My long-planned return to New York has come and gone and was such a whirlwind it already feels as if it never happened! I can’t believe just earlier this week I was across the Atlantic, back in my room on the Upper West Side, living days of runs in Central Park, shopping in Zabar’s, riding the subway, and Update Graphics. New York will always be a fun place to visit, but my return has reaffirmed that I do not miss a thing about living there. I was already missing Galway on my flight there and was anxious to get back by [View Full Entry]

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I leave for New York in two days time and I still can’t believe I’ll be back in the US and in New York, no less. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and being in NY as a tourist, but at the same time already feel like I’ll be missing out here in Galway and can’t wait to get back. I’m torn like that. I feel like my time left here is so limited and fleeting. Since my last entry, nearly a month ago, my wee sister has joined the Galway community and I’ve been carded at nearly every bar ever [View Full Entry]

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A small sampling of the craic in Galway [View Full Entry]

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I have now been in Galway for 7 weeks and cannot believe that much time has gone by. I’m already thinking about my end of year departure with sadness. My babysitting position came to an end nearly two weeks ago and I’ll have my second day of work at one of the family’s bakeries tomorrow. The work is much more in line with how I’d like to earn my bread (no pun intended!) - time flies, I’m surrounded by treats, I’m working with fun and sweet girls from various European countries (mostly France and Spain), and there are no screaming children [View Full Entry]

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Being my last night in Croatia, I’ve decided to jot down a few of my general observations as my day was rather uneventful, quiet, and solitary. Croatia, particularly Zadar, is a café society. Zadar’s old town - not unlike the other cities we visited, but to a greater extent - is lined with endless rows of packed cafes that serve only beverages. Ice cream shops are also in abundance, and a scoop will set you back less than 1euro. Sandwiches, pizza, and pastries are the most readily available meal options. Zadar’s old town has a lot of graffiti - the first [View Full Entry]

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See entry below... [View Full Entry]

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I’m sitting now in my own room in Zadar as the night takes over yet the day’s heat remains. Trace and I parted ways once more in Split, very close to the exact spot where we were reunited five days ago. She had to return to responsibility and the real world in Madrid, while I put that off for two more and hopped on the three hour bus ride north along the coast. I’ll first go back a couple of days to Dubrovnik… After alighting the 7 deck car ferry at Dubrovnik’s port, we followed two young, tall and gangly siblings [View Full Entry]

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I LOVE - no am infatuated by - Croatia!! I already want to come back and am sad that we will have to leave. It is definitely my favorite country on this tour so far and it just gets better and better with each day and destination. I’m so glad this is my last stop before settling in Ireland and that I’m here for a week and no less. When we got into the Korcula port on Thursday afternoon, we negotiated with one of the many guest house hosts who meet the arriving ferries and scored a private room and bath [View Full Entry]

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Trace and I have been reunited at last! One whole week apart and I was suffering severe withdrawal. And no better place to reunite than the portside town of Split, Croatia. Coming directly from chilly Northern Europe, the 90+ degree weather and humidity was a bit of a shock, but the significantly lower prices, not to mention GORGEOUS surroundings, came as a welcome change. Croatia is AMAZING. I’m naming it my Must See Before You Die destination #2 (Cinque Terre being the first, in no particular order). From Split we caught the one hour ferry to Hvar, one of the islands [View Full Entry]

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I arrived in Liverpool yesterday afternoon and have since been completely reminded of how much I LOVE the UK. I love the people and their warm, witty sense of humor; the charming, cozy, and rustic bars and taverns; the organized, straight-forward efficiency of their public transportation systems; their grocery stores and neatly packaged food with clearly marked nutrition values on everything from a bag of fruit to a readymade sandwich; the fact that with 2.5GBP I can buy a bag of 8 apples, a banana, yogurt, and salmon sandwich at Tesco; a language I can understand (most of the time); the [View Full Entry]

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