Hey, y’all! I know I haven’t posted in a while. I didn’t forget about this little blog. I’ve just been busy trying to live my best life here in Ireland. I think I’ve managed to do just that. So here’s just a little recap of what I’ve been doing over these several months.

First off, Ireland is beautiful! Every time I go traveling for a weekend or set off for a day adventure I’m just amazed by the beauty of this country. Nothing in Indiana will ever compare to the beautiful green hills of Ireland. I’m not a nature gal by any means but, that didn’t stop me to explore the beautiful forests and cliffs.

The people I’ve met here have been so nice. I’m so glad that I have found a solid group of friends and now will know people from around the world! It’s seriously so cool and amazing knowing that I have friends from halfway across the world when I come home.

I recently just spent my 27th birthday here. It was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. It was so amazing that I got to spend one of my birthdays here. My lovely host family was so kind and, made the day so incredibly special to me. The kids sang happy birthday to me like five times throughout the day. We had an amazing strawberry cheesecake made by my host mom. After the kids went to bed I went to Dicey’s, the local pub, for a pint and cake.

I just have about a month and a half left and it’s such a bittersweet feeling. I’ve made amazing friends and have made routines here that I will miss. Yet, I miss home, my friends and, my family so much. I’m going to enjoy the next few weeks and soak up as much as I can.

Sláinte!

Bridget

I know it’s been a while since my last post. May has been one of the most difficult months. It left me confused most days and defeated every night. I spent the whole month trying to figure out what I’m doing with my life and why I’m even here. There were a lot of days where I thought I was terrible for this job. My wonderful host parents kept reassuring me that I’m doing an excellent job.

I’ve always thought I do better when I’m alone. That being somewhere brand new with no friends and no family would be a healthy start to my “fresh new start”. Little did I know that this big European move will affect my mental health like nothing else.

The first few weeks in Ireland (Europe in general) I was okay. I was thriving for the most part. After a few weeks, I became so incredibly lonely and lost. Moving somewhere that’s completely unfamiliar and with a culture change is incredibly hard. Plus on top of that, I didn’t have any friends. I began to miss home so much. I missed my friends, my family, and all the things I was able to do back home.

Luckily that feeling of loneliness started to drift off when I began to meet new friends and became familiar to my surroundings and formed new routines. Then came the struggles of having to figure out what I wanted to do when I came home. Everyone here keeps asking me “What are your plans when you come home” and I honestly don’t know. It’s terrifying knowing that I have no idea what’s to come by the end of this journey.

Thank God for my wonderful boyfriend who listened to my endless rants and cry sessions about what I’m going to do. He’s supported me so much through all of this. Also a huge thanks to my mom who constantly reminded me that this is a once in a lifetime journey for me whenever I felt like I made a mistake. After taking a month to make plans for my future and mentally got my shit together, I feel better.

I’m thriving so much. I’ve made quite a few close friends here. I’ve seen so much of Ireland and I’ve discovered so much about myself. I’ve discovered that I’m strong even when I feel weak and lost. I have a date on when I’m coming back to the states. As excited as I am to be able to see my loved ones and eat endless amounts of cebolla’s and multiple target runs, I’m not ready to leave Ireland anytime soon. Ireland will always be my second home and county Meath will always be a part of me.

So no one worry about me. I needed to take a minute to figure it all out. I’m happy and I’m excited to see what else in store for me. This has been an amazing journey and I don’t want it to end. Regardless of how hard it might get.

Sláinte

Bridget

I know. I know. It’s been two weeks since my last post but, it’s been crazy here. All of the kids that I mind got very sick for a whole week and then I was sick. But no worries everyone’s healthy and happy. So back to my regular posting (hopefully). 🙂

Where did I leave off? Oh right! My insane few weeks of nonstop traveling. Where did I end up after that? In Summerhill (Conc an Línsigh in Irish), Ireland. Summerhill is the smallest village that I have ever lived in. Probably always will be. I’m very much a city girl. Summerhill has two pubs Dicey’s and Shaw’s, two markets, a Chinese restaurant, pizza place, pharmacy, and a petrol station. That’s it.

Even though it’s small I love it. Everyone knows everyone and they’re all so nice! Dicey’s is a little weird sometimes but those are stories for a different day. The area around me are all farms. My daily views around the area are cows, sheep, tractors, and horses. Pretty everyone in this area are farmers though.

Even though I’ve been here a few months I’m still getting adjusted to life here. Mostly I just miss crappy Taco Bell, Chipotle and my car. Mexican food really isn’t a thing here. My boyfriend sent me taco seasoning recently because I couldn’t find anything good. But the fish and chips I’m going to miss so much when I come home. I can’t drive here either. I’m always on a bus, train or walking. It’s going to be so weird when I come home and am able to drive.

I think that’s enough of me rambling for today. I promise and swear to post more regularly!

Sláinte!

Bridget

Finally!! I’m posting right on time! Actually, I’m a day late but close enough. Right? Warning: this post may be a bit long. Sorry, ya’ll.

How to Survive France, Switzerland, and Scotland in 1 week:

1. Drink so much Orangina that you start questioning if you have a problem.

2. Upgrade from croissants in your purse to baguettes in your book bag and cheese in your purse.

3. As always coffee! But upgrade to espresso this time because why the hell not. You’re fancy now!

Next stop after Ireland was Paris! I wish I could say that I loved Paris. I wish I could say that it was the fanciest time of my life but, it wasn’t. I ended up incredibly stressed for the majority of the time. However, I fell in love with the Louvre! I raced over there my first morning in Paris and, sprinted all the way to the Mona Lisa. Let me tell you guys that painting is small. It was awesome to see but, the giant wall painting right in front of it with no queue was just as grand. I could have spent days in the Louvre. After, in a misty cold day, I trekked to the Eiffel Tower with a jambon-beurre and macaron in my hands. It was…incredible. Even in the mist, it was breathtaking to be up there looking at all of Paris. One of my childhood dreams accomplished.

Oh Switzerland, it was so freaking beautiful! The Swiss Alps in the distance were just amazing! My train ride into Geneva had me climbing up and down and weaving through beautiful little villages and mountains filled with snow. Everyone I met while in Switzerland were so nice and lovely. Quite honestly I’d retire there if it wasn’t so expensive. I spent most of my time there sipping coffee by the lake. I was also able to see take a quick train back into France to see my favorite French singer, Hoshi, perform. I met a lovely family who couldn’t believe that an American made her way to this concert.

Have you ever gone somewhere and just simply fell in love with the place? That happened to me in Scotland. My last name is Scottish so it was cool learning about my ancestry and what my name means. Edinburgh was so freaking beautiful with all the old cathedrals throughout the streets and, Arthur’s seat was amazing. I know I’ve said that a lot but trust me. I hiked for a couple of hours up Arthur’s seat and, anyone who knows me knows that I don’t hike. It was so fulfilling climbing up there. Granted I wanted to quit with every step I took and, the wind was so terrible I kept falling down. Thanks to the Italian couple for helping me climb down the steep rocks at the top without falling to my death. Edinburgh is also the birthplace to Harry Potter which I’m a ridiculously huge fan of. I spent so many days discovering where the inspiration for Diagon Alley was, the cafe where JK started to write, and where Lord Voldemort is buried. I can’t wait to visit again!

Sorry, this post is long but, I did warn ya didn’t I?

Sláinte!

Bridget

Remember how I said I’m terrible at keeping things like this? Yeah, sorry about that. It’s been almost two weeks since my last post. In my defense, there’s a new season of Queer Eye on Netflix so all of my free time has gone to that. Maybe next time I won’t almost forget to post? Hopefully?

How to Shove 4 Countries in 2 1/2 weeks:

1. Don’t sleep

2. Forget to eat because you’re too busy trying to see everything.

3. Most importantly coffee! Insert GIF of Lorelei Gilmore talking about her love for coffee.

Seriously though I did that. As amazing as it was I wish I allowed myself more time to explore but, what I did see was simply amazing.

My first stop was London. This was my first stop away from the US and even though I was nervous as hell I was so ready to explore! The exploring I did though was getting so lost for 3 hours that I was convinced for a while that I was going to die. Tip: don’t let your phone die when you’re lost for 3 freaking hours! Turns out I was only 10 minutes from Westminister Abbey which wasn’t too far from where I was staying. I mostly did a lot of stereotypical touristy sightseeing in London. I saw the London Eye. Did not go on because screw Ferris wheels. I went to the palace and even took a photo in front of an iconic red phone booth. I also developed a habit of putting croissants in my purse whenever I saw a bakery. It wasn’t a terrible habit to have and it was quite handy.

Next stop was Dublin! Funny enough I only live an hour from there now. My first stop was the Guinness Storehouse. Now I’m not a big dark beer drinker. Honestly, I just started drinking beer. But how could you come to Ireland and not visit Guinness? You just can’t. Let me tell you Ireland has changed me. Now Guinness is one of my regular drinks! I spent most of my few days in Dublin just checking out the pubs because that’s what you just do here. It’s amazing how most of the Irish themed pubs I’ve been to in the States actually look like almost all of the pubs I’ve been to in Ireland!

I’ll keep the rest of my adventures for next week. When I don’t forget to post. 😉

Sláinte!

Bridget

Welcome to my first blog post! I’ve always been a bit terrible at keeping things like this but, I figured this would be the best way to get my thoughts and experiences out into the world! This blog will be (hopefully) filled with all of my stories about my trip throughout Europe.

My biggest dream has always been to travel through Europe. I spent so many years in my childhood imagining me standing in front of Big Ben, eating fancy pastries in the Eiffel Tower, and climbing the Swiss Alps. It’s always been at my number one on my Bucket List. As the years went on in my life, I often wondered if I would ever be given the chance to do all of these amazing things I often dreamt of.

Now here am I at 26 years old finally living out that dream. Sure I’m still young. I still could have done this at any age, but I wanted to fully experience Europe. Trust me, I don’t think I could have climbed Arthur’s Seat at 50 years old. I wanted to give up halfway through the hike now! I’m glad I didn’t. One of the most beautiful things was to see Edinburgh at the top on a brisk and dangerously windy morning.

I decided a year ago to leave everything I ever knew and loved. I was honestly tired of waiting to live out my dream and, worried that my chances would never come. I felt like a robot every day of my life which consisted of: wake up, work, eat, sleep, repeat. I needed a change. I needed to quit making excuses on why I couldn’t go see the world. I decided to dedicate all of 2019 to traveling and figuring out what I want and who I am. A total Eat, Pray, Love moment, to be honest. I quit my job in December and became an au pair in February. I spent the first two weeks of January traveling. It was the most amazing, terrifying, liberating, lonely, fearless and life-changing experience of my life. Those stories I’ll share on future posts.

Cheers,

Bridget