abroad Archives - Page 3 of 7

Lisbon: The Basics

May 3, 2018 No Comments

It took me three years of living in Spain to finally make it to Portugal. I always thought the flights were too expensive or that the train took too long … it was just cheaper to go to another country. Finally, finally, I thought it was time to stop making excuses and just go. Man, am I glad I sucked it up.

I originally wanted to go to both Lisbon and Porto, but due to a lack of time and an increase in airline prices, I decided to only go to Lisbon. That was a great choice because it gave me enough time to see the city. Well, actually, there are still so many things that I want to do. I guess I will just have to go back again.

Europe, Germany

Princess for a Day: Neuschwanstein Castle

April 10, 2018 1 Comment

There’s something about a castle that I’ve always admired. Maybe it’s the history, the story behind the castle. Or maybe it’s just the hope many little girls have of being a princess. No, I’m still not bitter, Prince Harry.

Neuschwanstein Castle has been on my list for a few years now, mostly because it serves as the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in Los Angeles. (The castle at EuroDisney is slighty different.) But once you hear some more history about the castle, it makes it even more fascinating.

Austria, Europe

Lessons from Vienna

April 3, 2018 No Comments

I’m fresh back from my vacation through the German-speaking countries! Vienna was great and I got to meet up with a friend there to make it even better. It’s a gorgeous and historic city, but there are some lessons I learned while in Austria.

Europe, Madrid, Spain

15 Things I Love About Madrid

March 22, 2018 1 Comment

Spain has so many problems. Many government officials are corrupt, the unemployment rate is still high ten years after the crisis, and the banks run the economy. Yet for some reason, so many of flock to Spain and want to stay. There have to be SOME redeeming qualities. Actually, there are tons. I recently talked about what boggles my mind about Madrid, but now I think it’s time to talking about what makes it amazing.

Europe, Madrid, Spain

Four Things I Will Never Get Used to in Madrid

February 22, 2018 No Comments

I’ve now been living in Madrid for nearly six months. It’s not too much different than living in the US other than the fact that I live in an apartment in the center of the city. Unlike the rest of Spain, stores are still open on Sundays, I go for my runs, and I go to work. However, there are some things that I’ll never get used to, no matter how long I live here.

Europe, United Kingdom

Magical London

February 4, 2018 No Comments

There’s something absolutely magical about London. Admittedly, I was a little salty about going back to London at Christmas time after I found out the Tottenham Hotspur game was postponed until AFTER we left. I have no idea why … London is 100% my favorite city in the world. I could live there if someone would be willing to hire me and go through the whole visa process. Haha. Half-jokes. But here’s why.

Europe, France

Paris, C’est La Vie!

January 23, 2018 No Comments

Paris is one of those cities you either love or you don’t. Some people fall in love with the perceived romance of the city, other people say the city smells. For me, Paris has always been one of the cities I knew I needed to go to, but I wasn’t very interested. Honestly, the main reason I wanted to go was to take a day trip to Normandy and see the Omaha Beaches (but that tour was cancelled …) Still, there is plenty to see and do in Paris, and I felt that I needed a little more time.

Europe, France

A Parisian Christmas

January 9, 2018 No Comments

Being back overseas means getting to spend a Christmas abroad. This year my parents and I had decided on going to Paris for Christmas and London for New Years. To be honest, Paris is one of those places that I know I needed to go to but didn’t really have much desire to visit. The main reason I wanted to go to Paris was to go to Normandy and see the D-Day Beaches. We booked a tour, but unfortunately our tour was cancelled ten days out.

Once we decided on our destinations, we had to decide our order. Should we do London first or Paris first? Unlike London, things are actually open on Christmas. If you’re looking for a European destination at Christmastime, Paris is a great place to go for this reason. The trains and metro are open, which is fantastic! We used them both several times on Christmas day.

Basque Country, Europe, Spain

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

December 22, 2017 No Comments

If you’re like me, you love Game of Thrones and eat up everything there is about it. A few years ago, I stumbled upon a filming site for the series and was enthralled. I needed to go to more places. Luckily, here in Spain, there are tons of places to go to. So, when my friends left for San Sebastian, I stayed in Bilbao and took a half-day trip to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.

Basque Country, Europe, Spain, Uncategorized

Bumbling Around Bilbao

December 21, 2017 No Comments

Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything. The truth is, I haven’t had a lot of time to travel and do things. Between working in a concertada, having Masters classes on Friday evenings, and working for an internet company on the weekends, I’ve been grounded to Madrid. But I had to do something. We had a long weekend, or puente, so I chose to go to Bilbao.