In random order (because it would be impossible to rate these) I present to you my favorite fandoms/hobbies/what-have-you:

Harry Potter

I was a late bloomer to Harry Potter. I was 18 when I started reading it and by that time the first six books had already been published. Nevertheless I caught up quick. In the early days I would spend hours upon hours in Harry Potter forums (and went on to create my own!), read an embarrassing amount of fanfiction, made icons, and have read the series multiple times. I own a Gryffindor t-shirt, a Harry Potter wand, and I’ve made my own butterbeer. (IIII KNOW.) I just love it. I love the world JK Rowling created and I love the characters. My favorites would have to be Hagrid, Harry, Tonks, and Sirius, although there are a million characters in the series that deserve recognition. In recent years I haven’t done much fangirling in the HP world, not even when the last two movies came out, but I’ll always remember those early days with a smile and it still remains one of my favorite book series ever.

Star Wars

This one is new to me. My ex is a huge Star Wars fan and introduced me. I knew sparingly about the Star Wars universe and I confused it a lot with Star Trek because well, I was really ignorant. But we watched the originals together and I fell in love. Star Wars is right up my alley and I’m surprised I never checked it out on my own. I’ve watched the series twice, read several books on the subject as well as fanfiction (yes, as in recently), follow the subreddit as well as a million pinterest boards, and shamelessly click like on a ridiculous amount of posts on Facebook about it. My favorite characters are Obi-Wan, Han Solo, and Yoda and I am DYING to watch the new movies coming out already.

Lord of the Rings

I have so much love for The Lord of the Rings. I remember back in 2003-2004 during my high school days I had a website that only like, 5 people knew about, and I swear to you guys I had the most badass LotR layout. I was so, so proud of it. It took me forever and it basically featured Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Aragorn. During those years I watched all of the movies when they first came out in the theater and I now own them and will watch them on a rainy day. When The Hobbit came out it lit a fire under my ass to go back and watch them once more and I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s just something about that entire world that just gets me. Hobbits, wizards, orcs, kings–gimme all of it. Especially if the king looks anything like Aragorn (amirite ladies?). Favorite characters: Well, Aragorn, Eowyn, Sam, and Gandalf. So much love.

Comics/Superheroes

My ex also introduced me to the world of comic books. I’ve always loved superhero movies and have seen most of them in theaters when they’ve come out, but I never took the time to read up on them and their backstories. Fast forward to now and I’m a huge fan of graphic novels and comic books and have read a bunch although I sometimes feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface. My favorites so far have been Marvel Civil War, Marvel Ultimatum, The Walking Dead, The Killing Joke, Deadpool anything, Batman Hush, and American Vampire. I’ve also seen some shows on Netflix, my favorite being The Invincible Iron Man stop motion comic and Astonishing X-Men. My favorite characters are Deadpool, Magneto, Shadowcat, Nightwing, Flash, and Wolverine. Next I’ll be checking out World War Hulk, Marvel Zombies, Captain America Man out of Time, and some Wonderwoman stuff.

Game of Thrones

I’ve only read the first three books but that was enough for me to decide that I am a fan and George R. R. Martin has me right where he wants me. The TV series has done alright in interpreting the material although there are several things going on that I don’t agree with. That said, I try to think of the book and the show as two separate entities. My favorite medium by far is the books, but I’ll take what I can get. When I finished A Storm of Swords it became very clear that GRRM does not give a fuck who he destroys and traumatizes, he will do what he wants. And okay, I’ll be eating it up, but still, it’s messed up. Favorite characters are Tyrion, Arya, Jamie, Daenerys, and Tywin. And Cersei. And Jon Snow. I kind of love everyone. But that’s a good thing!

Other Awesome Things I’m Into

Battlestar Galactica - I got into Battlestar Galactica because it was recommended to me on Netflix. It reminded me a little bit of Star Trek so I gave it a shot. Once I overcame some of the cheesiness and dramatics I ended up really enjoying it. Favorite characters are Starbuck (OBV!), President Roslin, and Dr. Gaius (infuriating but I do love him).

Star Trek – I love the new movies but I admit I haven’t seen any of the old ones and only have watched a couple of episodes from the original TV series. That said, I love the characters and will continue to watch however many new movies come out.

The Hunger Games – However, I must say that the second movie looks to be like a huge disappointment and I’m going to ignore it exists. The first one was okay but it wasn’t spectacular, not compared to the book, and that makes me super sad.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books & Movies in General – LOVE sci-fi movies and books! Favorite sci-fi movies are Back to the Future, Alien, The Matrix Trilogy, Serenity, Chronicles of Riddick, Star Wars (of course), Jurassic Park, and Gattaca. Favorite sci-fi books are The Thrawn Trilogy, 1984, Frankenstein, Game of Thrones, Graceling, The Hobbit, Ender’s Game, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

—

Alright I won’t go on and on even though I totally could. I think the above is a pretty good representation of the fandoms and hobbies that I really enjoy. This was actually kind of therapeutic. All of these things make me happy and thinking about them and why they are so enjoyable has really helped my mood. Now I’m fully ready to enjoy my four-day weekend.

What geeky/nerdy things are you into? What do you recommend I try next? 

My second day in London consisted of museums, meeting an online friend, and shamelessly taking advantage of London’s awesome tube system. I woke up a bit early, had some breakfast courtesy of the hostel, and headed to the tube station. I didn’t really have much of a plan, other than getting some warmer clothes and meeting Jenny at the British Museum later in the day, so my first stop was Oxford Street.

I browsed stores like Top Shop and Primark and also looked into all the little tourist traps where they sell souvenirs and t-shirts. I ended up buying a warm sweater at H&M and that was it, unfortunately. Since April is technically “spring” a lot of the fall/winter wear was pretty much nonexistent which sucked.

Later in the day I made my way over to St. Paul’s Cathedral which was beautiful on the outside.

After the church I decided to visit the Victoria & Albert museum. London museums have a lot in common: they’re massive, full of amazing artifacts and sculptures, and mostly free. You really can’t beat it and I took advantage of it, spending about two hours just gaping at everything.

I also made sure to visit the Covent Market since it was on my list of things to do. There were street performers everywhere and huge crowds as well as shops and food. It didn’t take me long to look around so it was a pretty quick stop.

I passed by the National History museum as well but didn’t go in because I had to meet Jenny and I knew if I were to walk in there I would probably never come out.

I grabbed a quick lunch at a Starbucks located directly across from the Starbucks museum and waited for Jenny to let me know when she arrived at the museum. I first met Jenny on an online message board a hundred years ago and we have somehow kept in touch in one way or another over those years. I was really happy she was going to be in London on the same day I was so I was pretty excited to meet her.

I met her on the steps and after saying hello we quickly headed inside the museum where we saw so many amazing things. I was talking her ear off as we walked through the exhibits, I couldn’t help myself, and I’m pretty sure we could have been there many more hours if the museum hadn’t closed down for the day. I mean, look at this stuff:

After the museum we hit up Starbucks once again to chat and then visited St. James Park (also on my list of things to do!). Somewhere around St. James Park my camera died but I did have my iPhone thank god.

It was nighttime by the time we hit up Trafalgar Square, but I was glad we still went because is gorgeous at night.

Then it was off to the tube again to make our way home. We took the tube together for a few stops before we had to say good-bye. I was sad to see Jenny go but I had a great time and hopefully will see her again sometime. Jenny if you’re reading this: HI! So glad to have met you.

Bad bitches.

I don’t remember much more after this because I’m pretty sure after I crawled into bed I passed out immediately. It was a full day, but it wouldn’t compare to my days in Paris.

I am finally recovering from the Cold From Hell (worst. weekend. ever.) so I wanted to cheer myself up and I couldn’t think of anything better than talking about my London trip.

Hello beautiful.

I woke up bright and early in Dublin in order to catch my flight for London. I booked it with Ryanair and made sure to read up on as much as I could because I had heard some horror stories. My preparation paid off because everything went smoothly and I made it to London on time. After customs I purchased a bus ticket from the Stansted Airport to Swiss Cottage where I was staying, about an hour’s drive. I was paranoid about stopping at the right stop so I sat at the very front of the bus and just looked out of the window and dozed.

It was very cold that day and I remember because I had to walk for about 15 minutes before I found my hostel (I was a bit lost) and all I could think about was finding somewhere warm before my face became a solid block of ice. After some searching I finally came across Palmer’s Lodge:

The front part of the building at Palmer’s Lodge.

This hostel was a really old building that underwent extensive renovations. It was beautiful inside and out.

The lobby. This is also a good photo to use as an example for the benefits of a hostel. They’re used to travelers on a budget so they usually have little areas like this set up in the lobby to help you with all the basics.

When I arrived to check-in I was told I was too early, so I put my luggage in storage and headed out.

My goal was to use the tube to get into the city so that I could go on another free walking tour. This was the first time that I had used a subway system (like, ever) so I was very nervous going into the station. I told the man at the ticket window what my stop was, and he was very kind to tell me what stop to take and what ticket would benefit me the most.

I purchased my ticket and made my way to the map. I studied it, realized it made NO SENSE, and looked at the signs instead. I’m proud to say that after a few minutes I quickly got the hang of it, but that’s to the credit of London’s amazingly easy tube system. Seriously it is perfection and I wish we had one where I live now because I would never drive anywhere if we did.

Into the abyss I go.

I was able to find the meeting point pretty easily and soon we were on our way around some major stops of Westminster. Our tour guide was a lot of fun to listen to and was very knowledgeable so I really enjoyed the tour. There were a ton of stops in front of statues and I took a bunch of pictures but I’ll spare you. Instead, here are some of my favorite sites:

House of Parliament

The back of the London Eye

The National Gallery

What’s up Buckingham Palace?

After the tour we went to a small restaurant where I had some amazing soup to help warm me up.

Afterwards I made my way to the nearest tube station to head back to Swiss Cottage. I was so relieved at being able to understand how the tube worked because I had big plans for the next day and one of my biggest fears was not being able to get around London, which is a huuuge city compared to Dublin. To say I was relieved that it wouldn’t be a problem getting around to where I wanted to go is an understatement.

I returned to the hostel to check in, freshen up, charge my phone, and have some dinner.

This hostel had–by far–the best food!

The bathrooms at the hostel were interesting as both women and men were to use them. There were several showers with their own doors for privacy so I didn’t mind, but still it was unnerving brushing my hair and having two men walk in.

It was all part of the experience. When you travel alone, it’s super important to be flexible and adjust to changes. So many things will pop up to surprise you and it’s up to you to deal with those random situations and make the best of them. It’s one of the many things I learned while on my journey. I’ll talk about that much later though.

After dinner I made my way to bed as I had a very long day planned for the next day. I made really good use of my day pass and it was one of the best days of my trip because I got to meet up with one of my online friends! I also saw some mummies. It was all sorts of awesome.

Stay tuned for day 2!

Lately I’ve been subscribing to a bunch of new bloggers who have this gift of being able to communicate their feelings into words without sounding like pretentious douchebags on a soapbox. They’re inspiring, driven, and have a talent for spinning the mundane into something worth reading, at least to me. People who make me say, “Man, I wish I’d written that.”

I’ve been subscribing more and more to bloggers like these and unsubscribing from niche blogs. If you know of any bloggers like these, please let me know in the comments!

Here are some of my favorite posts from the last two months, complete with excerpts of my favorite parts:

Shannon from Awash With Wonder wrote a beautiful post titled Razbliuto: I Love You No More. Not only did I learn a beautiful new word, but I also fell in love with Shannon’s writing. Here’s why:

Razbliuto:  the sentimental feeling you have for someone you once loved but no longer do.

[...]

Waking in the morning, arms outstretched, and finding only emptiness – there is longing. Seeing something they would love, going to a place you used to go together, a story only they would laugh at, and knowing you cannot call them – there is longing. In loss, there is so much to long for.

[...]

Razbliuto is beginning and endings and all the intensity of everything you’ve ever felt for another person, all wrapped up in the absence of feeling. [...]It is acknowledgment of the incredible fortune it is to love someone enough to ache from the loss of them, and to love yourself enough to fill in what’s missing in their absence.

Read the rest of the post here.

Mandy from Ginger Mandy is absolutely hilarious, and her post How to Meditate the “right way” is a perfect example of why (this is basically how I fall asleep daily so this one had me rolling):

Go for the sound of rain. Choose between “rain,” “urban rain,” “rooftop rain,” rainy day,” “rainstorm,” “heavy rain,” and “thunderstorm.” THE FUCK. If there was only one rain option I would not be dissatisfied with the sound of every single one of these. Combine three rain sounds because you’re ballsy. Sounds like white noise. Too much rain. Have to pee.

Read the rest of the post here.

Amanda from Break the Sky made me sigh with her post It Wasn’t Over for Me; It Still Isn’t Over, where she basically makes me wish I had a boyfriend, like now:

Somehow, I could sense that we were at some sort of crossroads, that all the months of creeping towards becoming something more than friends were going to culminate into something definitive and tangible emerging from our mess of affairs by the time the sun rose. Things were complicated between us, always had been. It’s never, ever as easy as girl meets boy, boy meets girl, they fall for each other and live happily ever after, the end. No, there are always obstacles and twists and turns and the boy and girl never quite wind up where they’d expect.

Read the rest of the post here.

Cassie from Witty Title Here (my faaave) perfectly summarized what blogging means to me in Taking Art to Heart: Words of Wisdom from a Rock Goddess: 

I am liberated by the fact that anyone and no one at all could be reading my work at any given moment. This, for me, is the ultimate freedom.

[...]

…even if the majority of the world is never savvy to your creation, it’s worth every ounce of sweat and worry if it comes from a place of sincerity and touches even just one person. If you’re consistent, persistent, passionate, and genuine, chances are you’ll reach way more than just one person.

Read the rest of the post here.

Sarah from The Moon Machine encourages us to Unsubscribe MORE, a post I’m sure plenty of us identify with. And after reading this call for a universal boycotting of what I like to refer to as Bullshit Blogging all I can say is: A-MEN.

In the first half hour of my day, I’m told to meditate. To write something for myself every single day. To sit at a desk when working. To go outside to get some fresh air. To stay inside forever. Send a thank you note. Keep your receipts. Put on some god damn pants.

…I spend a lot of time reading it all, half convinced that this is all bullshit and half convinced that the next sentence is the only thing standing between me and a better me.

But this morning, as I sat down with my coffee reading about how to be a better writer, the thought crossed my mind: WHO CARES??

I won’t spoil the ending, because it’s truly awesome. Read the rest of the post here.

Rachel from Existation (another fave) wrote a post titled simply Rut, where she talks about being stuck in a funk and digging herself out of it. Anyone who has a blog knows what this is all about.

Lately, my focus seems to have slipped away from writing what I want to write and posting the photos I want to post to worrying endlessly about whether or not people will like what I have to share, which has only served to scare me out of writing much of anything at all.

So perhaps I need to change my mindset about what a blog should be, and instead let it go back to what it started out as [...] A place to relax and flow instead of furiously tread. A place to let my perfectionism fall by the wayside so I can be freely and wholly ME.

Read the rest of the post here.

Erika from Chimerikal really made me think with her post Quoted & Noted: Job vs Calling. She shared some wise words from Marianne Williamson that really hit home for me:

Our real job, our real calling is to be the people that we are capable of being. You can lose a job but you can’t lose your calling.

But a real career, when it’s seen as a calling, is something that emerges organically from who you are.

Your career is not separate from who you are; a career is an extension of who you are.

Read the rest of the post here.

“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”

- Bertrand Russell in A Liberal Decalogue

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

- Oscar Wilde in The Critic as Artist (Upon the Importance of Doing Nothing and Discussing Everything)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt in The Man in the Arena: Selected Writings of Theodore Roosevelt

Read more quotes here.

My third day in Dublin was spent mostly in the mountains, something that was pretty high on my list of things to do in Dublin. We visited Wicklow and Glendalough and also stopped by Kilkenny Castle. The weather was chilly and windy so you’ll see me looking like a bundled burrito in most of these pictures, but it was so beautiful that I still enjoyed it, frozen face and all.

I had set up a bus tour with Paddywagon and in the morning I walked to the meet up point to wait. The bus was running a little late, which wouldn’t have been a big deal if I hadn’t been freezing my ass off the entire time. But it soon showed up and I was happy to see that my friends Ellen and Steph were already in the bus. Alexis, however, was nowhere to be seen. None of us knew where she was, we just knew the night before she had done a pub crawl so we just hoped she was alright.

Photo from Instagram

Driving to the mountains was enjoyable on its own. The countryside of Dublin is a beautiful sight and I took a million pictures from the bus at random sheep, houses, hotels, etc. It took about 45 minutes to get to the first stop and we quickly got off to explore.

Steph, Ellen, and I

One of the sites where they shot Braveheart!

There was one particular part of the area where the view of the mountain was amazing. We all hunted it down (and got lost along the way, woops) and took pictures in front of it.

Check out that view!

We had about an hour at Wicklow/Glendalough before we were asked to come back on the bus for the next stop, which was Kilkenny Castle. On the way there we made a quick little stop by some amazing snow-capped mountains.

Just beautiful.

Another 40 or so minutes later we arrived at Kilkenny Castle, which was huge and full of history.

Face completely frozen at this point, but still happy to be there.

At Kilkenny there was a restaurant that we were taken to for some good Irish food. I had an Irish stew that was absolutely delicious. Then we grabbed quick beer and it was back to the bus to drive back to the city.

Oh yeah.

It took about an hour to make it back to the city. I said my good-byes to Ellen and Stephy and walked back to my hostel from the drop off point. I was exhausted from “hiking” (aka getting lost in Glendalough) and all I wanted to do was shower and go to bed, which is exactly what I did because the next day I had to wake up really early to make my flight into London. (!!!)

The plan for Day 2 in Dublin was simple: get some breakfast, find a walking tour, and visit St. Stephen’s Green. I grabbed some pamphlets from the front desk and found that there was a free walking tour available. According to the pamphlet, the meeting spot for the tour was the Mercantile Bar, which I’d seen before and I knew was close to my hostel. I made myself a quick breakfast and ventured out.

The weather was perfect. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, and I could already tell it was going to be a beautiful day. It was cold, about 40F, but it wasn’t uncomfortably cold since I had taken care to really bundle up. I took my time walking to Mercantile Bar and took some pictures along the way.

Kehoe’s! It was closed :(

When it was getting close to the meeting time, I walked inside the bar and waited.

Unfortunately, no one showed up. I looked at the pamphlet, made sure that I was in the right place at the right time, and waited some more. I waited about 20 minutes past meeting time before I gave up. Undeterred, I decided to stop by St. Stephen’s Green Park and take advantage of the amazing weather.

And I’m really glad I did.

I wandered around for a while, sat down on a bench and had another snack, people watched for a bit, and decided to wander some more around the streets of Dublin before heading back to my hostel to maybe set up a tour with the front desk.

As luck would have it, on the way back to my hostel, I found a large group of people that were meeting up for a free walking tour! I couldn’t believe it. I quickly joined the English group (there was a Spanish group also) and eagerly waited to see what exactly a walking tour was like (turns out the tour guides rely on tips based on how well we feel they did) and what Dublin was all about.

Trinity College

Coffee break during the tour.

Not only did I learn a lot about Dublin’s history and its landmarks over the next three hours (yes, you read right, three hours), I also made some friends on the tour! During the tour, the tour guide Sinead asked where everyone was from. When my turn came I said I was from Florida, and so did another girl, and right after that little part of the tour we kind of found each other and talked about where we were from, and what we were doing, etc. Her name was Alexis, she was originally from Ft. Lauderdale, and she was in Dublin visiting. She was studying abroad in Spain and decided to do some traveling. Through her I met three other people, Juan Carlos from Barcelona, and Steph and Ellen from New Hampshire who were also on vacation like me.

After the tour we were all starving and decided to get some lunch at O’Neils, a restaurant known around the area for its Irish-ness.

It was as good as it looks.

It was a lot of fun talking to everyone, getting to know where they were from, what they did for a living, what they were doing in Dublin, where they were going to next, and what vacations they’d taken in the past that stood out to them the most. I told them I wanted to see the mountains, and Steph, Ellen, and Alexis said that was on their plan for tomorrow as well, so we all booked the same tour for the next morning.

Ellen, Steph, Alexis, Juan Carlos, and I

It was a lot of fun meeting everyone. Juan Carlos and Alexis actually added me on Facebook, which is a great way to keep in touch. I also really loved the idea of the free walking tours and was excited to learn that there were similar tours by the same company in London and Paris. I made a mental note to check them out. Eventually we parted ways and I headed back to my hostel to freshen up and book the tour for the next morning (Alexis, Ellen, and Steph had already booked the tour previously).

I was really tired by this point, but went out anyway to get some dinner to go. I came back to the hostel to charge my Nook/phone, talk to my Mom and text my friends, check the various social media apps that I have on my phone to see what everyone else was up to, and read more of Feed. Then it was time for bed, and I remember falling asleep smiling and thinking about the gorgeous scenery I would get to see the next morning. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed…

1. I got lost.
2. I made new friends.
3. I took a lot of pictures.

Needless to say, I learned a lot from this trip. I learned about other cultures, the history of some really beautiful cities, how to navigate a subway system, how to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, and most of all, I learned a lot about myself.

The journey began in Dublin.

* * *

I arrived in Dublin on Good Friday. I remember that distinctly because as soon as I walked into my hostel, and was introduced to the guy behind the desk, the maybe third time he said to me was, “I really apologize. It’s Good Friday, and all the pubs are closed.” He said it with such a somber expression, like a pet had died or something. Later I found out that Dublin residents had been stockpiling the night before at the grocery store with six packs because they knew everything would be closed the next day. The moral of the story is that Dubliners love to drink, they take it very seriously, holidays be damned.

My plane landed at around 11am Dublin time. I knew I had to catch a bus into the city and had written it down in my phone. I made my way into the bus area and was immediately given about a thousand options. I must have looked confused and a little helpless because a very kind elderly gentleman working for airport security asked me if I needed help. He was so helpful and I think it’s one of those moments I’ll always remember about my trip. I was very nervous going into this European getaway and he was my first sign that things were going to be all right. I love you, random Irish man!

Map photo from Instagram.

The first day in Dublin was spent mostly walking around to get my bearings, see the neighborhood, and find some good food. Dublin in itself is not a very large city, but that being said it’s not difficult to get completely lost in it, which I was more than prepared to do. I had the rest of the afternoon to wander around taking photos of the neighborhoods and trying to see what was located around my hostel. I found a coffee shop not very far from where I was staying and ordered a sandwich with hot chocolate. I took some photos with my phone:

I was a bit obsessed with taking photos of baked goods, as you will see in the coming entries.

Check out the gourmet marshmallows.

I spent some time in the coffee shop catching up with my Mom and my friend, who were wondering how I was doing. During my trip my iPhone was on Airplane Mode, so I couldn’t send or receive texts or phone calls. But I could use wi-fi so what I did was download a free app called Voxer which sort of works like a walkie-talkie and a chat messenger. I was able to “text” my family and friends as well as “talk” to my Mother. The time difference was a bit of a downer for me, as I really felt like talking to my friends and family in the morning but I knew they’d all be asleep.

I wandered around some more, but soon the sun started to set. I made my way back to the hostel to shower and check out the common room, and maybe meet some people. The common room and the kitchen were the only places in the hostel with wi-fi, which they do on purpose so that they force people to come together. However, in this hostel, no one was really talking to each other. I very awkwardly made my way to the desktop computers to charge my iPhone since my adapter decided it was also going to go on vacation. A young girl came in about an hour later (I was reading Feed by Mira Grant at the time) and struck up a quick conversation with me.

Kenya became my first friend. She was studying abroad in Spain and had come to Dublin for Spring Break with her cousin and two other friends. Kenya was originally from Reno, Nevada and her university has a pretty big travel abroad program. She asked me if I was studying abroad as well (a question I got many many times during this trip) and I told her that no, this was just a vacation I was taking and it was my first time in Europe. She seemed a bit surprised at that but we continued talking and she ended up inviting me downstairs to the kitchen as they were all going to cook something. So I went and hung out with them for about an hour or so.

I’m writing all this out because this is the perfect example of how you meet people while you travel alone. Things just happen, random connections are made, you experience something together, and then you wish each other the best and go on your way. I would meet several more people this way, as well as learn a lot along the way, as you will see in the next couple of days. :)

Read about Day 2!

It’s so bittersweet to be back home after such an amazing experience. I have so many stories to share, a lot of sweet memories, about 800 pictures (that is no exaggeration) to share, and tons of travel tips that I’ll be using during my next vacation overseas that I want to talk to you all about.

Right now I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, finish up some schoolwork as this semester is drawing to a close, catching up on everything I’ve missed, and I have to of course edit a tooon of photos so that I can post them for you all to see. It’s going to be a very busy week for me.

What has everyone been up to? I’ve been on twitter a lot more lately so I kind of have an idea what some of you have been doing, but I’d rather hear it from you anyway.

I have a really long list of things I’d love to see in this beautiful city, but I tried to narrow it down to a few:

Prance Around the Eiffel Tower

I know, I know, you’re all shocked at this one, eh? But seriously. This one is pretty self-explanatory. You can’t visit Paris and just forget to make a stop at the Eiffel Tower. I want to sit and admire this beautiful piece of art while I eat something delicious and take a million pictures. I’m really looking forward to this stop.

Eat A Baguette

One thing I want to do is have a French baguette for breakfast. Just eat the entire thing piece by piece in one sitting. Maybe complement it with some French coffee, but it’s not required. I literally just want to buy a baguette and finish the thing while I stroll the streets of Paris. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time. I specifically want to visit Le Grenier a Pain, which is near to where I’m staying at. I’m salivating just thinking about it (and that is not an exaggeration).

Gape at Notre Dame

Everyone I’ve talked to who has been to Paris recommends that I see this majestic place. I’m sure the pictures won’t do it justice. I picture myself walking into this holy harem and having angels guide my every step or something equally dramatic.

Get Lost in Shakespeare & Co.

I will be lost in this magical bookstore labyrinth for hours and hours. I refuse to leave until I touch everything and smell as many old books as I can. Honestly just leave me here to die.

Do Some More Gaping at Sacre Coeur

JUST LOOK AT THIS MASTERPIECE. *slaps someone random* Good God, no wonder some of you were raving on and on about it. Some more gaping, gasping, oohing, maybe sleeping? will be done here as well. I feel like my time in Paris will be summed up with: I saw a lot of gorgeous things/places/people and that is all. I’m thinking about getting an additional SD card because seriously, I’ll want to take at least 200 pictures at this location alone.

People Watch at Jardin du Luxembourg

Perfect place to people watch! All I can think about when I think of this amazing place is the classic film Passport to Paris, starring the Olsen twins. That was one of my favorite movies growing up–don’t judge–and I’m hoping to do some serious creeping while here. Maybe even have a little picnic here and take lots of pictures. Also hoping for some really nice weather.

Window Shop through Marais, Montmarte, & More

Paris is apparently pretty small and you can explore most of the city in a few miles. I hope to walk most of it while I’m there. I would like to visit a few popular streets/neighborhoods as well as whatever other streets I happen to stumble upon. Marais and Montmarte are two of those! Also is it just me or does Paris seems like the perfect city to get lost in?

 Nom on Macarons

I can’t leave Paris without munching on some of these. I’m hoping to bring a few home so that I can give them as gifts to some of my friends and family members. I want to take a little bit of Paris home with me, but I can’t promise that I won’t be eating my feelings on the way home, specially these “gifts”. Who knows what could happen? (I do. I will eat all of them.)

Visit a Million Other Places & Things & Never Return

I tried to condense this list as much as possible, but there are just so many things I want to do! I want to visit some cemeteries, stroll around the Seine River, enjoy a crouton and a crepe and maybe even some French toast, visit a million museums (but probably will only be able to visit one or two given my budget), and get lost in the beauty of it all.

It’s going to be an unforgettable experience. This whole trip. I’m terrified, apprehensive, but above all excited and desperate to finally have a real vacation. I’m anxious to meet other travelers like myself and see some really beautiful sights. I’m just ready to take the plunge already, I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a really long time.

I hope to come back a bit more well rounded, both in mind and in belly (forget diets on this trip–ain’t nobody got time for dat), and with some really good stories and photos to share with you all. Wish me luck! ♥

London is the second stop on my trip. I’ll be there two days and then I’ll be taking a train to Paris for a few days. While in London there are a few things I want to see and do:

Stonehenge

I have to see this amazing piece of history that no one understands. There’s a tour that takes you from London to Stonehenge and back in about six hours, so I’ll hopefully have a chance to do that and see what all the fuss is about.

Stroll through St. James Park

I love parks and will be visiting at least one park per destination. In Dublin I’ll be visiting St. Stephen’s Green and in London I’ll be hitting up St. James park. I’m just hoping it will be as sunny and delightful as this picture makes it seem.

Get on a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

This will basically be my mode of transportation in London and Paris: hop on hop off tour buses! It’s affordable, routes are easy to follow, and they take you to all the biggest tourist destinations. You can hop on and off at any time, explore, and then get back on it to go somewhere else. It’ll be cool to see the major sights in London this way.

Visit the Museum of London

“The Museum of London has nine permanent free galleries, which explore the story of London from prehistoric times to the present day and has recently opened its Galleries of Modern London after refurbishment.” Hell yeah count me in. And it’s free! I love when museums are free.

Hit Up Oxford Street & Covent Garden

Can’t leave London without doing some serious window shopping, and apparently Oxford Street and Covent Garden are both amazing places to wander around in.

Chill at Trafalgar Square

Hoping for some good weather in London so I can chill out during the day in places like Trafalgar Square. I’m not getting my hopes up because it is London after all, but it would be really nice to people watch in the sun.

People who have visited London in the past, what do you recommend I see/do? Any food in particular I should try? (I love food.) I was told to visit West End and see a Broadway show, and I’d love to do that, I just have to see about the funds. Any other tips/ideas would be really appreciated!