Everything is Bigger in Texas

"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word"- John Steinbeck

A few weeks ago, I flew over to Austin to spend the weekend with one of my best friends. Sarah and I grew up together, and both went to college out of state.  We also both ended up getting jobs out of our home state of California. We don't get to see each other all that often, so when she mentioned she had a day off, I jumped at the chance to spend a weekend together. We decided to meet in Austin.

I forgot how great it was to be around someone who knows me almost as well as I know myself. Sarah picked me up from the airport with my favorite pastry, and she didn't even bother asking me if I wanted to get a cab- she knew we were hoofing it.

We spent the first day wandering the city, trying to get our bearings. Austin is an awesome city. The river, graffiti parks, music, food, and drinks are all top notch.

We were told repeatedly to take advantage of Happy Hour in Austin, so Sarah and I made sure to get our fill of specialty cocktails at as many places as we could get to. 

We were on a mission to see the bats fly out from Congress bridge, so we made quick work of our drinks and went to go find a spot to watch the bats at sunset. 

We got lucky and didn't have to wait too long before the steady stream of bats started flying out of the bridge. This is a surreal experience- I have never seen that many bats in my life (which probably makes sense).

We headed for a night out on Rainey Street. Rainey was very cool and if I lived in Austin that would most certainly be my spot. I will say it may not be the best spot for just two people. Sarah and I felt like we would have had a better time if we were in a large group. 

The next day we got an early start and went hiking on a few different trails surrounding the Austin area. We grabbed lunch at The Oasis on Lake Travis. The food is mediocre but the views are top-notch.

We ended up at a brewery, and we spent the afternoon chatting and relaxing in the beautiful weather. We had been told that we wouldn't like the 'Dirty 6', but Sarah and I agreed we'd check it out on our final night. We had the best time. 6th Street is a total mess, but in the best possible way. The energy is infectious, and everyone was having so much fun.

We literally witnessed a giant lumber-sexual looking dude preform a legit 'magic mike' strip routine when a bridal party gave him $20 to show their friend a good time. Sarah and I couldn't stop laughing. It was amazing. I couldn't hang out on 6th Street every night, but every once in awhile, that is a great spot. 

As always, getting to see my best friends in amazing places is always a blessing, and Austin was no different. I would totally go back, and I can't wait to plan another weekend trip with Sarah!

xxx

The Emerald Isle

"Ireland is where strange tales begin and happy endings are possible"- Charles Haughey

I'm going to preface this post with a disclaimer: TONS OF PHOTOS AHEAD. 

I decided to go on my first solo adventure and went to Ireland for a 5 day road trip through the west coast. It was amazing. I had the best time ever and would travel alone in a heartbeat. I think everyone should give it a go. I wrote a buzzfeed post about the things I learned on the trip, if you are interested, you can read it here.

Day One: Clifden, Connemara

Connemara is in the gaeltacht region of Ireland (meaning Irish is still spoken and well-known). This was the Ireland I had read about- wild horses, rainbows, abandoned castles, and the friendliest people on earth. I made a lot of friends (young and old) and learned a lot about the area during my brief stay. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Wild horses running in the hills of Ireland- I thought I was going to be trampled, but this guy was rather friendly and just wanted to hang out.

I have always wanted to touch a standing stone (probably because I am an Outlander fan and was hoping Jamie would appear). When I saw this one I hopped a fence and laid my hands on it. Sadly, I was not transported to another time, but it was still very cool.

Seriously, the Wild Atlantic Way is amazing. Rainbows and castles every which way. I was half expecting a friendly leprechaun to jump out at me.

Day Two: Connemara National Park & Galway

My next day started with a hike in the Connemara National Park. Oscar Wilde called this area the most beautiful part of the world. I must say- I kind of agree. I was totally alone on the trails and the colors and scenic vistas were staggering.

I spent three hours exploring the national park before getting back on the road and stopping at a few castles between Connemara and Galway.

I also bonded with a heard of cows… so that's something.

 I spent the afternoon and the evening in Galway. I went to a pub known for Trad music and had a few Guinness's with some locals. It was a perfect evening in Galway.

Day Three & Four: Castle Dromoland

I drove from Galway to the Cliffs of Moher. This is one tourist attraction that is totally worth the money and the crowds. They are staggering and it is insane to me how close to the edge you can get. There are no fences and what seems like endless stretches of cliffs.

I spent two nights in the incomparable Castle Dromoland. I also got a complimentary room upgrade which was just the icing on an already amazing cake. While staying there, I road horses, wandered the grounds, and indulged at the spa. It was a quick, but needed relaxing break during my vacation.

I also spent some time in the burren. This is the weirdest place ever, and very unique. I can't think of a way to describe it without using the world 'alien'.

Day Five: Kilkenny

I didn't take any pictures in Kilkenny except for one of my seafood chowder. I quite liked Kilkenny, but the weather was less than ideal while I was here and my jet lag started catching up with me so I didn't spend a ton of time touring the area.

Day Six, Seven,  Eight: Dublin

I drove back to Dublin and dropped off my rental car on St. Paddy's day. One of my good friends decided to fly out for the holiday, so I swung by the airport and met up with Emily. We headed into the city and got ready to go green for St. Patrick's Day in Temple Bar.

We spent three days roaming Dublin and having a very good time. It was the perfect way to end an amazing trip across the pond. I loved this holiday and I really want to come back to Ireland and spend some time in the Ring of Kerry, Dingle, and getting up to the North. It's a gorgeous country and I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

xxx

Manhattan Weekends

"There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless."- Simone Beauvoir

One of my best friends had to be in NYC for a conference for work. Since NYC is much closer to me then where she normally lives in San Francisco, I flew up for a quick weekend visit. We stayed in a great little boutique hotel in Mid-town and had a whirlwind of a weekend. We met up late friday night and got dinner and drinks near our hotel. From there, we decided we wanted to get fancy and go to a bar specializing in whiskey/whisky.

We found ourselves in the Campbell Apartment. You may recognize the impressive glass from Gossip Girl… It's where Nate & Serena got busy in the pilot. We stayed out way too late and drank way too much and had more fun that should be allowed.

The next day, we spent the morning wandering Central Park, Museums, and the Highline. I had never been the the Highline before and I loved it. Very unique!

We grabbed lunch in Chelsea Market and had the absolutely most amazing caprese salad. The cheese was like a fluffy cloud from my dreams and the tomatoes were the best I had ever had.

That night, we found ourselves in an Irish pub that only serves two types of beer, light or dark. The proprietors led us to a table full of guys and made us join them. After a few minutes of awkward silence, we all started talking. It turned out the boys were from Ireland and had spent the last few months in the States and this was their last weekend before heading home. All the sudden, our table was covered in drinks and the beer did not stop flowing the entire night. We ended up going to a club with the group we had met. They happened to know the bartenders there… we didn't pay for a single drink the entire night. Kels and I had an amazing trip- it was short, but eventful. 

I really do love New York. I don't know if  I could live there full-time, but I would love to visit more than I do. It is such a unique city, and there is something infectious about the energy. You never have an excuse to be bored in the Big Apple.

Until next time!

The Most Magical Place(s) on Earth

"Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars. Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live."- Nora Roberts

This past year, I made my way to Orlando twice. Home of both Disney World and Universal Studios. The first trip I took was to Disney World. It was my first time going since I grew up in CA and spent my youth at Disney Land. I was lucky that one of my favorite people from college was working at the park and had me come out to visit.

Since Sarah had worked at the parks for a few months, (and was already a Disney World expert) we took on the various parks like professionals.  She knew when to be where for the shortest lines and the best experiences. 

Being that it was Spring in Florida - we got caught in a major electrical thunderstorm. We spent 30 minutes under a tent attempting to wait out the rain. We noticed a lot of people started heading out of the park, so we decided to do the exact opposite and see what rides were still running.  We made a mad dash for Tower of Terror and ended up riding it over and over with absolutely no wait time. If you are familiar with the story of Tower of Terror- they all die when lightening strikes the elevator shaft… So clearly, we were very smart. 

We also embarked on another adventure- drinking around the world at Epcot.  We had the passes that enabled us to stay in the park late so we made sure to take advantage. We had tequila in Mexico, Strongbow in the UK, weird Norwegian liquor in Norway, and more beer and wine then I care to remember.  The firework show that night was so amazing (not sure if that was because I was steaming drunk or if it was actually a feat in pyrotechnics).

I spent three glorious days in the Florida sun with a one-of-a kind lady that I am lucky enough to call a friend.

A few months later, my roommate and I decided we needed to get to Harry Potter World (Universal) as soon as humanly possible. She and I are major fans of the books and she had never been before and I hadn't been since Diagon Alley opened. Unfortunately, we didn't take a ton of pictures, but we had an amazing time.

 The level of detail in this park is exceptional. The noises, visuals, and the food all look exactly like imagined when reading the books. Honestly, I could live here. We spent three days roaming around and indulging ourselves in everything we saw. I think I ate and drank everything offered in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

While I would say Disney World has more going on, Harry Potter World (or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter) is the absolute best. If you were a fan of the books/movies- you have to go. They should just keep expanding that portion of the park because it is so incredible. I also have to shout out to the Mummy ride. It is my favorite ride in the park and it never has a line… so much fun!

Regardless, if you are a kid or an adult- the magic in both these parks is worth a visit.

Croatian Adventures

Never go on trips with someone you don't love. -Ernest Hemingway

Back in September, I was lucky enough to go on a wonderful trip with my family. I have mentioned before that I have a large family, and being able to travel in Croatia with twenty of those incredible people was an exceptional experience.  A week or so before we left for the trip we lost my grandfather.  Having a large amount of our family together to celebrate and remember that incredible man helped us all to start healing.

My parents and some of my aunts and uncles and cousins (once removed) traditionally go on biking trips through Europe once a year. I am a lot of things, but a biker is not one of  them. The trip they had planned was for Croatia. One of my aunts was born there and had been wanted to show the country to her kids for years. I wanted to revisit a country I had been to once before, but not for long enough. Slowly, a number of my family members decided to crash the bike trip. We all spent a few days together before the 'athletes' of the family took off on their trip.

We started the week in Zagreb- the capital of Croatia. I was not that excited to see Zagreb, I was looking at more like a jump off point to the mountains and oceans of Croatia. However, I was shocked at how much I liked it.

It was rainy and a bit dreary when I got into the city, but it was still vibrant and full of life. As the day wore on, the rain and fog lifted and we were treated to an incredible view.

 While Prague is known for stunning rooftops- I've gotta say- Zagreb was putting up some fierce competition. After spending a day touring the city on foot immediately after getting off a 10 hour flight, I was exhausted. I split away from my parents to take a quick nap and regain some sense of normalcy before we met with the extended family for dinner. That dinner will forever be one of my favorite family memories. Maybe it had something to do with the free flowing wine, but the conversation was top notch. I learned so much about people I have known my entire life and I really don't know the last time I had laughed that hard.

The next morning, we were off to Rovinj. It's a small oceanfront town, and it is amazing. In fact, they say on a clear day you can actually see Venice across the water.

Since the town is on the water, the seafood is amazingly fresh. We had amazing weather and spent the day swimming the ocean and touring the old town.

The sunset that night was potentially the best sunset I have ever seen in my life. I almost didn't go down to the water to watch, but my mom begged me to go with her. I have to give her props- she truly picked a spectacular spot to watch from.

We had some extra time here and I had been reading the tour book my dad had brought with him. There was mention of an old walled town in the mountains called Motovun that was known for great views and truffle-filled cuisine. That sounded right up my alley so the next morning we hopped in the car and took off for the mountains. 

Motovun from the car

The views were amazing- everything was so lush and green. Apparently, this was the rainiest September Croatia had seen in years. We got lucky and didn't get caught in too many downpours, and we got such amazing vistas.

I was obsessed with trying to figure out what the giant straw man in the town courtyards purpose was. It was so whimsical!

Motovun and Rovinj are now my top recommended spots for a Croatian visit. They aren't too overrun with tourists and the food and views are top-notch.

On our way to Zadar, we stopped at Krka National Park. I had really wanted to see Plitvice, but due to the rain, the flooding was out of control and the majority of the park was closed.

Krka was unreal. I can't say which park I'd recommend since we weren't able to see Plitvice. However, you can normally swim in the falls in Krka and you can't do that in Plitvice. I went in expecting to be disappointed, but Krka as amazing, the falls were much larger than I expected, and while it was crowded- it was quite easy to get unobstructed pictures of the amazing scenery.

Our next stop was Zadar. I had really high expectations for Zadar, and while it was cool- it wasn't my favorite of our destinations.  I did enjoy the Roman ruins and the Sea organ quite a bit though.

 Hemingway called the sunsets in Zadar some of the best in the world. Unfortunately, we didn't have the greatest weather for the night we were there. The sunset was beautiful- to be sure, but it didn't have the same staggering beauty of the one's we had seen in Rovinj.

Our final stop was in Split. We met with the entire extended family and sailed across the Adriatic to an isolated island where we had the best lunch I have ever had in my life.

 The water was exceptionally choppy, and luckily, Shelby and I don't suffer from sea-sickness. A lot of our family struggled on the way out and back, but we were having the time of our lives.

I am surprised no one fell in since there really wasn't anywhere great to sit or hold on too.  We were all pretty haphazardly spread around the 'kids' sailboat. We had three- one for the youths, one for the women, and one for the men.

We also had a spectacular dinner and night out with the whole group once we got back to Split.

Moody B&W shot

Split is a very unique city. It is all built in an old fortress/castle. Walking through that town is a really cool experience. If you are visiting Croatia, don't miss Split. I headed back to the States after Split, and a lot of the family continued to Dubrovnik and some of the Croatian islands. 

All around this was such a special trip and I think it really brought us all together. Especially considering the loss of the family patriarch.