Month: March 2023

  It has been the busiest 2 weeks (in the best way possible)! I have been so fortunate to have friends and family visit over the past few weeks. Friends from Holy Cross visited the first week of March and my mom was here last week! 

  I was able to visit the Cliffs of Moher again with my friends, which was especially great because the first time I went it was so foggy that I could not see anything. Despite it being a long bus tour, the views were spectacular and so worth it. Another fun part of the week was watching some of my friends jump off of the Blackrock diving board in Salthill, which is supposedly a “must-do” for anyone who visits Galway. It was 40 degrees and raining the day we went, so I did not partake, but I did promise my roommates I would accompany them at the end of April (we will see if I fulfill that promise). It was so nice to catch up with my friends and show them some of my favorite spots in my temporary home. Even though I had not seen most of them since December, it felt like no time had passed and made me very excited to spend my summer with them.

  The fun and excitement continued when my mom arrived. I barely slept the night before because I simply could not wait for her to get here. The best part of the four days that she was here was the weather! It has been especially rainy recently, but my mom brought the sun and the warmth which was amazing. We explored so many new restaurants, including a very picturesque rooftop spot and a yummy restaurant in Salthill. 

  The best part of spending time with her however, was the Galway City Saint Patrick’s Day parade! I can now check “spending Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland” off my bucket list which definitely did not disappoint. Everyone was decked out in green and the streets were filled with people of all ages, making it a moment I will never forget. 

  While seeing family and friends did make me miss home a bit, I am so happy I got to share my current world with them and I know I will see them all before I know it!

 

  I know that I keep saying this, but Edinburgh may be my favorite place that I have traveled to! This is such a good problem to have: liking the places that I travel to more and more every time.

We spent less than 48 hours in the city of Edinburgh, but this still felt like enough time. My favorite thing that we did was walk along the Royal Mile because it really gave me a sense of Old Town. The views of Old Town were spectacular and it was even cooler because our hostel was situated just outside of Old Town, giving us a more modern perspective of the city, along the backdrop of the archaic town.

I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy the food was on this trip. I was not necessarily expecting the food to be bad, but I just was not expecting the unlimited options of restaurants, within walking distance from the hostel. One night we went to this hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant and the other night we had a big group dinner at an Italian restaurant, which was so fun. The best food we ate though was at brunch on Friday. I had creme brûlée French toast and am still thinking about it! We may not have indulged in traditional, Scottish cuisine, but the meals were still as delicious as ever, nonetheless.

After Edinburgh, I will be in Ireland for the next month or so, seeing as I have family and friends coming to visit. There are more updates to come from my home-base soon, but that is all for now!!