Oh.....the trip gets better with that story.  It's yet to come!

In summation, Ireland is beautiful. Go if you can.  Aer Lingus, while using an older (seemingly run-down) plane on the way there, was a pretty good airline. In fact, we are probably using them again in the fall.  Blarney Castle?  AWESOME.  The stairs up to the top are windy and narrow and kinda scary.  But it's worth it.  And kiss that Blarney Stone!!!  I wish I did (stinking regrets....hate living with them).  I needed some luck of the Irish then (I still need it now....)! We spent a little more time in Dublin before we came home so I will talk more about that later.  But we had such a wonderful time, Ireland is magical, and meeting my friend was the BEST.  I love her dearly! :)

So who has been to Ireland?  Anyone?  Anyone planning to go?  Please tell me!!!

Here, There, and Everywhere!

Since this is my first post on this blog, I figured I should share a little bit about me! I currently live in Kentucky.  I am married with two littles.  I have a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Louisville.  I love to write.  I am passionate about working out and eating healthy.  I also love sports. All.  The.  Sports.  Annnnnnd I have a little bit of gypsy in me.  I haven't always been this way.  In fact, I used to be scared of change.  I used to be scared of new places and new adventures.  Then I got older and my fears dissipated and my heart filled with anticipation of seeing the world.

I say that I was scared of change.  I was.  I was scared to travel. But I always wanted to go to New York City.  So there's that.  I used to dream of what life must be like there.  I wanted to be there, to be a part of the city that never sleeps.  I knew I would love it there.  I also knew it was expensive and it would be something I had to save for. I finally got my first opportunity to go there as a chaperone with my friend's high school chorus group.  Guess what?  I loved New York City just as bit as much (possibly more) as I thought (KNEW) I would.  I've been back at least once a year since that first trip in May of 2013.  Never been?  GO!  Like start planning right now!!!!!!!

Another thing?  I don't like flying.  That is something that hasn't changed.  I don't like flying....not one single bit.  But I make myself get on that plane because I know it will be worth it.  It always is. Anyone else out there scared of flying?  Might I suggest conquering that fear so that you can see the things the world has to offer?

Where have I been and where do I want to go? I have been to MOST of the states here in the good ol' USA. Get me to the East Coast and I can knock the last few states out (Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, I'm coming for you).  I also need to go to Alaska and Hawaii. I've been to Costa Rica (swoon).  It's beautiful there. I've been to Europe (Ireland, England, Germany, Austria, France).  I've been to Australia.  I. Must. Go. Back.  It is THAT amazing.  I promise.  And because I made that 16.5 hour direct flight from LA, I'm now convinced that I can go ANYWHERE!  I have a few trips lined up in the upcoming months, but until those happen, I will be blogging about my past adventures.  I promise I will make it worth your time.

Where do I want to go?  All.  The.  Places.  Legit.  Well, some places are still scary to me (Africa, Israel, Egypt).  I was born in the Philippines but moved when I was a baby.  I want to go back.  I want to go to Dubai (definitely need lots of money for that trip).  I want to see the rest of Europe.  Islands? Oh heck yeah.  Fiji, Tahiti, Maldives, Canary Islands.  I have a list as long as my arm of places I want to go.  So I will stop the list there.  But it's so fun to have a bucket list of all the places you want to go.  Don't have one? MAKE ONE!

I want to share all of my adventures with you.  I want to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Need a hotel suggestion?  I can share my experiences.  Restaurant in Salzburg?  I've got you covered! Have questions?  You can ask in the comment section or you can email me.  I'm so excited about this blog.  I'm excited about life, in general.  What a beautiful life it is!  I'm excited to LIVE....to see the beauty that is this WHOLE wide world!  I can assure you that some things I've seen didn't even seem real.  It was THAT amazing.  Travel is in my soul.  I am always longing for more.  If you can't take your own trip just yet, you can come along on mine! ;)

Pictures from my very first trip to NYC are found below!