Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hello everyone!

Today I'm feeling lucky. Today I'm also feeling nostalgic.

Saint Patrick's Day has always been a fun holiday growing up. Now that I've had the opportunity to call Ireland home for 4 months, today is even more special.

Ireland is filled with beautiful people, beautiful places and- of course- beautiful beer. I miss it all terribly, but I'm lucky I got to experience all of it first hand.

Slainte! 

With love,

Sitting in Class, Thinking About Being Abroad

Hey there friend!

Remember how I said that when you're busy being homesick, the tables will turn and you'll be homesick for abroad? (No? Refresh your memory here)

Well, that time has come. Actually, it's been around for a while and I can't escape it.

Ireland. I. Miss. You. A lot.

And. Greece.

Oh. And. Lovely. London.

Last, but not least- Paris for good measure.

( Shout out- Thanks to my friend Nicole for snapping some of these beautiful memories!!)

No one tells you how weird you'll feel coming back from a semester abroad. I came back from the Emerald Isle feeling like my college campus shrunk.  Granted, it was a small school to start with.

I also felt like everyone was so much more prepared than me- even though it was only syllabus week.

Here I am now, starting week 5 of the semester, and I can say I feel a lot better about being back in the states. Sure, I miss my old class schedule, my favorite pubs and coffee shops  and professors, but I've accepted it now as part of the territory. 

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Here's some tips to cope with post abroad sadness:

1. Stay in touch with your old professors, faculty and staff

The connections you made over 4+ months are too valuable to be thrown out the window! In talking to past professors, faculty and staff about readjusting, the new wave of students abroad, things that made you think of them etc.- you'll still feel connected. They'd love to hear from you so send them a quick message!

2. Meet up with people who went abroad and share stories

The first week back, my school had a re-entry meeting for all the students who studied abroad. We got to swap stories and eat pizza. What is better than that? You can tell stories about your time abroad to many people, but only a few people will truly get them, so it's really comforting to touch base with the people who went through the same experiences as you!

3. Dive back into your passions at school (or find new ones!)

Getting back into leadership roles or clubs is so comforting. They're things you loved pre- abroad and things you most likely missed while you were gone. Reignite those passions. Going abroad I realized that I love traveling, so I decided to make it a point to work in my Study Abroad office at school. In doing this, I got to find a new passion and still link back to my adventures abroad. This leads me to my next point...

4. Shout from the rooftops why others should study abroad

Remember the days where you were practically jumping at the chance to study abroad? And wasn't it one of the most magical feelings when you finally could? (Answer: Y E S) You listened to everyone's stories, you read all the information you could and you asked all the questions you could possibly think of to upperclassmen. 

Now it's your chance to be that vessel of knowledge. There's tons of students that are now looking to you for advice. In being a study abroad alum, so to speak, you get to tell everyone why they need to go abroad. It helps spread the word, soothes student's worries and you get to talk about your kick ass experience.

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Just like being homesick while abroad, remember that you're not alone when coming back to college. Some of your peers are going through the same thoughts and feeling as you. It's ok to be nostalgic and it's ok to be sad! Just remember, there's always people you can talk to. 

Above all else, don't forget what fire sparked in you when you first chose your college.  (Burlington, you're such a babe. Always beautiful and #1 in my heart) You felt a sense of belonging then- and chances are, that sense of belonging is still in your heart now! It may be trickier to find at the moment, but I can promise you that it won't belong before you rediscover it again.

With love,

Hello, It's Me.

Hello, it's me. (Here's looking to you Adele!)

I can't believe this time last week I was exploring London.  I don't think London could ever have been a bad  travel choice, but with everything wrapped up in Christmas lights, and holiday markets on almost every street, it's safe to say that my friend, Deborah, and I saved the best trip of the semester for last!

While we were only in London for a full day, our winter whirlwind was nothing less than extraordinary!

                            

Schokokuss aka the yummiest thing I've ever had. I tend to say that often, but this time my sweet tooth and  I really, really mean it.

Must See: Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland

There was a full Oktoberfest in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland.

  We loved: Borough Market and Camden Lock Market

Anyone else getting Diagon Alley vibes?

This is what happens when you ask for "everything".

Maybe it's because it was the most wonderful time of the year, or maybe it's because Deborah and I are city girls through and through... London, you will always have a piece of our hearts. 

With love,

My Trip to Santorini, Greece

Hello!

Finally here's a post about my 10 day break. I am slacking SO hard. It's been back to reality with school, planning an art event in Dublin and finding last minute things to do before I leave Ireland, sadly, for good. 

I'm trying not think about the last part.

In a way, putting this off until now allows me to reminisce my trip even more. It's only been a few weeks, but I'm itching to go back to Santorini.

Santorini is a Greek island famous for its blue domes and post card worthy sunsets. It is also home to the lost city Akrotiri and famous for Ouzo.  Another Santorini gem? Their olive oil and balsamic. My roommates and I tasted some while out shopping and all three of us fell in love instantly. Shipping bottles of this beautiful pairing back to our houses was very tempting albeit expensive.

I traveled to Santorini with my roommates Kara and Nicole. After our 3 day stay, our adventures continued in Athens, Rome and Positano. We dubbed our 10 day trip the "roomie moon." As Pinterest suggests Santorini and Positano are two of the biggest honey moon destinations. 

This trip was the first time any of us had ever used Airbnb and I was pleasantly surprised with our luck. Our Airbnb was right in the heart of Kamari. We were just a few minutes from all the shops and had a private walkway to the beach. Talk about an ideal location. I cannot praise our Airbnb host Giannis enough. He and his wife made us feel like family. They took us out to dinner, gave us a tour of the island and made sure we were safe! (A wonderful thing for my parents to hear)

When we weren't with Giannis, we took the bus to the towns of Fira and Oia for tons of shopping- you have to get souvenirs somewhere, right? and to watch the famous and coveted sunset. Getting around Santorini was so easy. The bus was only 1.80 euro and the schedule was easy to follow!

We joked that we brought Ireland's rainy weather with us, for most days were overcast with showers here and there. This may be part of the reason why Oia's sunset wasn't as vibrant as  it's known to be. While still beautiful, the star of the show had to be the moon rising. It brought beautiful vibrant purples, pinks and blues to the sky. I have never seen something so stunning!

Words can't effectively describe how beautiful Santorini is. I can see why it's a popular Summer spot. However, between you and me, going in the off season is even more special. At times it felt like Kara, Nicole and I had the island to ourselves! 

3 days was the perfect amount of time in Santorini. Everyone was so charming; I've never met nicer people! 

Greek food was also fantastic (Should I have even been surprised?) Saganaki puts any other cheese dish to shame and I'm now a firm believer that tzatziki can be put on just about anything.

I truly wouldn't change a thing. Alright, maybe I would have taken some extra baklava for the trip home...

With love,

4 Things to Know Before Flying Ryan Air

This past month I have had my fair share of flights. There's just so much to do, so much to see. (Cue Allstar by Smash mouth)

 A great deal of my travels were done through Ryan Air.

Ryan Air is a big airline carrier in Europe known for its extremely low prices. It's a no frills flying option and because of this there's a few catches. Whether you're a student abroad or looking for an affordable family trip here's some things you need to know before you book a flight with Ryan Air:

1. Checked baggage

No one wants to check baggage while flying. It's a hassle! When you get to your gate, Ryan Air staff will check you in;look at your ticket, passport and your luggage. If your luggage looks too big they will forcefully make you pay up 50 euro to check your bag without any explanation. You must fight them on this; there's a "see if it fits" kiosk (for lack of knowledge regarding the actual terminology) that can actually hold quite a bit.  Squeeze your bag into the kiosk/model to see if it fits. Some Ryan Air staff will let you just check your bag without a fee, but most will not so keep this in mind.

2. Getting your ticket stamped

If you are going from  the United States and going from country to country you MUST get your boarding pass stamped. Without this, you will not be able to get on your flight. Getting your boarding pass stamped can be done at a Ryan Air desk in your airport's departures area. Although this doesn't take long, make sure to carve out 10 minutes in your schedule just in case.

3. Do not get your boarding pass at the airport

It's great that Ryan Air is cheaper than its airline counterparts.  However, because they are cheaper, Ryan Air finds sneaky ways to charge you more. A big fee comes from your boarding pass. If you wait until you are at the airport to print your boarding pass you will also be asked to pay a hefty fee of  40 euro (at the time of this post) What a shame when printing at home is free! 

4. Ryan Air "lies" about major cities

While I had no problem getting to my destinations, I've heard stories from other students and their final destinations. Ryan Air may claim to fly into *insert big city here* when in fact they are outside of the city and it's up to you to find other modes of transportation to get to your final destination. Really look into where Ryan Air will be flying in or out of. Luckily, Ryan Air is rapidly growing so this may be less of a problem now, but still something to consider!

Other quick things:

- The boarding gate closes 20 minutes before boarding, if you're late you will not be allowed on your flight

- Usually a shuttle is  taken to get from your boarding area to your plane

- Drinks and snacks aren't complimentary

 This post isn't trying to "expose" Ryan Air in any way; there's countless reviews, posts and articles all over the web for that. I'm simply sharing information that I found extremely important when traveling around Europe.

 I hope this short list comes in handy when you start looking into your next trip!

With love,

A Quick Guide to Paris Fashion

Hello there!

Have you seen my post all about getting around the wonderful city of Paris yet? 

No?! Well then click here.

A pesky little thing called time has escaped me once again! On the bright side,  finally getting around to talk about Paris fashion is a wonderful way to...

1. Procrastinate a bit of homework
2. Reminisce on all the street style I encountered in the city of love

Paris, and most of Europe, is all about basics- black, white, cream, brown, navy. It doesn't matter what you wear. As long as you stick to these colors, anything will look fantastic!

Since I visited Paris as it got a bit colder I noticed so many women wearing a leather jacket and accessorizing with a scarf. It was such a simple combo yet every single time I saw those pieces together I swooned. Simplicity is always better!

Everyone in Europe is just so much more put together, in the easiest way possible. 

It always starts with a pair of booties. Those are then paired with black tights or black jeans. (This is the unofficial uniform of Europe if you ask me)

As far as a top goes... anything goes! Because everything goes with black. Black looks good on everyone and never goes out of style. If you follow that rule, you're as good as gold.

With Love,