Germany

Throughout the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016 I spent a lot of time in Germany. Deutschland has always been one of my favorite places in Europe and I loved getting the opportunity to explore some new cities.

My car for the month. I didn’t hate driving this on the autobahn…I got up to 190km.

Where I worked:

Wiesbaden

Marktkirche – the main protestant church in Wiesbaden

Spielbank Wiesbaden – Casino

The Heidenmauer (“Heathen Wall”) of Aquae Mattiacorum

Hessisches Staatstheater

Carnival parade downtown Wiesbaden

Daily snacks at the office…

While I was in Germany I worked in a town called Wiesbaden which is in central western Germany, about 20 minutes outside Frankfurt. It is a lovely town with lots of restaurants and great shopping (I tend to go shopping a lot when I’m alone and wandering around.. I can’t be trusted).

I happened to be in Germany during Carnival which is a huge Catholic festival that occurs right before lent. The festivities normally take place at the end of February or beginning of March and includes big celebrations and parades. The only way I can describe it is a mixture between Mardi Gras and Halloween.

Places to Eat and Drink:

• Restorante Comback: Italian restaurant downtown Wiesbaden with amazing truffle pasta!
• Spital: I went here for some drinks with a friend and some of his German friends. It was busy and seemed to be a happening place at night.
• Manoamano: Delicious cocktails and cool vibe!
• Frankfurter Hof Sprenger – Great Schnitzel and Apfelwein (add some sparkling water or sprite to dilute the tart taste)

Biebrich Palace:

Not too far from downtown Wiesbaden is Biebrich Palace. During one of my days off I explored the area around the palace which is located on the Rhine River. It was a beautiful place to walk around and I would recommend going if you find yourself in the area.

Mainz

Mainz is a college town located on the Rhine river about 25 minutes from Wiesbaden. I stayed in Mainz for a week to get a change of scenery and because I made my reservations last minute I had to stay at two different hotels during this week. The first place I stayed was the Hilton Mainz, which is located on the bank of the Rhine River. The second hotel I stayed at was the Hilton Mainz City. Both hotels were very nice. The Hilton Mainz city is a little older of a hotel, but it is also smaller so you get more of a personal experience where the hotel staff knows who you are.

Mannheim

One of my weekends in Germany I drove to Mannheim to meet up with a friend. Unfortunately it rained practically the entire time I was there so our day consisted of more eating and drinking opposed to sightseeing. Trying to find the best that Mannheim had to offer we went to lunch at the revolving restaurant in the space needle. Honestly, I don’t recommend doing this. Thankfully I had good company but the food was not great and Mannheim is an industrial city so the views weren’t that great either. The one interesting thing we found while we were there was Luisenpark park which had an area that looked just like Asia (who would have thought in the middle of Germany).

Ruedesheim am Rhein

Rüdesheim lies at the foot of the Rhine’s right (east) bank. The town belongs to the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and is one of Germany’s biggest tourist attractions (aside from the Cologne Cathedral)

I was only in Ruedesheim for an afternoon so my time mostly consisted of drinking wine and walking around exploring the area. Some of my co-workers went during peak wine season and took a trolley ride through the vineyards which looked amazing!

The town is known for its white wine, specifically Riesling. I am not normally a Riesling fan (too sweet for me) but the ones I tried here were great. They were a little on the drier side so it tasted more like a chardonnay.

Overall, I really enjoyed my few months in Germany and can’t wait to return someday!

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

Amsterdam

Happy Saturday everyone! Today I am talking about a magic place called Amsterdam. I have been to Amsterdam twice now, once in 2011 (for school) and once in 2014 (for work) and I hope to return again at some point in my life. It is the perfect city to stroll around and depending on where you stay you can walk most places (or bike if you are brave). Each area in the city has its own unique charm and no matter what you are interested in, there is something in Amsterdam for you. If you take a trip here make sure to pick up some stroopwaffles (caramel filled cookies…which become even more delicious when warmed over a hot cup of coffee) and cheese to bring home, you won’t regret it.

Dam Square

Things to do:

I AMSTERDAM letters:

Ajax Soccer Game:

Ajax vs. Paris Saint Germain

Ajax is the professional soccer team in Amsterdam. The stadium is easy to get to by train and the tickets weren’t crazy expensive so if there is a game while you are there it’s worth going.

Canal Cruise:

NEMO museum of Science

Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge)

I highly recommend going on a canal cruise. I did the basic city cruise both times I went and really enjoyed it. I would have done the pizza cruise if I had time (who wouldn’t want to eat pizza on a boat cruising through the canals of Amsterdam?) If you get a chance, let me know how it is!

Anne Frank Museum:

The Anne Frank house was a humbling experience. Standing in the actual room where Anne and her family hid for all of those years during WWII is a feeling I can’t describe. Highly recommend going if you are in Amsterdam.

Heineken Brewery Tour:

The Heineken Brewery tour is fun and interactive. During the tour you learn how the beer is made, the ingredients in beer, how to drink the beer (apparently there is a wrong way), and how to pour a perfect pint.

Red Light District:

It’s an experience to walk around here.. that’s all I can say

Rijksmuseum:

The Night Watch by Rembrandt

Cuypers Library

Van Gogh Museum:

You are not allowed to take pictures at the Van Gogh Museum but you can see paintings such as “The Bedroom”, “Sunflowers” and “The Potato Eaters”. If you like art, they have a great collection.

Where to Stay:

Cheap:

• Flying Pig Hostel – I didn’t stay here but I had a lot of friends who did and loved it. The hostel I stayed at was disgusting (I can’t even remember the name), so ask for recommendations before booking a hostel here.

Nice:

• Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre Hotel –  I stayed here when I came for work and really liked it. It’s located right by the central train station and was an easy walk to anything you would want to do.
• Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel
• Doubletree Amsterdam Central Station

Places to Eat & Drink:

Humphrey’s

Awesome restaurant!

Julias Pasta

Julias is located inside the central train station. Delicious pasta and take away wine when you’re wanting a quick lunch or dinner.

Wynand Fockink:

Liquor distillery located down a side street off dam square. This was recommended to me by a co-worker. Beware they are only open until 9pm. I tried to go for a drink after dinner one night and it was closed.

Crepe Bar:

YUMM! Strawberry, Banana, Nutella heaven.

Last tip: A lot of the credit card machines in Amsterdam require you to enter a pin number. Before you travel I would call your bank to see if your credit card is compatible with the European pin numbers. If it’s not (my Visa wasn’t), I would take out cash (euros) when  you arrive unless your debit card doesn’t incur international fees. 

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

 

Girls Weekend in Charleston, SC

It’s officially only two weeks until I am reunited with my best friends to celebrate the wedding of my beautiful friend Chrissy!  As I have been preparing for the wedding festivities I’ve been reminiscing on the girls trip we took to Charleston, SC last year and I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Charleston is the perfect destination for a girls weekend. It’s close to beautiful beaches, is where the plantation house is where the Notebook was filmed… (insert heart eyed emoji) and most importantly has a lot of delicious food!

Where are your favorite girls weekend destinations?

Drinks at Smoke BBQ

Dinner at Prohibition on King Street

Driveway to Boone Hall Plantation

Boone Hall Plantation where part of the movie the Notebook was filmed

Amazing egg sandwhich from the local farmers market

Folly Beach – about 20 minutes from Charleston

Dinner at Pearlz…YUM!!!

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

 

Oktoberfest

Happy Monday everyone! Seeing as it is now September (where did this year go?), I thought it would be fitting to do a recap on Oktoberfest which is starting in a few weeks. When I found out I was going to be in Germany at the end of last year I knew I had to take a trip down to Munich for Oktoberfest. I had been to the festival once before when I was studying abroad and had an amazing time. What’s not to love about people from all over the world gathered to drinks steins, ride carnival rides and have a good time.

Attire:

If you go to Oktoberfest you should definitely buy a traditional German dirndl. The first time I went I didn’t buy one and felt extremely left out (literally everyone is wearing them!).

I recommend buying your outfit once you get to Germany because you will have a lot of options and trying on different dirndl’s is part of the fun! Almost all department stores in Germany start selling these outfits around the end of August. Trust me, you will have no issue fiding one you love. If you won’t get to Germany with enough time to go shopping you can also order one online.

Beware that a nice dirndl will cost you a pretty penny. Most of the ones I tried on were around 200 euro for the dirndl and the shirt to go under it (I bought mine at Kaufhof department store).

Where to Stay

I stayed at the Hilton Munich Park hotel. It was a gorgeous hotel and the rooms were nice and spacious. The hotel is located next to the English Gardens and is close to public transit which made it easy to get to and from Oktoberfest. It’s a great place to stay if you don’t want to be in the middle of the action when you’re trying to get some sleep.

The Main Event

Before heading to the festival, make sure you have plenty of cash.  You won’t want to deal with using credit cards and if I remember right most  beer tents require cash.

When you get to Oktoberfest I recommend going to a tent early and staying there for the day. Once it starts to get busy you will end up waiting in lines for at least a few hours. Something interesting is that they do not let people into the tents based on where they are in line. The waitresses choose who they want to be let in for their tables (probably based on who looks like they will spend the most money).

Both times I went I ended up at the Hofbräuhaus tent and had a great time! I have also heard great things about the Augustiner tent (let me know how it is if you go).

Besides the beer tents there are also a ton of fun carnival rides and food tents. No matter what you do you will definitely have a good time! I hope to return again some day for round three!

Xoxo,

Kirsten

5 Steps to Planning a Killer Bachelorette Party

I am at the point in my life where a lot of my friends are starting to get married. When one of my friends asked me to be her Maid of Honor last year I was SO excited! She was the first of my close friends to get engaged and to my single eyes engagement meant an epic bachelorette party was in the future!

But how do you even begin planning? Since I went through this process blindly (and with a little help from Google and Pinterest), I thought I would share some tips on how to plan an amazing weekend for the bride to be!

Step 1: Decide on a Date

Depending on the location of the wedding will determine how far in advance you want to have the bachelorette party. For the party that I planned, I decided to have it two months before so everyone’s budgets could recover before the wedding which is in Hilton Head South Carolina.

I recommend sending out a doodle survey (online scheduling tool) to figure out which dates work best for each girl.

Step 2: Determine what is most important to the bride

Before you begin ANY of the planning you need to think about what is most important to the bride for the weekend. For some brides it is important to have a destination weekend (where maybe a few people won’t be able to attend), for other brides it doesn’t matter where the bachelorette party is as long as all of her besties are together. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it was one of the biggest issues I dealt with while planning.

Step 3: Pick your location

Once you figure out what is most important to your bride you need to decide on a location for the party. If you are staying in the hometown of the bride try to think outside the box when you are planning the activities. For the bachelorette party I threw we stayed in Chicago (where most of us are from), so I tried to choose activities the bride had never done before. Make sure it doesn’t feel like just any ordinary weekend.

If you are going out of town I recommend checking with friends, colleagues or family that may have been to your destination. Before we decided to stay in Chicago we were planning on having the weekend in Nashville. I have a few friends who went to school in Nashville and were able to give me a list of restaurants and fun things to do. Googling ideas will also work, but it’s always good to get recommendations from people you trust and know what you like.

Step 4: Activities, Games and Party Accessories

Searching for party accessories was my favorite part of the party planning process. I found a majority of my things on Etsy. There is so much great stuff on that site! Each bride will have their own style but below are some things that helped make my weekend a success:

• Groom on a stick:
  • I went to FedEx and printed big pictures of the grooms face and then taped them to rulers that I  bought at Target. These were a huge hit and looked hilarious in photos.
• Party Props:
  • One of my friends is super artsy and made some amazing photo booth props, however there are plenty of places to buy these if you don’t want to DIY.
• Custom T-Shirts:
  • These “Drunk in Love” and “Just Drunk” shirts were great quality! The glitter did not come off in the washer like I expected it to
• Custom Tumblers: (or you could do koozies)
• Party Pins: (or sash if your bride prefers)
• Temporary Tattoos:
• Balloons:
  • We wrote on regular balloons with sharpies to save money but you can also buy funny balloons on multiple sites. I also love the big gold letter balloons (don’t forget it will cost extra money to fill them with helium and make them float)
• Dance Class
  • Most cities have some kind of flirty work out studio. Our group did a video vixen dance class at Flirty Girl Fitness and had a ball!
• Blow Outs:
  • We got our hair done at DryBar. There are a ton of places to get this done, and it’s so worth it to have fabulous hair all night! Also most of the places are BYOB so you can have a little champagne while you get pampered.
• Party Games
  • Ladies night – card game where each card has a statement on it (ex. most likely to be a hand model). As a group you choose who best fits the statement on the card. We turned it into a drinking game where if you received a card you had to drink. You can also play alcohol free.
  • Guess what the Groom said – a few weeks before the bachelorette party I asked the groom 20 questions. At the party I asked the bride what she thought the groom answered. Once again this can be played as a drinking game or not.
  • Drop your Panties – each girl brings one pair of underwear.  You drop the underwear into a box and have the bride try to pick who brought each pair.

Step 5: Send out logistics / price information

As the maid of honor (or anyone planning the bachelorette) you need to make sure that the entire group is aware of what the activities are and the prices for each activity. To stay organized I created a google doc which I shared with all the attendees (minus the bride). In the google doc I  put each activity, the cost for the activity and then a total amount that each girl would owe for the weekend.

I recommend booking everything and sending out this information as soon as you can. This way everyone can budget accordingly and not have to worry about any surprise expenses at the end of the weekend.

I did not send out the spreadsheet to the bride because as a group we decided we would pick up the cost of her activities. I think this is a nice gift that helps makes the weekend worry free for the bride. We also did not tell her about any of the activities we were doing until right before. As one activity ended during the day we would tell her the next. This route might stress some brides out, but it was a fun way for my group to keep the excitement since we were partying in our hometown.

last but not least….ENJOY THE WEEKEND and don’t stress!!

If all of your girls are together there is no way it won’t be an amazing time!

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

Vietnam

The last place I went during my 2016 sister trip was Vietnam. A majority of our time was spent on a boat in HaLong Bay but we also stayed in Hanoi for a few nights. 

Important Tip:

You need a visa to enter Vietnam if you are from the US (you can apply for the visa online). Upon arrival in Vietnam you will have to pay $25 dollars (USD) to get the physical visa for your passport. Make sure you have CRISP new bills. They will not accept old or crinkled money! My sister and I were almost denied from the country because our $20 bill was wrinkled (we both had slight panic attacks). Thankfully,  a few nice Irish women in line in front of us gave us some new money and we were able to get into the country. 

Along with crisp dollar bills you will need a passport photo (bring extras just in case but they only used 1 photo for us)

Don’t be alarmed when they don’t give you your passport back before you pay for the visa. After they read our visa on arrival paperwork and took our passport photo they kept our passports behind the counter. Then we had to wait in another line until our passport photo appeared on a screen to pay the $25 dollar fee and get our passports back.

Moped Tour of Hanoi:

The first thing we did in Hanoi was the Hanoi Night Lights Food Tour lead by Paloma motorbike tours. All of the drivers are females which according to their website is because females are more cautious drivers (pretty funny since I am definitely known to have some road rage now and then). We got picked up at our hotel around 6pm and headed out to a  coffee shop to have a Vietnamese egg coffee. It sounds really weird but it was actually pretty good.

After coffee we rode around Hanoi’s Old Quarter and HoanKiem Lake. We happened to be there during EARTH Hour which was being held in front of the Opera House. I wasn’t familiar with Earth hour since we don’t do it in America, but its a really cool concept. The event is held worldwide annually encouraging people to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a sign of commitment to the plant.

After that we stopped at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which is located in the center of Ba Dinh Square. For those who don’t know, Ho Chi Minh was the Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Across from the Mausoleum there is a park with large speakers all around it  (I am assuming there is where propaganda would play).

After exploring the city we stopped at a restaurant to get some traditional Vietnamese snacks (which was essentially a meal) and later a full Vietnamese dinner.

Boat Cruise on HaLong Bay:

After a 4 hour bus ride from Hanoi we arrived in HaLong Bay. We boarded our ship called the Paloma and took off cruising for the next 3 days.

On our first day we went to Bai Tu Long Bay and explored the Thien Canh Son Cave. Our weather wasn’t great (Halong Bay is in Northern Vietnam so it was a little bit chilly in March) but it was still fun to do a little exploring.

The next morning we started out the day out with a Ti Chi class on the sun deck followed by breakfast. After breakfast we transfer to a smaller boat and cruised to Bai Tu Long Bay where we kayaked through the Cong Dam area. The scenery was great but I was a little surprised on how polluted the water was. It was not somewhere I would recommend swimming.

Later that night we had a spring roll cooking class / competition on the boat. I was up against a Vietnamese lady next to me…so needless to say I did not win the competition.

Floating Fish Market:

On our last day we went to the Vung Vieng floating fishing village. To get around the fish market we traveled by bamboo boats. I felt extremely bad for the woman pushing our raft. It’s hard to imagine that she does that all day.

Out of everything we did in Vietnam, my favorite part of the trip was getting to know the people we met on the Paloma. We had few fellow sister travelers (who my sister and I want to be when we are older), as well as some awesome Irish folks. Traveling is always more fun when you are surrounded by great company!

Xoxo,

Kirsten

Singapore

As I said in my Thailand post, my sister and I took a “sister trip” to visit one of my friends who moved to Singapore for work. It was the perfect excuse to visit Southeast Asia for the first time. Singapore is HOT and HUMID (you can’t walk anywhere without sweating through your clothes) but definitely worth the heat to explore. You don’t really get the “Asia” feel that you do in other places in SE Asia but I think that’s part of its charm.

Singapore is a very safe and clean place to travel. They have almost no crime because the penalties are so bad. Also, contrary to belief it is not illegal to chew gum there… but they are not allowed to sell gum so no one does.

When you arrive in Singapore I recommend taking out cash at the airport. Taxis and some restaurants only take cash. We also ran into issues with places not taking Visa.

Getting Around Singapore:

The easiest way to get around Singapore is Uber (yes they have Uber in Singapore). It is very safe and you don’t have to worry about having cash. 

Another easy way to get around is the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). It is very easy to navigate (everything is in English) and is very clean! There are signs all over the trains that say no smoking, eating or drinking, flammables or durians (I never had one, but apparently this fruit smells like rotting garbage… why people would eat that I am not sure).  You may wonder why I am telling you about a sign on the train, but it is because people actually abide by the rules. I never saw anyone doing any of those things. People also stand in actual lines to wait for the train based on when you arrived at the station (this blew my mind). We could learn a thing or two from them.

Taxis are also an easy way to get around. You can hail a cab on the street like you would anywhere else. 

Things to do:

Gardens by the Bay:

Flower and Cloud Dome

The flower and cloud domes are really fun to walk around (the cloud dome was my favorite)! It’s only $20 to see both. 

SuperTree Grove:

The SuperTree Grove has free light shows twice every night with different themes of music. When we were there the theme was Chicago the musical. Definitely something to see when you go to Singapore. 

Merlion on the Bay:

The Merlion is located right on the bay (you can’t miss it). There are a ton of restaurants in that area. We stopped at a place called OverEasy to grab a burger and some drinks. Our burger (which we split) and the 2 drinks we got ended up costing $60. Singapore is one of the most expensive cities I have ever visited.

Orchard Street:

Orchard Street has amazing shopping. You can find every store you can imagine from Prada to Zara (there was even a Garrets Popcorn). Around this area is a restaurant called Curry Culture. I’m drooling just thinking about it. If you like Indian food it’s a must. 

Chinatown:

China town was the same as what you see in any other city. We did get some adorable (cheap) floral robes and chopsticks. I wish I would have bought more to bring home as gifts 🙂

Shopping on Haji Lane Street:

Haji Lane street is full of cute little boutiques and restaurants! There is even a place called Selfie Coffee that will print a selfie of you on your coffee foam.

Places to Stay:

Marina Bay Sands Hotel (MBS):

MBS is the iconic surfboard shaped hotel in Singapore. It’s very expensive and touristy, but it would be cool to stay there for one night to be able to use the infinity pool at the top of the hotel (we didn’t do this since we had a free place to stay).

At the very least go to Ce La Vie bar at the top of the hotel for a drink! The city views are amazing!

Fullerton Bay Hotel:

Across the bay from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel is the Fullerton Bay Hotel which is smaller and more personal.  This is also an expensive hotel (pretty much everything is expensive in Singapore) but my friends parents stayed there and loved it. 

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

Thailand

In March of 2016 my sister Lauren and I took a “Sister Trip” to Asia to visit a friend of mine that was working in Singapore. It was the first time that either of us had gone to Asia and we absolutely loved it! One of the 3 places we went during this trip was Thailand.

Phuket:

Where to stay:

The Slate: A Phuket Pearl Resort

The Slate Resort is located in the Northern part of Phuket about 10 minutes from the airport. It’s a beautiful boutique hotel that’s a perfect place if you want to get away and relax. It was a true 5 star resort and we loved everything about it. I highly recommend getting a massage at the Coqoon Spa (AMAZING!) and eating dinner at the black ginger restaurant.

We found this hotel on Jetsetter which I highly recommend using. You get great reviews of the hotels including things you may not know from a typical hotel website. For instance, our hotel provided complimentary pool bags and flip-flops.

There were only a few downsides to this resort. There were a lot of families, however there are two adult only pools with nice swim up bars which we hung out at everyday. The Slate hotel is also slightly more expensive than other hotels in Phuket (which it’s worth) and it was about an hour drive from Old Town Phuket which is where a lot of the tourists activities and shopping are.

What to do:

Elephant Trekking:

It took a little persuading to get my sister to do this, but it was well worth it. The ride itself kind of felt like you were riding an elephant at the circus, but the views were amazing and it was overall a cool experience. We did our tour through Siam Safari Nature Tours (30 minute trek) which we booked through our hotel. 

I have heard that the best place to ride elephants is in Northern Thailand where there are actual elephant sanctuaries.

Speedboat Tour of Phi Phi Islands

Our first stop on our speedboat tour was Maya Bay where Leonardo DiCaprio filmed the movie “The Beach”. This place was absolutely breathtaking.

The second stop was at Viking Cave. You can’t go into the cave because there are Swiftlet birds which make their nests in the cave. Their nests are believed to have healing and health properties in Asian culture. Because of this the nests can be sold for up to $200,000 on the open market.

The third stop was at Monkey Beach (Ko Phi Phi Don). It was pretty clear where it got its name from as soon as we got there.

Out last stop was at Bamboo Island where we had a full Thai lunch on the beach. The meal was actually pretty good,  which surprised me because I normally hate eating hot foods while I am sitting in the sun.

Our tour was through the Adventure World Tour Group (which we booked through our hotel) 

Bangkok:

Where to stay:

Aetas Lumpini

Aetas Lumpini is located in the financial district in Bangkok. It reminded me of a typical american hotel chain but a little more high-tech. The rooms were great and had amazing views of the city (which is huge!!).

One general tip about hotels in Bangkok is that you should not go cheap. I found Bangkok to be a little sketchier than other places I have been. It’s relatively easy to find a 5 star hotel for under $100 a night (we booked out hotel on Gilt Travel).

What to do:

Skybar at Lebua Hotel 63rd Floor

We decided to get super touristy and visit Skybar which is where the Hangover 2 movie was filmed. It is worth doing to see the views from the rooftop but it was extremely windy!

They were not strict about dress code (no flip-flops, tennis shoes etc.) when we went, however we went on a weeknight which may make a difference. Most reviews said they weren’t allowed in unless they were a little more dressed up.

Personal Tour Guide

I HIGHLY recommend getting a personal tour guide. It is the best way to see the entire city and it’s fun going around with someone who knows where to go and the history behind everything. Our guide paid for everything we did during the day including our tickets and transportation and we settled up the bill at the end. It ended up only being the equivalency of $30 per person for the entire day…doesn’t get much better than that!

We booked our tour through a man named Mr. Chob that I found on Trip Advisor. Our guides name was Nong – She was amazing!! 

You have to be fully covered to go into a lot of places at the Grand palace. I recommend buying the elephant skirts that are sold right outside the Grand Palace – they are $3 and amazing. We wore them around all day and even bought some for our parents to bring home.

Longtail Boat Ride:

Tuck Tuck Ride:

A tuck tuck ride is a must do!  Terrifying but a must do. It was our last Hangover 2 moment in Bangkok.

Lumpini Park:

If you are in Bangkok over a weekend go to Lumpini Park on Saturday morning (we went at 6:30am). It was crazy how many locals were out running, doing Thai Chi, Zumba and lifting weights at the park. 

Traditional Thai Massage:

We got a massage at BUA, a Thai massage place right around the corner from our hotel.The massage was amazing, but in an extremely painful kind of way. I don’t think I have ever been in that much pain and then felt so great afterwards.

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

 

Ireland

At the end of  2015 I had the pleasure of spending over a month in Ireland for work. Whenever I travel for work I try to take advantage of any free time I have to explore (I mean why not?). Ireland has always been on my list of places I’ve wanted to go and it definitely lived up to my expectations with it’s lush countryside and historic charm. It also had me singing “hello from the other side” way too often (thanks Adele).

One thing to note if you ever decide to take a trip to Ireland is that it rains ALL THE TIME. From the end of November through the end of December I saw a total of 4 hours of sun (sort of depressing).  However, I was also there over labor day weekend and had amazing weather so don’t let this discourage you from planning a trip. It is still amazing in the rain. 

Getting around Ireland:

If you ever find yourself in Ireland I recommend renting a car. It is the best way to explore the countryside and get lost in your surroundings. It takes a little time getting used to staying on the right side of the road, and by the right of course I mean the left. It also takes some time getting used to driving on the right side of the car. I may or may not have sideswiped the mirror of a parked car at one point during my trip (my depth perception on the left is horrible). But trust me, if I can do it you definitely can do it. Below is a picture of the cute little guy I drove.

Where I worked:

I worked in two different places while I was in Ireland. The first place was called Lough Rynn Castle in Mohill, CO Leitrim. Let me tell you.. this place was amazing! If you want a true castle experience this is the place to go. The wifi wasn’t bad and they had Taylor Swift on replay in the girls bathroom. What more can you ask for?

The second place I worked and spent a majority of my time was Longford. Longford is located in central Ireland about an hour and a half drive from Dublin. While I was there I stayed at Keenan’s Hotel Bar and Restaurant in Roscommon county in a village called Tarrmonberry (10 minute drive from Longford). This adorable hotel is right on the River Shannon. Barry and Annette Kennan, the couple who own the place, are extremely accommodating and operate the attached restaurant which serves great food (I personally loved their seafood chowder and homemade brown bread.. YUM!). They also make an excellent breakfast in the morning!

Because we had to work over thanksgiving, the people from work took all of the Americans out to a nice “Thanksgiving” dinner at a boutique hotel called Viewmont House. The food was amazing but there was a LOT of it. The courses consisted of an appetizer, middle (essentially a main course before the main course), the real main course and dessert. Needless to say they had to roll me out of there.

Favorite places I visited:

Galway:

Quay Street

Quay street is a great place to walk around. On this street you will find a lot of great pubs and  restaurants. One bar I recommend is The Quays Bar. This place has an awesome vibe with stained glass and wood interior.

Galway Cathedral

The Galway Cathedral is right on the banks of the River Corrib in Galway City

Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare

About an hour and a half drive west from Galway are the Cliffs of Moher. I highly recommend going here if you have a sunny day. Not only are the views from the cliffs amazing but so are the views of the countryside on the drive there.

Places to stay in Galway:

During my time in Galway I stayed at the Clayton Hotel as well as the Park House Hotel and Restaurant. Both places were very nice. The Clayton is a little more outside the city (about a 5 minute cab ride), where the Park House is walkable distance from anything you would want to do.

On the way to Dublin:

Kilbeggan Distillery

I stumbled upon Kilbeggan distillery on accident during my drive from Galway to Dublin. It is the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland dating back to 1757. I’m a pretty big whiskey fan so it was fun learning about the process of making it. This was also a great stopping point halfway to Dublin. Even if you are the person driving it’s fun to see and they will give you some whiskey taste testers to go!

Dublin:

Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse tour is one of my favorite brewery tours. Each floor has its own special charm where you can learn about how the beer is made, the history behind how it has been marketed through the years and how to drink it correctly (because apparently there is a wrong way to drink beer). When you buy your ticket you get one free drink coupon which you can use at either the second floor bar which is a classic Irish bar with live irish music, or the 360 degree bar on the top floor.

Jameson Distillery Tour

Sadly I did not go on the actual tour because I got there too late at night and their last tour was already booked (poor planning on my part), but I’ve heard it’s fun and there are some great photo opportunities. Also.. Whiskey..Yum!

The Brazen Head Bar

Irelands Oldest pub dating back to 1198..do I need to say more…

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was beautiful to walk through. But with that being said, if you are short on time and have visited other castles I personally don’t think it’s worth going in. It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t find it to be anything spectacular.

Trinity College

Walking around Trinity College was beautiful and made me want to go back to school.  But then I remembered I would have to take classes and study, not just enjoy the beautiful campus… so no thanks.  It’s located in the heart of Dublin city right around great shopping and restaurants.

Temple Bar

Temple bar is probably one of the most, if not the most iconic bar in Dublin. Bono, Bill Clinton, Billy Joel and actor Chris O’Dowd are some of famous people who have enjoyed a pint (or two) there.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

Also known as “The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick, Dublin” and is the largest church in Ireland

Irish Dance Show and Dinner

The first night I arrived in Dublin my friend and I went to Celtic nights at the Arlington Hotel. I highly recommend this place. It’s located right in the city centre of Dublin and is a fun experience with traditional Irish dance rhythms, amazing dancing and iconic Irish songs. At one point in the night I got pulled up on stage and just about fell over from being spun around in circles too many times. I will leave the dancing to the professionals. 

The Church Bar & Restaurant

Exactly as it sounds – church is the former Saint Mary’s church of Ireland which was converted into a restaurant. A fun fact is that Arthur Guinness (founder of Guinness brewery) was married at this church in 1761.

Places to Stay:

I stayed at the O’Callaghan Davenport Hotel. As you can see below the outside of the hotel is beautiful and it is a close walk to Trinity College and the center of Dublin.

Belfast (Northern Ireland):

Donegall Square

Due to an intense rain storm on my trip to Belfast, I did not get to explore as much as I would have liked to. Long story short, one of my co-workers cars got washed away in a road flood and we got stuck in a town called Balleyconnell for almost the entire day. By the time I finally arrived in Belfast it was very late, but I did get a few hours to enjoy the nice christmas market that was set up in from of the parliament building.

Note: Because Belfast is located in Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) they use Pounds as their currency, not Euros.

Giant’s Causeway

Giants Causeway is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The polygonal shaped basalt rocks are stunning and fun to climb around on. If you visit I recommend wearing rain boots because 1) as stated previously it is always raining and 2) the rocks get pretty wet and slippery from the waves.

Carrik-a-Rede Rope Bridge

I’m not a big risk taker, so this was a little stretch for me but the views from the bridge were breathtaking (have I said that enough times??). It’s only a short 15 minute drive from Giant’s Causeway so if you have the time it’s worth doing. One thing to note is that its about a mile walk from where you park the car to the bridge so be prepared to get your exercise in.

Xoxo,

Kirsten

 

 

 

Let the Blogging Begin

After many years of blog stalking I have officially decided to start my own! Yayay.. how exciting.

First things first – a little about myself:

My name is Kirsten and I am 25 years old. I’m originally from Grand Rapids, MI, but moved to Chicago, IL after I graduated from Miami University in 2013 (Go Redhawks!).  I absolutely LOVE living in Chicago! The summers are filled with rooftop pools, rooftop bars and tons of fun activities going on all around the city. The winters are…well the winter, but I am a midwestern girl at heart so I’m pretty used to it.

When I’m not dreaming about my next travel destination, online shopping, reading up on my favorite bloggers or hanging out with my amazing friends I work as a technology consultant (exciting…I know). But in all seriousness I am a little bit of a nerd / workaholic and actually enjoy what I do.

I am the youngest of 2 kids (I’ve got 1 older sister). I’m extremely close to my family and would consider my parents and my older sister my best friends. I love to travel (which I can thank my parents for) and am fortunate to have been able to go to a lot of amazing places for both work and pleasure.

I think the most exciting part about starting a blog is having a place where I can document my life. I am a pretty sentimental person and am constantly looking back through old photos to reminisce. I’m hoping this can be a place where I can share my favorite things and get feedback from amazing people like YOU to live my best life possible (and help you do the same).

Enjoy!

Xoxo,  Kirsten