Lost in Wanderlust

It wasn't easy to leave Brussels after such an incredible few days that's for sure. I was exhausted after all the nights out and slept the entire flight and only woke up just as we were landing. I looked out the window and it took my breath away.. I was so excited to be back in the motherland! I took the bus from Dublin up to Belfast because I have never been to Northern Ireland before. The first day at breakfast I met an American girl who told me she was going to the Giant's Causeway that morning. I shamelessly invited myself (I swear it's totally normal when you're travelling) and we headed off on the most amazing day trip. NOT a fan of heights but it seemed like a good day to face my fears ;) Plus the views on the other side were TOTALLY worth it  Giant's Causeway..this place is unreal! So as you can see the spur of the moment day trip did NOT disappoint. Later in the evening we headed over to Fibber McGee's to watch some tradi...

So I flew into Brussels with the intention of only staying a few days then going to France to visit one of my friends. My trip to France didn't work out and in retrospect I am happy it didn't because I had SO much fun in Brussels! What was supposed to be a stopover turned into one of the highlights of my trip so far. 6 days full of delicious food, amazing people, pub crawls, ridiculous nights out and of course tons of dancing 💃 Making our way through the magic food groups of Belgium; fries, waffles, beer, and chocolate  Riding around Brussels in style Heaven on Earth <3 I learned that even when you think things are going wrong sometimes they are actually falling into place.. It's best to live in the moment and take each day as it comes because although things won't always go your way but its a lot easier to enjoy the ride anyways 

Two years ago I visited Lisbon and fell in love with the city. I'm not usually one to visit a place twice but it was the cheapest option to fly out of Portugal so I figured why not? And I'm so glad I did! The people I met and experiences I had were incredible ❤ The first day I did a walking tour of the city. Our guide showed us around and even let us stop for some delicious pastries. After some lunch and a much needed nap (it was SO hot) a couple of girls from the hostel and I set out to watch the sunset. It was an exhausting climb but so worth it when we got to the top. We had an incredible view of the entire city and the sunset was absolutely  breathtaking! Later that night everyone was hanging out at the hostel and spur of the moment a group of us decided to go out. We ended up going to a bar on the roof of a parking garage which sounds sketchy but let me tell you the view was ahhhmazing The next day was a little more laid back..since I'm carrying ...

I can't believe how quickly 3 months went by, but it's official..My course has come to an end. I know that Salamanca will always have a special place in my heart, and I will forever be grateful for the experience..but that being said it's time for a summer of travel and adventure! On Thursday I packed my stuff into a backpack and set out for a two month tour of Europe. As I was walking to the bus station in the ninety degree heat I questioned my sanity but that's what travel is all about, breaking out of the comfort zone! (Don't let the smile fool you I was dying inside) First stop was Porto, Portugal! When I got there I felt a mix of emotions.. overwhelmed, excited, nervous. I was no longer in a country where I know the language and everything seemed foreign but this kind of unknown thrills me. After I got to my hostel (all by myself mind you) I checked in and set out to explore the city with some new friends. Later in the evening I reunited with Hayley, ou...

What better way to spend my last weekend in Spain than a trip to the Canary Islands?! One of my new friends in Salamanca offhandedly mentioned she was going and asked me to join...I have been dying to go ever since I studied abroad 7 years ago so I immediately went home and booked my flight..the best part? It was free because I my travel points! Tenerife is one of the bigger islands, Its off the coast of Africa means it's always hot and sunny 😎 We went to Madrid the night before our flight at first my idea was grab dinner and go to bed early because we were flying the next morning ...but then we found out about a pub crawl which ended in Kapital night club😱 For those of you who are unfamiliar, Kapital is a famous nightclub in Madrid with  seven floors and live music ..basically heaven for two American girls who love to dance ..so naturally plans changed and we ended up strolling into our hostel at 5 am. Needless to say catching the flight the next morning was ROUGH and I'm...

It's been a few weeks since I got back to Salamanca and I'm still having trouble finding the words to describe my 5 day excursion to Morocco. It was the most amazing, life changing, eye opening trip. For years I have wanted to go to Morocco but let other people's opinions dissuade me. People said it was dangerous especially as a woman but I was intent on seeing for myself. Finally, I found a guided tour and figured safety in numbers right? So I signed up for a 5 day excursion to explore Morocco, ride camels and camp in the Sahara Desert. Seeing as I was travelling for almost  3 weeks before I arrived in Salamanca I really didn't have time to think about my upcoming trip to Africa. However, once it was a week away, my nerves started to get the better of me. It's a new continent, new language, new culture, will I be safe? The opinions of others started to get into my head, and then on the first day of classes I learned that my school doesn't give us Easter week o...

For the last three days of my European tour I returned to Valladolid, the city in Spain where i spent a year teaching English. It's very close to Salamanca, so I figured I should pay it a visit since it was only a bus ride away. It was really nice to reunite with a couple of friends and to see some of my old students, but on my last day there, I was left feeling unsettled. It's a strange feeling being back in a city you once called home and simultaneously feeling out of place, like you no longer belong. Physically, everything looks the same, but romances have dissipated, friends have moved away and you're left with the memories of how things used to be. You realize that even though the plazas and streets still look the same, in fact, everything else has changed. However, it's moments like this that can give us the best lesson, if we are willing to look for it. I believe that people and places come into our life for a reason, and although they will always be a part of o...