Everyone seems to have a Bucket List, it might not be travel related, it may be about a reading goal, a career goal, gym goals, visiting different sports stadiums, the list goes on. Of course this list or set of goals tends to take a lifetime to come up with, and perhaps even more than a lifetime to complete, or we don’t finish it at all. Still, it’s a fun thing to think about. It is certainly something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and things get added as time goes on. Sometimes things come off the list only to be added back on, or forgotten about entirely. It’s nice that none of it is essential, and so we can have fun with it, without unnecessary pressures put on us.
That being said, lets discuss some travel goals, or bucket list items. Please feel free to share yours as well! I love to hear people’s dreams, sometimes they’re eye-opening, and other times you find another connection with someone.
Visit all 50 of the United States: This has been on my bucket list for a long, looooonnnnggg while. It goes through ebbs and flows of importance, but it’s always lingering there in the background somewhere of things I really want to do in my lifetime. Every time I cross a state off, the accomplishment of checking one off increases this desire with more vigor for a while, as I focus on the next state on the list.
Go to New Zealand: Ever since I watched Lord of the Rings and saw all the sheer beauty of this country I have wanted to go. It’s definitely one of those “eventually’ places, it’s decently high on the list, if places I want to go. If I go someday, seeing Hobbiton is an absolute must. I think of this trip as a big birthday, like my 40th or 50th or something.
Go to Japan: Again, definitely one I have wanted to go to for a while, especially with my adolescence years of being into certain areas of the culture, anime, food, video games, those kind of things. It’s not as high on the list as New Zealand, but it’s definitely at least in the mid range. This is one I don’t plan on accomplishing for a while, and that’s totally okay.
Go to different pockets of Europe I haven’t explored. This one goes without saying, Europe had always been high on my priority list. It continues to be so even to this day. With my over a dozen years of traveling Europe, there are definitely some areas I am very lacking in. I have often hit some of the same places multiple times, either with different groups of people, or just because I love it so much, or I know people there.
Go whale watching: I absolutely love whales, and now that I live on the West Coast, this does seem like an activity that could be accomplished sooner than later. I remember the first time I had the opportunity on the East Coast, over a decade ago. It still hasn’t happened yet, but it seems highly obtainable.
Go on an African safari: This one seems more of a pipedream than anything, but I’ve been joking about it for years. It’s low on the list because it’s something I want to do when I’m older, a lot older. Why you might ask? Well, just in case something weird happens like a lion attack. I always say I’m going to do this when I’m 85 and I don’t care if a lion eats me. So that’s why it’s so low on the priorities list.
Go on a cruise: This was something that wasn’t really on my radar for most of my life. It was only fairly recently that this became something I was really interested in. This is something that’s again in the mid-range of priority, in fact my husband and I almost booked one recently.
Most of these are long term goals, things that will take years, but some of them can have progress made on them fairly easily. Do any of you share these same goals? Are there ones that are similar? Or ones that are entirely different? In the end this is all just a bit of fun, and hey if one of them gets accomplished than that’s cool. One that was on the lower side of priority that I have accomplished was seeing the Aurora Borealis. With all the magnetic storms, and surges they’ve been much more visible in metropolitan areas like I’ve always lived in, and further south as well. Last year we managed to see them twice, and it was something I never thought I’d actually see. So things can be crossed off, they aren’t all lofty or long planning goals, sometimes it’s just a happenstance that makes it happen.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this post, and I hope to post more frequently in this new year coming soon!
It wasn’t much after I got back from Germany that I found myself on another plane to a new country. My boyfriend at the time was from Ireland, so naturally going back and meeting family was going to happen. A couple years later I ended up moving to Ireland for about 14 months once I had graduated university. There’s so much I can say about Ireland, so I’ll do my best to give it the full picture it deserves.
The first time I went there it was another extended weekend in early April. We flew into Cork as that was the closest airport to where we were going. I’ve flown into both Cork and Dublin airports, but definitely prefer Cork airport. It’s smaller, and easier to navigate. It’s also the main one I flew out of when living in Ireland, as I lived in Cork. It’s also not super far away from town so its fairly easy to get to. I also want to preface before I get too far into this, I’ve only been to The Republic of Ireland, Southern Ireland. I know there is a lot of tension between the north and the south, and I am not going to discuss that here. I only know what people from there have told me, and stayed out of it.
The first time I went to Ireland was a bit of a whirlwind. I remember it being family centric as there were some unexpected things that happened while we were there. We woke up the next morning after traveling to hear we were going to a wake, and the next day a funeral, so that was most of our time there. I got to see a different side of things, more of those everyday things like I did in Germany. This is the only country other than my own that I’ve been to a wake or a funeral for. I’ve also been to a wedding in Ireland, my first one as an adult.
The second time I went to Ireland I had a lot more memorable events that happened as we had three weeks to explore. I remember us going to the beach, it was super windy and the water was ice cold. We celebrated New Years staying in and enjoying one another’s company. We also did some sight seeing where I think I took one of the most beautiful scenery photos I have ever taken in my life. We went to the Ring of Kerry, which if you haven’t and you’re in Ireland, it’s a must do. We also drove up the coast, somehow missed the Cliff’s of Moher (I will get there eventually), and went up to Galway, before getting to County Mayo, and turning around.
That same trip we went to Blarney castle for the first of many trips. It was less than an hour drive from where I ended up living, and it was a frequent spot we took friends and family who came to visit while I was living abroad. Don’t forget to climb to the top and kiss the Blarney Stone which gives you the gift of the gab, eloquence and confidence in speaking. I’ve kissed that stone no less than four times, and thankfully I do have a photo of a couple of those times. They also have a lovely forested area that we walked through, and you can’t forget about the poison garden! They have signs up of what everything is, and you don’t touch it of course. But it was interesting, and curious as to why they have a garden full of poisonous plants…
We also went and saw a couple other really cool castles, including Kilkenny, and The Rock of Cashel, in Tipperary. This is where the High King of Munster sat back in the 900’s-1100’s. It is even believed that the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick visited here. It was another place that I loved exploring, as you look out onto the rolling hills, it’s incredibly picturesque. For more info, please visit the website, as it’s such a unique place to visit! https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/the-rock-of-cashel/
I spent most of my time in Cork, County Cork. I lived nearby University College Cork, UCC for short. Those grounds are also fun to explore, as they have some Ogham Stones on site. These date back to the Early Medieval period, and are tall stones with the Ogham alphabet or words on them, these are from the primitive early Irish language. They’re super cool if you haven’t seen one. But if you want something a little more modern, I’d highly recommend the beautiful English Market down by St. Patrick’s Street. I used to go there all the time, but it is an incredible market, filled with so many amazing produce stands, butchers, fish mongers, cheese shops, olives stands, and even a small café.
I have so many memories from the market, as I often liked to get things from there for lunch. It was the first time I had tried hummus, as I went to one of the Mediterranean stalls and got this to-go container of couscous and hummus, and a whole bunch of other things., I was obsessed with it for a few weeks, and would grab lunch from that stall at least once or twice a week during that time period. Or the one time I got super smelly French cheese from the cheese shop. Or the place that sold dainty desserts, and macarons. I have memories of reading Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray at the little café, having a small pot of tea and a slice or tart or a scone. That almost seems made up, but its true, and fitting.
There’s also Cobh in County Cork where you can see the last port of call for the Titanic before it sank. They have a very nice museum there. I know a lot of people are interested in the history of the Titanic, so its a bucket list item for some people. We went a definitely enjoyed it, there’s a picture of me with the statue of the people heading out for the New World, somewhere.
We didn’t go too often, but I do remember the few times we would go to the pub on a Trad night and listen to the traditional music. It was always so beautiful, and nothing I have experienced ever since. I’ve always been a fan of Celtic music, so I enjoyed those nights a lot.
We can’t forget Dublin, though we didn’t spend nearly the amount of time there we could have. I only remember going up to Dublin like three or four times, and usually only for a long weekend. We met my mum, sister, and aunt up in Dublin during St. Patrick’s Day and watched the parade. Which was weird because there was just a bunch of American highschool bands, and other artsy stuff that had nothing to do with Ireland. It was a little underwhelming, the part I remember most is my sister trying to get a picture of a guy in one of those black tight body suits that covers your face, but he had a mask of Obama on, and she was trying to get a picture of him. But afterwards we went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the stain glass in there is breathtaking! We stayed in there just viewing all the beautiful artwork for quite a while.
On a different trip to Dublin with one of my friends from back home, we went to Trinity Library, and oh my goodness, I want to live in that library! It is absolutely stunning, and the most gorgeous library I’ve ever seen! Seeing the Book of Kells in the protected glass as well was amazing. If you’re a boo nerd at all, it is an absolute must!
There’s so much more I could say about Ireland, its the first and only time I ever went to a Rugby match, which was interesting. It’s where I first heard of and learned how to play Snooker. Also where I first heard of the All Ireland and Hurling. Still never went to a match, but when I go back someday its high on the list. I met quite a few people, and sadly not really in contact with them anymore. I boycotted Ireland for a few years after that relationship fell apart, such is life.
The food is very similar to England’s with a few things thrown in. I do miss Irish soda bread, and not the crap with raisins in it!! A full Irish breakfast is similar enough to a full English that either is good. I do miss a good bacon and cabbage dinner (notice, not corn beef, that’s the American crappy version), with the white parsley sauce that was so good. There was also so much readily accessible lamb dishes. I remember when my mum came over she commented on how everything was lamb rump this, and lamb rump that. It was funny, but not far off the mark. Or how in Ireland that was the first time I climbed (although a smaller one, still one nonetheless) a mountain. I’m still surprised I made it up, as I didn’t believe I could do it. Mount Slievenamon, also known as the mountain of fair women, has a fun folklore behind how it got its name. The general story is there was a guy, and a lot of women sought his hand in marriage. So he decided there would be a race to the top, and whoever got there first he would marry. Well, he was already in love with someone else, and while the race went on he ran away with the girl of his dreams and got married.
I think that’s a fun story to end on, and I’ll definitely include some pictures. It’s been over a decade since I’ve been in Ireland, and I’ve been wanting to go back for a handful of years now. You will never be prepared for just how green it is, you just have to see it for yourself. Until next time, enjoy the pictures!
Jess
Blarney Castle with my mum, aunt, and sister.
Kissing the Blarney Stone!
Stain glass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Rock of Cashel
Good thing I didn’t join these guys on the Titanic…
We are taking a bit of a break from our usual trip summaries to do some tips. I know that travel tips are very handy, especially if someone gets overwhelmed by the process. First, it’s going to be okay. Take a deep breath, count to ten and lets get back to it. The first thing I’d like to cover is airfare in general. This can get bunched into a couple of different categories, lets get into it.
Traveling Nationally: If you’re traveling in the US or wherever is your home country, how far in advance should I book my flight? Should I book six months in advance? Will I be okay with a last minute getaway and book the week before? You certainly can book six months in advance, but generally you don’t need to. As a rule of thumb somewhere between one to three months before your planned trip will suffice. Three months you’ll more likely get cheaper deals, so I’d aim toward that side, but you’ll be okay if you can’t. There’s also last minute deals sometimes, and I’ve heard some people get an absolute steal. It’s not something I’ve experienced as I tend to be an early booker.
Traveling Internationally: I can only speak specifically for North American travel to Europe, but from what I know and have looked at, it applies to other international travel as well. As a rule of thumb somewhere between three to six months before your planned trip is good. That makes sense as people tend to book these trips more in advance, as you tend to be gone for longer, need to get requests off of work etc. I’ve done last minute before, and let me tell you, it’s not cheap. Yes, there are last minute deals, but those aren’t super common. I think the closest I’ve book for international was 2-3 weeks, and there definitely was an upcharge. I’ve also booked six months in advance like when I started going back to Europe as an adult after studying there. It really just depends on your situation, but if you’re going for good prices 3-6 months before is ideal.
What days? Tuesdays are the best days to travel and are the cheapest. Wednesdays are a good secondary choice. Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive days, so best to avoid them if you can. Also, Mondays that are a holiday, fly out the next day on a Tuesday and you will save money. Granted you need to use an extra day of PTO, but it might be well worth it. When I can, I will pick a Friday to Monday (Monday being cheaper than Sunday), or a Thursday to Sunday, (Thursday being cheaper than Friday), just to try and help balance the price a little, knowing that one of the days I’m coming back will be a bit pricier. This is if I can’t use much extra PTO, and trying to offset some of the price. I was the weekend warrior back in the day, planning those extended weekend trips when I was single twenty-something. Plus an extra day might just give you enough time to explore a place you thought you wouldn’t have enough time too. An extra day here or there never hurt anybody.
What time of day should I travel? This is a little more subjective, as it depends on the person. Some people are morning people and thrive in the early hours, while others prefer late nights, and struggle without their morning cup of coffee. I’ve done redeyes, middle of the day, late at night, you name it I’ve done most of them. A lot of it also depends on where you’re going and where you’re leaving from. Traveling to Europe now that I moved an additional thousand plus miles away, the departure times have changed some. If you chose the afternoon flights you do tend to gain a few morning hours at your destination. The flipside of that though is you might just be more exhausted because you’re up earlier and not getting that usual bedtime hours on the plane. Redeyes are not for the faint of heart. You have to be disciplined to sleep on the plane. We’ve done this a couple times as a family because its significantly cheaper, but kids don’t respond as well. If you’re alright with an extra dose of crabbiness the first day until their head hits the pillow it’ll be worth it. Often times that earlier flight affords you several extra hours that you can knock out some museum, or activity that otherwise wouldn’t fit into your schedule, but may also require a slightly earlier bedtime. I know with us that’s usually what happens, and everyone appreciates that extra couple hours of sleep and they’re good as new in the morning.
For longer flights a recommendation that some people, my husband included, like to use is once you’re on the plane, you’re on the time of wherever your destination. It’s eleven at night where you’re going, well you should probably wind down and get ready to sleep. It’s eight in the morning, it’s time to wake up. It works for some people, and others it doesn’t. It is useful though, so that you’re prepared for when you get off the plane, your mind is already in that time zone. I’ve been a fortunate person in that I can pass out on a plane relatively easy, I have noticed that I get older that having an eye mask helps a lot. Some passengers aren’t as considerate when it comes to nighttime hours and having the screens and lights off, so the eye mask comes in handy there. Some people need Dramamine, if you do, take it after dinner so you don’t go the eight hour plane ride with no food.
I’m sure I’m missing something, but that’s what a second travel tips post can elaborate on. So for now I’ll leave you with what we have here. Feel free to comment and add anything you’d like to share. I’m always up for more insightful tips and tricks.
One fun thing that has been happening as I write this log about my journeys things have been coming back to me. Not just events and such, but I’ve been able to put some missing puzzle pieces together and find the names of places I went, that were previously unnamed in my photos. This was especially prevalent in this installment. So without further ado, lets get back to it!
After our exciting jaunt to Rome, I laid low for a while as school was back in full swing. I mentioned before that you needed to take a British Life and Culture class, per the exchange program I was in. And this was the semester I had chosen to take it. A huge perk of this is that I got to go to some other places on field trips that I hadn’t thought I’d get to. I remember in February we went to Parliament, and had a tour where we walked through the house of lords and house of commons. We weren’t able to take any pictures so I can’t share them, but I remember how cool it was to sit there as we had a lecture about the differences between the two. A few weeks later we also did a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe, which was a massive highlight for me. We got to see all the costume pieces they have and go on the stage if I remember correctly, and get a close look. Funnily enough, it’d be years later that I watched a performance there, but this tour behind the scenes was amazing! We went back to Brighton again as well, and I was better prepared this time, not being homesick and having lots more confidence. I also gained some new acquaintances as the fall semester exchange students left and the spring ones arrived. Strangely enough a huge portion of them were from Michigan, and then the East Coast.
So my February was busy and soon March rolled around as well. I saw all these exchange kids planning weekend getaway to loads of different countries, and found myself thinking, I should probably start doing the same. Another reason why we didn’t get close is they were gone a lot, and I already had a small group of established friends. Plus, I mean it’s fine to have a bunch of American friends, but you want to meet new people not from your neck of the woods. So though there was a gaggle of Midwesterners, I didn’t really hang out with them much out of classes or field trips.
Another tidbit about me is that I had had a penpal or two when I was a later teen. One of them was local to the US, and a couple others around the world. One of them lived in Europe, and I remember messaging her and letting her know I was in the same continent as her now. And I remember her inviting me to come and visit, getting the okay from her parents, and starting to plan my next adventure. I’m just happy her parents were good with it. We had been writing letters to one another for a handful of years by that point, and even had a couple brief phone calls as they were spendy back then. My spring break was coming up, and I would have extra time to spend with her.
On March 31st I boarded my first Ryanair plane, a budget plane but still totally fine. Especially when you’re only flying from London to Frankfort Germany, not a long flight at all. The flight was just around an hour and a half. I remember the flight arriving early and them making an announcement on the speaker about it. They really pride themselves in being on time. This was the first plane I also walked up to and boarded vs the long walkway tube thing that they usually have. My friend greeted me at the airport, and it was so great to finally meet her in person! We hugged and hopped into her car and made our way to our first destination. Since we were closer to it, and we had a car, we made our way to Heidelberg.
Heidelberg is a beautiful city with the castle at the top of the hill. It looks out over the whole town, and is so picturesque. The castle itself has seen a lot of destruction, and has been torn down and rebuilt over hundreds of years, but its still beautiful to behold. Its a little bit of a hike up to the castle, but totally worth it. When we were done wandering around Heidelberg we made our way back to her hometown of Bad Dürkheim. Its a small town of about 20,000 people, in the southwest portion of Germany in the Rhineland-Palatinate state. Its close to the Black Forrest and about an hour away from the French border. Its a beautiful place, more in the country, there were a lot of vineyards that we traveled by on the train as we went around.
I had a lot of unique experiences as I stayed with my friend and her parents. So I also got to experience more of the day to day life as well, as well as some other things that you wouldn’t really run into as a tourist. I remember my friend had a birthday party she was invited to while I was there, and I went with her. It was interesting… It was awkward for me, as my friend told me her friends did know how to speak English but were too afraid to as I was a native English speaker. In the end her friends did warm up a little by the end of the evening. But it certainly was an interesting experience experiencing a young adult birthday party where a group of German girls were singing karaoke in this girls house. I’m certainly never going to forget that. It was also during Easter week, and we went to a Saturday night Easter service. I failed to mention that I took two years of German in school, and I remember learning The Lord’s Prayer in German. It was the one part I was able to participate in and know what was going on, but it was still really cool. The church was also beautiful, and my friend played the organ often for her church, which was really cool. To be part of that was a very unique experience, another I will never forget. It was also the first time I had painted Easter eggs vs dyeing them. We had so much fun, my friend, her parents, and I painting them the day before Easter. Her parents were so gracious to allow me to come during a holiday week, and invite me into their traditions. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but I won’t forget that either.
I don’t remember what relative of hers, I think it was an aunt or grandma or something, but someone had a birthday party (not the same as the early twenties karaoke party at her friends house), and her parents were hosting it. A lot of them didn’t speak English very well, but I told her mom I was fine. I remember the gorgeous cakes my friends mom made, she was such an excellent baker! Side note: I remember fondly all the delicious breakfast spreads her mom would put out, meats, cheeses, delicious breads, fruits, and eggs. I was very well taken care of for sure! The birthday party was a very unique look into the regular German life. Everyone was nice, and people did try to talk to me a little. I feel so bad for my friend as she became the universal translator as her English was excellent. After a few hours I had a bit of a headache as it was rapid fire German from a dozen people and me only grabbing bits and pieces, but it was still a cool experience. We also had a movie night, my friend, her parents, and I one night, and it was when I fell in love with Terry Pratchett, as we watched the Color of Magic and the Light Fantastic. My friend had been ranting and raving about the series before, and a couple of the Lord of the Rings actors that we liked were in the movie. But between that and her telling me how good the books were, when I got back to England, I bought the first book within a week or two and started devouring it.
I feel like I should add a little context here, on how we became penpals. We were both on a nerd fandom website for LOTR, her parents loved LOTR so much they named her after one of the characters. LOTR is arguably my favorite fandom ever, so it was a friendship matched in nerdy books, and tea that developed organically.
After all the birthday parties, we did some more sight-seeing. My friend and I were huge into ancient Celtic history, as our favorite mutual author was as well. So naturally, my friend planned an awesome adventure to a small Celtic village. It was amazing! Remember how earlier I said that I was able to put names to things I couldn’t remember? Well, I finally managed that with this Celtic village! It was so cool, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was called! So after a search, adding in some details about where approximately and what it was I found it. The village is called Keltendorf, which is located in Steinbach am Donnersberg. It shows you a lot of how life was about two thousand years ago or so. It was super interactive, and definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. http://www.keltendorf-steinbach.de/ is the website to get any info you need.
We also went to Hardenburg which was a really cool ruined castle. If I remember correctly they had some sort of dining experience there, and that’s where I had my first encounter with sparkling water, as that’s the default you’re given unless you ask for still. I learned I will forever be asking for still, as I don’t like carbonated water. I also forgot we went up to Mainz where my friend was going to university at the time. What’s really cool is I have genealogy records dating back to Mainz where my however many greats grandfather lived. That’s also when we used to Autobahn, which I let her drive. She’s not a speed demon by any means, so we were fine. But it was crazy to see some people just zip by in the blink of an eye.
I really enjoyed my first week in Germany, and I still look back on it fondly. This was a great first time, and I also got so many different personal experiences that I don’t think I would have got if I had been as a normal tourist. If you can get these experiences to stay with someone and experience a more day to day exposure I say do it! For now I’ll wrap this up, and add a few pictures below, again I thank my friend and her parents for graciously inviting me into their home and letting me stay with them for a week, I treasure that time so much. Until next time!
After a month of Christmas holidays and visiting family back at home I was ready to go. I left back for England on January 10th as I had an exam a few days later. I believe this was the semester where I didn’t have classes on Fridays which was awesome to me. I remember waiting for a train while my boyfriend and I were going somewhere, the where isn’t important. The important part was the conversation we were having. I still remember a small piece of the conversation to this day.
As I said last time, I spent my whole first semester abroad staying in England. But now that I had that under my belt and I was confident in my surroundings and not homesick, there was another question that needed to be answered. As we waited for the train, I distinctly remember him asking me, “Where do you want to go first?”
The million dollar question, where with all of Europe at my fingertips did I want to go? The possibilities were endless! There are over 40 countries in Europe, 40! And to be able to pick without any real difficulty, that student visa really came in handy, was a choice I had never had before. Now if you know me this could have gone one of two ways. 1. I’d do a bunch of research and plan out where I’d want to go and see what’s in the area. 2. I’d immediately know as I’d been dreaming about seeing something or some place and just do it.
Option 2 won out this time, because for as long as I could remember, there was a place I had always wanted to go. With conviction I answered him, “I want to go to Rome.” I don’t think he was expecting that as my answer, but I remember him asking, “Why do you want to go to Rome?” To which I said, “I want to see the Colosseum.” And his reply of it, “That’s it? There isn’t anything else you want to see?” I said something along the lines of no, or I don’t know what else there is, but I wanted to see that. Sometimes that’s enough to start the gears moving though, right? For this time, that was enough, and we started planning out adventure to mainland Europe.
I still have my ticket stubs for the Vatican, which is definitely something else I wanted to see, the Sistine Chapel specifically, and the Pieta. Both of those were on my list of must sees, I just didn’t know where they were before I started planning. I of course wanted pizza and gelato while there too, and going to Italy without having pasta seems like a crime of some sort. I knew we’d fill in the details when we got there and wasn’t too worried. The parts I tend to focus on is flights and where we are staying. We planned it pretty quick though. We stayed in the same hotel the entire time we were there, so no bouncing around. I don’t think I would have handled that as well, as unseasoned of a traveler I was back then. We also went during a non busy time. When you think of Italy, you don’t think of going in the winter. But there we were, less than two weeks after I had re-entered Europe going to my first mainland country.
We left on the 22nd of January and stayed until the 25th. We were still university students after all. We didn’t have loads of money, but my student loan did afford me a little extra at the time. I had been quite frugal the first semester I was there, remember I didn’t leave England. And on top of that, I didn’t do any overnight stays at hotels or anything, everything had been exclusively a day trip with me back in my bed that same evening. We flew British Airways, the first time I had flown them, and we were fortunate to not have anyone in the row with us, so we could stretch out a bit.
The flight itself wasn’t anything I wasn’t used to. Just a quick two and a half hour plane ride. I remember looking out the window and seeing the Alps as we flew low enough to see them. They were absolutely beautiful, and was in complete awe that I was even seeing them! Soon enough we landed in Fuciamo and I remember us getting a little confused and turned around. This was my first real experience with being in a country where I didn’t speak the language. I had been taking Italian as my elective course while there, but still you’re not completely prepared.
We eventually got a shuttle to our hotel. It was a really nice place, and it had shuttles into the main part of the city too which was great. We were both too young to rent a car. That first day we went and got pizza, and had a house wine in sharable jug for the two of us. I was just so happy to be there, and soaking it all in. I think we had a fairly easy night that day after traveling, but that’s okay.
The next day we hit the ground running. We made our way over to the Vatican, in which an amusing tale ensues. I was left alone for a few minutes as he wandered off to take a photo. In this brief period of time an American man approached me and asked if I had tickets to the Vatican, or if I had a tour. I said no, and by the time my travel companion got back, this guy was trying to convince me to join this gaggle of people he gathered for a tour. He did promise to get us tickets into the Vatican and to see the Sistine Chapel. At the time I was still pretty naïve, and didn’t really deal well with being put on the spot. In the end we got roped into this tour, which he did give us a good deal, I think it was 10 Euros for the two of us. But then we all went to some restaurant in some narrow alleyway and it was now 40 Euros or something. At that time we were already kind of committed, and if I had been a more confident young adult, I probably would have just walked away. But the situation had become awkward, and everyone was now waiting on us, so we ate the cost and continued.
In the end it wasn’t a bad deal. He did get us into the museums and the Sistine Chapel. We saw so many beautiful paintings, and yes a lot of naked statues. That’s just a normal thing in Rome, and a lot of Italy in general. I wasn’t expecting to see Rafael’s painting: The School of Athens. I definitely had to pause and looked in amazement. I also had always found the Greek and Roman mythology interesting when I was younger, and still to this day. So seeing other statues of Perseus after he had cut off Medusa’s head was pretty cool. The Sistine Chapel was a whole other feat of magnificence. To see something so articulate, so painstaking painted, all of the different famous Bible stories portrayed so beautifully, it was inspiring. I could have stayed in there for hours. Unfortunately, it was a high traffic area, and security was trying to rush people through, and of course you’re not allowed to take pictures, not that that stopped some people. Some people were very sneaky and tried to grab one, not me, don’t worry.
Once we exited the the Sistine Chapel, we went into Saint Peter’s Basilica. It was the biggest church and most impressive church I had ever seen. Everywhere you looked it was so ornate and filled with beautiful sculptures, and paintings, I had never seen anything like it before. But it only got better when my eyes crossed over the one sculpture I wanted to see above all of them, The Pieta. It was so beautiful, so detailed, the way the marble draped like clothing, it was and continues to be a true masterpiece of art. Between the Sistine Chapel and The Pieta, Michelangelo is well represented in Rome. It took him four years to painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and he did it on his back, rigged on scaffolding. Michelangelo is truly the master of marble, as evidenced by The Pieta, and other pieces in the rest of Italy.
Another mistake on our tour guide experience, was not taking his advice. My boyfriend was pretty upset about how the exchange of money had gone down, so he was cranky a good portion of the time on the tour. The guide did have one good thing to say, “don’t go to restaurants with pictures on the menu. Those are places that they microwave the food and its not good, its geared to tourists who don’t know any better. I don’t know if it was out of spite, ignorance, or a bit of both, but he didn’t care and so picked a place with pictures on the menu. And I’m here to tell you, it wasn’t good. There’s a lot of tourist traps in Rome, and restaurants with pictures on the menu is certainly a big red flag. Another red flag, is if the price isn’t listed on the menu, and also big menus. A more authentic Italian menu will have a smaller menu.
After that disappointing dinner we walked around at night. At least we had found a good spot for lunch before we had gone on the tour, and I had had a wonderful carbonara. We went to the Parthenon, which is beautiful at night, and walked by the Colosseum, the whole reason I had originally wanted to go on this trip. We didn’t go in at this time as it was closed, but seeing it, a sneak preview if you will, just made me more excited for the next day when we went.
And oh was it everything I wanted it to be. We had a great day, first going on a bike ride around a park, before going to the tomb of the unknown solider, walking around and finding a market, where we picked up a couple small things. The other cool thing about Rome is how there is just ruins everywhere! We walked around outside of the market, with ruins all around us, you just wonder what it once was. We then made our way over to the Colosseum. I can’t fully describe the feeling, being in so ancient of a place, where millions of people have been, Roman gladiators, lions, and some more unfortunate casualties. I soaked it all in, and gazed across the scope of the arena. I know that the restoration team works constantly, and I admire what they are doing. It is because of this effort that it is still standing today. Being a respectful tourist and admiring what was done is fine, just don’t try to take pieces of it, and deface it.
To wrap things up I have a couple more funny stories. We somehow missed one of the essential things people go to see when they go to Rome… The Trevi Fountain, we seriously walked by it! As in I remember walking down a flight of stairs, seeing a segway tour, and a load of people. I did see a fountain to the left, but with how big the crowd is, and me not realizing is was the fountain, we didn’t stop, no pictures, nothing. Just the brief glimpse as I walked by. Between all the good food, yes we had gelato don’t worry, the beautiful sights, we managed to still see my Vikings. Yes, you heard that right, we managed to find our way into a bar, super late, I think when we left it was three in the morning, all to watch the Vikings in the playoffs. I remember the place being packed and a lot of Europeans who didn’t fully know the rules. We had some guy come up to us and ask why we were there, that we didn’t know anything about the sport, funny, but untrue. Anyways, in typical Vikings fashion, they lost, missed their chance in the superbowl, again, and we carried on with the rest of our lives.
One other thing I distinctly remember, the street vendors trying to sell you things. They were merciless, constantly trying to sell you things, it got so bad that by our last day as we were leaving and it was started to rain, they tried to sell us umbrellas and we just walked by, making no eye contact. I’m sure in the popular areas this is still the same experience, but just be mindful of it. But all in all it was an amazing first trip, and one that still sticks with me to this day over 15 years later. Would I like to go back? Yes of course, and make sure I actually spend time and the Trevi Fountain this time. Four days is probably not quite enough time to see everything you want to see, as I know we missed a lot, but that’s okay. There’s always next time, and trust me, this won’t be my only time in Italy, I promise.
We have lots more to cover of my time in England, remember, this was at the very beginning of the spring semester, we have a long way to go. Until next time, I’ll leave you with a picture or two.
I know what you’re thinking, Jess, you’re writing these posts pretty fast. You’re right, I am writing these pretty fast, but why might you ask? This has been a project I have been thinking of and dreaming of for the last ten years minimum, probably longer. Once I started jotting things down, it was like a well over flowing, waiting to be written down. Yes this will slow over time, but for now the excitement is still there, as I continue sharing my travel life so far.
This goes back to 2009, we have jumped ahead in time yet again. There was another trip in there that hasn’t been covered, but I’m unsure if I wish to share that one. It was a personal family journey at a time when things were cattywampus in our lives. Maybe, when I can properly go back to this destination and give a story of a less raw time, I will. For now you’ll just have to trust me, it was a national place, and we can leave it there for now.
In the 2008/2009 school year I was in college, and I had seriously considered the idea of studying abroad. I don’t remember exactly when I started going into the study abroad office at my university and started poking around. One thing I know for sure, I knew without a doubt what country I wanted to go to. So I picked up a few different brochures from that specific country and went back to my dorm room and looked into them.
When I started this process I was settled on going for the fall semester of 2009. When I told my mum this she said, ‘you’re going the whole year.’ I was scared of this, and didn’t think I was very capable of doing so. Before this study abroad year, I was infinitely more shy and reserved, outside of my family and friends. During those pre study abroad years, those were really the only people who saw my true personality come out. Even then I warmed up to university life very slowly. So for me to consider this, moving halfway across the world for even a semester was daunting, but also exciting. My mum continued to push for me to go for a year. She convinced me pretty easily enough because lets face it, this time she was totally right. I’d be kicking myself if I had only stayed for one semester.
Of the brochures that I brought back to my college dorm I only applied to one. EuroLearn, which after having done some research I can’t find it under that name, or the company anymore. They had the option of either one semester or two. I think there were a few countries you could chose from, but the one I wanted was there so that’s what mattered to me. I’m pretty sure that I applied at the very beginning of the spring semester of 2009, to make sure I applied before the deadline. April 10th 2009 is when I got my acceptance letter, that I had been accepted to study for the 2009/2010 year at Kingston University in Kingston Upon Thames, England. That’s right, my life long dream of going to England was finally coming true!
Then the mad dash to get all my passport documents completed, my visa completed, housing figured out, students loans figured out. It was a lot to do in a short amount of time, but we managed it. I got my passport in May, had to fill out applications to the local British Consulate, which is in Chicago before sending in my passport. Had to get my flights figure out beforehand, accept the dormitory accommodation vs finding a host family. The scariest part was my visa being at the consulate a really long time. Through preparing for this post, I actually found my tickets. My flight was scheduled to leave at 8:50pm on the night of September 14th, my passport arrived back home after the consulate, September 14th, in the afternoon. Talk about a nail-biter! I remember being so frantic and worried about having to change my flight, how much money that would cost my parents, and how far back my flight would have to be pushed. Booking flights for the next day can be a real pain, and be so insanely expensive! My passport came back in the nick of time though, so no worry there.
Then it was the long journey on the plane. I got a direct flight from MSP to London Heathrow. A standard flight takes eight hours. I had never been on a flight that long before. The most I had ever done was three hours or so, this would be completely different. I was too excited to sleep, which in hindsight, I really should have made myself sleep more. I maybe got an hour or two tops if even that. I remember I was running on adrenaline those first few days.
As I said earlier in this post, I was a very shy and reserved person. I had a difficult time adjusting to living in the college dorms and I didn’t like far from my parents house when I was at my home university. But this, I was thousands of miles away. I’ll admit, I did not handle those first couple of weeks very well. I had panic attacks at night, hardly ate, would call my family back at home constantly. I would ask for people back home to pray for me as I was not adjusting well, and also praying for sleep and to get through this on my own. I had gotten there like a week before everyone else did. I got special permission to move in four days before the dorms opened, which looking back wasn’t a good idea. It was isolating, and made me more on edge those first couple weeks. But once people started moving in, and I came to terms with I have to pick myself up by my bootstraps and just go with it, things got a lot easier. I grew so much in the those first few weeks, that when I came back to the US, I was a different person. I was so much more confident. I had survived those first couple weeks where I was I scared out of my mind from being so far away from home. I moved half way across the world, navigated a new school that was ten times the population size of my old one. I met people from all over the world, and went to places I had never dreamed of. But first, I had to get through those first weeks.
My accommodation was cozy, but had everything I needed. There were six of us in our floor and block. We each had out own bedrooms and ‘pods’ which were the bathrooms. It was a little bigger than a typical airplane bathroom but it was fine, especially when it was just my own. The kitchen was a shared community space between the five of us. I remember not having too many traffic jams. It was mostly just me and one other girl who used it. Most of the people in our block were first years that went out and partied a lot, and one girl almost always went home for the weekend to her parents, and otherwise kept to herself most of the time. One guy got licked out pretty soon after as I don’t remember more than one interaction with him. But everyone else stayed put. We had one flatmate outing to a restaurant shortly before the Christmas holidays, but after that I only really talked to the one girl every so often when I saw her in the kitchen.
Most of the friends I made were outside of the dorms, and most of them not fellow Americans like myself. There was one, and we still chat every once in a while, and then she introduced me to some people, and I found a couple people in various clubs. The freshers fair was where you were able to sign up for clubs, this was the week before classes started, and I’m glad I went. At the time I picked out two clubs, a ju-jitsu club as I had done martial arts back at home when I was younger and wanted to get back into it, and an anime club, as I used to go to anime conventions with my sisters and friends often. The anime club didn’t last too long, I think I went to a handful of meetings. Most of the people in there were, well… Awkward guys that fit the stereotypical anime nerd type but exemplified. Now I knew a lot of those anime nerds back in the states and were friends with them, there’s nothing wrong with it, this was on a whole new level that was off-putting. But, I did end up with two friends from it, and one of them I still talk to all these years later, and has become one of my best friends. So, it was worth it in the end. Ju-jitsu didn’t last long but that was I think a combination of cultural differences and the lack of girls in the club. I was pinned down one too many times by awkward overly sweating guys who didn’t talk for my liking and so I quit after slowly decreasing the amount of times I showed up. By the end of the first semester I wasn’t going there anymore.
I even met my first boyfriend while studying in England. We got set up my that fellow American friend I mentioned. It was a good first relationship, and ran its course over a few years. I think every college aged girl dreams of meeting some guy in a foreign country and hitting it off. The books that bookstores carry tell me this is very common. The new relationship and the other friends that I made definitely kept me busy, and soon I wasn’t even thinking of being homesick. The time really did fly, and I had so many unique experiences I will treasure forever.
One thing about being an exchange student in the program I was in, we needed to take a British Life and Culture class. I chose to do mine the spring semester, but they had a field trip they offered all of us American exchange kids to go on, once in the fall, and once in the spring. I went both times, and am so glad I did. I got to meet others who hadn’t been there all that long either. I think they did this two weeks into our time there, which was a great time. That was the first time I traveled outside of my little university area. We went to Brighton and it was fantastic. The Royal Pavilion was something else. You wouldn’t expect that architecture in South England, but it was super cool. It was a palace that was built as a beach retreat for the eventual King George IV in the 1820’s it was finished. We took the tour inside and it was definitely something else, Indian architecture on the outside and completely different on the inside, I think there was a strong Asian influence in the inside if I remember correctly. Super cool, and definitely worth checking out.
My first journey into London was after this, about a month after I had moved there. It was first time using the train. I met with a friend and we wandered around. It was so much fun, and we had an absolute great time. It was the first of many times I would go into Central London, I’ve lost count, as I still have loads of tickets from my times that year, and all the years after that I have come back. England, has always been one of my favorite places to visit, and it all started back when I moved there for a year.
I made the conscious decision since I was there for the whole year to stay in England the first semester. I think in the end that served me really well, as I was able to fully immerse myself more in where I was. True, I didn’t go too far that first semester, but the trips to Brighton, the countless ones into Central London, Richmond, Hampton Court Palace, and places nearby. Hampton Court Palace was funny, a first date where we gate crashed through the back gate of the garden accidentally. Got around to the front, and being the broke college kids we were decided not to go into the palace… I also remember the Christmas markets both in Kingston, and in London. The smells, and sights, and the general atmosphere, I miss it so much. I still have a Christmas ornament, and a hat I bought from those markets before I flew home for Christmas.
I also got into the local sports. I started watching them with the boyfriend as he was a big Arsenal fan. And it was definitely fun to learn about the team and watch. I was always and still am a huge Minnesota Vikings fan. I’ve always liked sports, so it was a natural progression. It was the first place I ever drank. I was 20 when the semester began which as we all know the drinking age in England is 18. I never really drank much, but it was nice to try things, and discover that I liked ciders. Also after those first few weeks I got back to eating regularly, and found new things that I really enjoyed. The first time I had proper fish and chips, the first time I just got chips as I sat on Brighton beach and watched the birds and heard the sound of the channel, I was still unsure about the fish aspect when I was in Brighton. But I eventually tried it and loved it. Or the first Sunday roast I had, I know we went to the slug and lettuce and would get a carvery every once in a while and it was so good. The first time I had Indian food my mind was absolutely blown with the flavor, they really know how to do it right in England.
By the time I was a month in I had really hit my stride, I even hosted a Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after Thanksgiving, and had a couple people over. It was by that time I was dreading going home for a month for the Christmas holidays. Its funny how your perspective changes, isn’t? But I think why that happened, is because I went through such a tough time at the beginning. I had always been so close to home my whole life, and didn’t venture out a lot. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone like this, but knowing I had the full support of my family back home made me stronger, and overcome my fears. I have out of my shell, I became the more confident and extroverted person that was hiding as a kid. I tell my husband this now that I was a shy and quiet person, and he doesn’t believe me. My study abroad was such a pivotal point for me. I prayed often, especially for sleep, and to be looked after and taken care of those first few weeks, and I grew stronger in faith as well.
By the time I came home for the Christmas holidays, I had a wealth of memories and experiences I couldn’t wait to show my family and friends through pictures, gifts, and story telling. And I was so happy I listened to my mum and did the two semesters instead of one. I forgot to mention I also ran into one of my favorite Harry Potter actors completely randomly at a restaurant. I’ll attach the picture of who I ran into as well as a few others if I can. Next time will be semester two, and trust me, I did get out a lot more and do a bunch of cool things and see places I had never dreamed of. Until next time!
I flew two times with one of my parents before I first flew on my own. It was in my middle to late teens. I remember my parents being able to come to the gate with me, just to make sure that I was alright. I don’t remember being afraid. In my mind, I was just going to see my grandparents in their new home. They had bought one of those retirement single wide mobile homes a couple years prior. Grandpa has tirelessly spent the next two or three years building an addition onto it which was a very spacious room. It was to be my room, as I was their only grandchild. They only lived their part time those first handful of years, coming back up to Minnesota in the summer and especially during Christmas. So naturally when it was done, it was time to visit.
This room would become my room at grandma and grandpa’s for over a dozen years. The first time I was there it was a week, after school had gotten out, in the beginning of June. Not the most advisable time to go to southern Arizona, but hey, they had air conditioning. I went to their place at least once a year (minus just a spare few years where I wasn’t in the country, or when I got married) until my grandma passed away, the last one to live in that house.
Southern Arizona isn’t known for loads of things to do, but we certainly did make the best of it. Again, the plane ride itself wasn’t too long. A little longer than the first one to Colorado, just about three hours this time instead of two. I didn’t notice too much of a difference, it was only my second time on a plane, and still relatively a new and exciting experience. I remember that first time, getting off a plane all by myself, and having grandma and grandpa hovering right next to the arrivals. They would continue to pick me up from the airport for years, until grandpa was no longer able to drive it. Those last 5-10 years I took over and started renting cars and making the journey down. Sky Harbor Airport became the first airport I was incredibly familiar and comfortable with after MSP. The car rental there is incredibly easy, just a quick shuttle ride away. The signs for the shuttle are all clearly marked. Getting in and out of the car rental place is also very easy. It’s the easiest place I’ve ever rented a car from for sure.
I never really explored Phoenix except the first or second time when we went to one of the shopping malls and did some fun stuff. I still have that build a bear my grandma suggested would be fun to do. It’s definitely a nice keepsake since they are now both gone. But those first five years I went down we made the best of it. When I started going over spring break instead of the summer (this only took one time to know that’s the better plan), I found out that they had a Renaissance Festival held in Gold Canyon. It usually timed up perfectly with when I’d have spring break, so we’d go for a full day. It wasn’t necessarily my grandparents thing, but they supported what I wanted to do and were happy to go with me. It’s a really great Ren Fest though, held through all of February and March, if you’re ever in the general vicinity I’d check it out.
There was another time, the year before you needed passports to get into Mexico that we drove to the border through California. We crossed over into the small border town and walked around for a few hours. I don’t think we bought much, but it was still interesting. Grandpa of course made some ridiculous jokes about the pushy vendors trying to get you to buy their stuff.
When it became just grandma and I, it became road trips and we drove to Lake Havasu, home of the original London Bridge. Some rich guy bought it and had it brought over and then constructed there. So of course we had to go check it out. We also went to Laughlin, which my grandma always liked going to with grandpa and checking out the casinos. Typical old people behavior. We did get to go to one of Guy Fieri’s restaurants that was in the casino we stayed at, so that was cool. We had a failed road trip to New Mexico, but we were still good sports about it. I’d also wander a little bit by myself when I could, once grandma became more homebound.
I did manage to get up to the Grand Canyon, once, and I would definitely like to go back. Thanksgiving time is not the best time to go up there, as it was really cold. But it was definitely an eye opening experience. The canyon itself looks like its not weird, a total trick on your eyes! Late spring seems like a good time to go when things have warmed up, but not that full summer heat.
Arizona was also the first time I ever had In-N-Out, it became a traditional later on, as we did have it with grandpa once before he passed. It then carried on with grandma and I. Grandma was a picky eater, but she wouldn’t say no to a burger and fries. So it became a staple when I’d come down.
I’ve been there in pretty much every season, June, February, November, and many more months, probably almost all of them actually. It became a second home, and when I last saw it for the last time, it was like closing a large chapter of my life. We did so much there, and the time truly flew by. Sometimes I’d manage to be there for a week, and other times just a three or four day weekend. We’d watch movies, play card games, and always talk. It was a place I always felt comfortable traveling to solo. Most of the time it was just me, and only years later sometimes someone would come with me.
If you’re afraid of traveling alone, I do have some tips that will hopefully help. Firstly, tell someone where you’re going. Your mom or dad, brother or sister, a best friend. Whoever you feel comfortable with. If you’re nervous, and they know that, just message them while you’re waiting to board. I’m sure they can spare a few minutes to chat and help calm you down. It doesn’t hurt to give someone trusted your flight number, they might be able to see if you have any delays or if you’re right on time. Pick a direct flight if possible. That will help lessen your anxiety. If you have to make changes and you’re worried about making a layover, that’s not a good state of mind on your first solo trip. Another suggestion, pick somewhere that isn’t super far away. A 2-3 hour plane ride is much more manageable than six to eight hour one across the country or over the ocean. Its the perfect length to watch a movie that looks interesting, read a couple chapters of a book you’ve been meaning to make time for, or if its an early or late flight, get a bit of a nap in. You’re also not going to run into the problem of getting hungry most likely. You’ll be given a snack and a drink, and usually you can plan it well enough that you have lunch before or whatever time of day it happens to be and the appropriate meal. Remember that the plane ride is only the means to get where you are going. I know there’s been some weird stuff going on lately, but in general plane travel is the safest means of travel. With the things that have cropped up, its making airlines even more diligent in fixing things, and securing safe flights. You’ll be okay. Once you’re in the air, kick back and relax, you don’t have to do anything for the next couple of hours. It’s time to yourself, and make the most of it. Remember you’re going on a trip somewhere, more than likely somewhere new. Do some research before hand and plan fun things to do. You can think about those things as you’re flying to your destination. Time will melt away when you’re excited and thinking about all those things you’re going to do. Soon enough they’ll be preparing to land and you’ll wonder where the last two hours have gone.
At least two-thirds of my travels have been solo journeys. It becomes a routine that you create. It takes time, but all you have is time when it comes to those kinds of thing. You don’t need to rush, it takes a few times to get the hang of it, and that’s totally okay. One other thing, pay the little extra to chose your seat, middle seats suck and we all know it. Window is my personal favorite, but an aisle seat is much preferred over a middle seat. You’re going to thank yourself for spending the extra twenty dollars to have a window or aisle, trust me. I’ve been crammed in a middle seat, and there’s that one person next to you, who doesn’t give up the arm rest, and it makes the journey a little more annoying.
That’s all I have for now. We are getting to the point of taking that big leap and moving from national to international travel. So stay tuned, and see you all next time!
Jess
(featured below is the room grandpa built for all my stays there)
My first plane ride… I’ll admit I don’t remember all the details now, but enough of it still sticks in my head. I know who I was with, the destination, and a lot of the events that took place after. I couldn’t tell you the airline, and if I asked my mum she probably couldn’t tell you either. It’s okay though, we do the best with what we can. As I remember it was a summer vacation kind of trip. My mum and my aunt were along with me, and we only got a one way ticket.
There was some sort of family drama. What family doesn’t have some level of drama? But whatever the reasoning or events that brought it all to a head, the result was my first plane journey. It was to Colorado, either Colorado Springs directly or Denver. I know the final destination was Colorado Springs. Not an overly long flight from MSP, just about two hours. That’s probably good for a first time flyer.
Security I don’t remember at all but that was back in the days when it was more lax, and the only flight I ever took before things drastically changed. The one thing I remember about this journey? Is me freaking out over the most ridiculous thing. As a first time traveler there are a lot of reasonable things you could be worried about. What happens if we have an emergency landing? What if we loose cabin pressure and my oxygen mask doesn’t work? What if I get travel sick? But no, I was worried about what would happen to the drinks when we started to land.
Yes, that’s right. I was worried the drinks were going to spill as we landed. I have never worried about that since mind you, and I’ve watched my husband spill a hot cup of coffee right into his lap on a flight. Why my soda spilling as we descended worried a nine year old? I have no clue. But I think my mum talked to the flight attendant at some point and reassured me it’d be fine. Come to find out later they take away drinks before they start to descend, and you put your tray tables up. Beyond that the most uneventful first flight ever.
As I said the destination was Colorado. A place I’ve now frequented several times for various reasons. First that trip to pick up my cousins and take the 16 hour drive back to Minnesota with us. Don’t worry, we did some fun touristy things before we left. I remember a zoo, and going to Pikes Peak, the Royal Gorge right when a thunder storm was rolling in. My aunt yelling at my mum because she wanted to watch it there. And the most exciting fact of getting my very first super soaker there. Hey, those things mattered as a nine year old.
I digress, the next time I went was from a long road trip I took with my friends and my now sisters (blended family situation years after) on a youth group trip and that was a lot of fun. Ironically, we ended up in Colorado Springs again. This time it was during a margarita festival that none of us could participate in, and a guy at a coffee shop who had a striking resemblance to my dad. We also when white water rafting that time. I’m glad I did it then as a teenager when I had not really developed any fears of anything. It was super fun, wet, and cold, even in the summer. If you’re in the area, I’d highly recommend it. We did Pikes Peak again but this time we were able to go to the top because it wasn’t too snowy like the first time. Also a definite wind. I remember being in the lookout area with my sister and looking out.
We also recreated some LOTR scenes under a tree that looked like the one right from FOTR and my sister was a Nazgul, that was hilarious. Because we were silly like that, but it was good fun. That would be the last time I went to Colorado Springs for now.
The next time was to Loveland where a friend from karate had moved. That time I flew into Denver. Again a two hour flight, nothing too special. The airport is massive though. Also a little confusing as to how birds live in the airport. But I found my way around, and we had a great time.
If you’re a tea fanatic like myself you have to head to Golden, where they have the only tea plant in the US. It’s the home of Celestial Seasonings, the Sleep Time Tea guys. You can do a tour, which was a lot of fun. They talk about how they make herbal tea there, and its the only plant for Celestial Seasonings, so all the stuff comes there. They had tea tastings, and a gift shop with lots of different options. Celestial Seasonings is mostly herbal tea, but they do have a couple caffeinated black tea selections.
After that we went to Estes Park, the home of the Stanley Hotel, and a lot of really fun shops. The first time I was there it was winter, and then second time summer. Yes, I visited this friend a couple times. In the winter the little shops were really fun and they have a pretty big Christmas ornament shop. I will admit I got a ridiculous ornament from a cartoon I like, which I think has now since been lost.. In the summer they had a big market and festival going on in which we learned how to and then made flower crowns. That was super fun! I’m pretty sure that was the Midsummer Scandinavian Festival, which we stumbled upon on complete accident.
That was a handful of years ago now and I haven’t been back since. Colorado is so beautiful with all the beautiful Rocky Mountains, the Colorado River, and just all the other wildlife and nature there. A definite place to check out, with many different cities to see and things to do.
I know this all stemmed from that first flight, but its crazy to think how many times I have gone back since that time, so long ago. I certainly had no idea if I’d ever be back. That 16 hour car ride certainly made it feel like a world away…With that I’ll leave you until next time, Happy Travels!
Welcome everyone to this fun blog! I hope I can both bring you some joy, and if I’m lucky some helpful tips or ideas of places to go on your life adventure. Sit back and enjoy as this is a fun, safe place to read, laugh, and enjoy some travel adventures over the last two decades.
This goes back years, even decades. I can remember my first plane experience at the tender age of nine. I know a lot of people have traveled well before this age, but whatever I lacked in those younger years for travel, it has been made up in the years since. But before we delve into that, lets start with some basics.
Firstly, I’m from the upper Midwest, the beautiful state of Minnesota. It’s somewhere I will always go back to as I have all my family, and a good portion of my friends there. But as I write this now in my home north of Seattle, Washington, I didn’t stay there. Life has taken many turns, and there have been so many wonderful opportunities that I have been able to live in more than just Minnesota, and Washington, I also got to live in Europe. I hope this blog is fun for everyone who has always wanted to go to a location I cover, or it’s just fun to read someone’s take on somewhere they’ve always called home. I am no expert, nor will I ever claim to be. I have silly things to add to in my inexperience at the beginning of my travels, and hopefully they can encourage you to not be so hard on yourself.
Our first trips as a family of three were not to exotic places, cross country roadtrips, or beach resorts, no they were more local and family centric. Humble beginnings is a great place to start, and that’s where we will start today. First stop: Wisconsin Dells.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “Wisconsin isn’t a well known spot for vacations or holidays.” No, not really, most people outside of North America can’t place it on a map, but that’s okay. You know what’s great about a family trip to Wisconsin for an eight year old girl? A whole town devoted to family fun, and waterparks. We loved it so much we went back a couple years later. It’s a place that one of these days I want to go back and take my water loving son to, so hopefully one day we will.
What kid doesn’t love a swimming pool? But not only that, waterparks that cover just about any theme a kid would love imaginable. You’ve got Noah’s Ark, Mount Olympus, Kalahari Desert, The Great Wolf Lodge, Wintergreen Polar Bears, the list goes on. And if you need a break from the water parks there’s a lot of fun stuff to do in tour. We did one of those duckboat tours on the Wisconsin River that runs just by town. There’s also a wax museum, antique stores, ice cream shops, and even a horse trail ridealong. I don’t remember which facility we did the horse-riding, but I still fondly all these years later remember the beautiful black horse named Porkchop I got to ride, with my parents flanked in front and behind me on their own horses. It was such an amazing time, and honestly so much fun even as an adult.
Prior to having kids and getting married, I went back as an adult with one of my best friends. We went to the Kalahari that time, all previous times my family and I went to the Wintergreen, minus that one mishap… (I can cover that later if needed.) It was so much fun, they folded all the guest towels into elephants. We had a blast at the waterpark, the food at the restaurants enclosed in the resort was good, and I still look back fondly on that. A different time as an adult, on the way to Chicago I stayed a night in the Dells and stayed at Mount Olympus. They have a full on amusement park! I know we got to ride a few rides, as it was early in the season, and the Mexican restaurant nearby was surprisingly good!
And if that all wasn’t enough praise, it’s only about three and a half hours away from the Twin Cities! Just long enough to get away from where you live, but not so far you have to hop on a plane. It was a perfect sized roadtrip for a second/third grader and not a problem these days with all the different things kids can occupy themselves with in the car.
But that’s my humble travel beginnings. We went twice once when I was eight I think, and then again when I was eleven I think. Loved it both times, the second time had some more memorable stories with hotel mishaps. But we still had a great time. A great place for all ages, as I’ve enjoyed it as a young kid and an adult in my mid to late twenties. If you’re nearby enough for a comfortable drive, check it out!
That’s it for now, next time I’ll share my first ever plane experience, which was between those two Wisconsin Dells adventures. Until next time!
Traveler's Refuge Log 