After our lovely, chaotic morning, Gooligan and I made it to Dublin mid-afternoon. The irony of the whole situation is that because we had to rebook and they had to print our boarding passes off at the airport (instead of our home-printed ones) there was no need for anyone to stamp our passports after all.
But we did get a stamp on our passports after arriving in Dublin! The customs agent informed us that we could have gotten a ferry/train ticket for only €50 a piece. The more you know!
At the airport we found a bathroom and immediately took off the extra five layers apiece that we had put on to make our suitcases fit Ryanair's strict dimensions (weight-wise our suitcases are absolutely fine, but we're traveling with two awkwardly-shaped backpacks instead of hard suitcases). Then we took advantage of Dublin Airport's free wi-fi to look up some information about bus passes.
According to Maddi, who we met up with yesterday afternoon and are staying with for three days, Dublin is more of a walking city than a busing city. Our passes were €15 each for three consecutive or non-consecutive days until the end of the year, but since the airport shuttle (included in the pass) is €6 each way, even if we don't use the passes that much it's not a huge difference. Especially since Gooligan pulled her foot a little during our frantic rush around the airport yesterday morning.
After we met up with Maddi and her lovely friend Ruth, we went to the local grocery store, picked up a few things for dinner/breakfast the next day, then went out to see Dublin's nightlife. Dublin is beautiful at night, especially the river, and we walked around a lot looking for the perfect place to go. We caught the very end of one of Maddi's friend's shows, had some deliciously hot chips, and then called it an early night around 1:30 in the morning.
After several nights of rough sleep, I was out in seconds, wrapped up in a surprisingly warm duvet on the top bunk.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Friday + {Day Four, Part One: Edinburgh}
Well, we overslept. My phone died in the middle of the night and our alarm never went off.
We had to interrupt Ritchie's shower and use his phone to call a taxi. We rushed through security, ran to our gate, and made it.
Only to be denied because we'd failed to get a stamp on our passports before going through security. In our panic, we failed to read the small print at the top of the Ryanair boarding pass.
We ran around the airport for another ten minutes being shunted about to various help desks only to realize that there was no way we were going to make our flight on time.
It cost a lot to rebook--£220.00--but we're on the next flight to Dublin. Check-in opens at 12:30; this time we'll make sure to get that silly stamp.
We had to interrupt Ritchie's shower and use his phone to call a taxi. We rushed through security, ran to our gate, and made it.
Only to be denied because we'd failed to get a stamp on our passports before going through security. In our panic, we failed to read the small print at the top of the Ryanair boarding pass.
We ran around the airport for another ten minutes being shunted about to various help desks only to realize that there was no way we were going to make our flight on time.
It cost a lot to rebook--£220.00--but we're on the next flight to Dublin. Check-in opens at 12:30; this time we'll make sure to get that silly stamp.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Thursday + {Edinburgh: Day Three}
Today Gooligan and I pried ourselves out of bed, dressed in as many layers as we could, and headed off for the Hairy Coo tour. The Hairy Coo runs a free Highland tour (light on the highlands, heavy on the hairy coos), but it was filled up by the time we tried to book it so we opted for the £39.00 tour (student price), with an option £11.00 one-hour tour of Loch Ness. Completely worth it. Our tour guide was fantastic.
While there was a million things Gooligan and I wished we could have done or experienced while in Scotland, I'm glad we spent our last day seeing the countryside and putting Edinburgh in context. Plus our tour guide explained so much of both historical and contemporary Scotland, including the movement that is coming up to vote next year about Scotland's independence from the UK.
The highlands were gorgeous. It was rainy today, so everything was super green and the rivers and waterfalls were a little higher than usual. The mountains were a little hard to see sometimes, but the mist obscuring them made them almost more magical in a way.
We stopped at this tiny village and on Donald's recommendation we ate at this tiny mom and pop bakery. We had a quiche and a macaroni pie and both were incredible.
Then we hurried back onto the bus to make it to the 1:00 hour-long boat cruise on Loch Ness. The Loch was gorgeous, choppy, and dark--and terrifying. Apparently anything that sinks to the impossibly deep bottom is permanently petrified!
We didn't see Nessy, but we did see a lot of stunning reviews. Unfortunately there was a mix-up in the bookings and our tour guide couldn't get us into the whiskey distillery, but he took us to a free whiskey tasting and bought a bottle to share on our way to Glen Cloe.
One of the best parts of the tour, however, was the end. We got to see some hairy coos (AKA Highland cows) which are the most adorable animal in the world. We both fed the cows, too, although I dropped my piece of apple. (Cows don't have very much agility in their mouths.)
Apparently Hamish (one of the cows we saw) is so famous that the Queen herself spared his life when there was an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease and all cows over seven were supposed to be slaughtered!
Once we got home, Gooligan and I heated up some soup, showered, and hung out with Ritchie and another one of his friends again. I'm really glad to have had such a wonderful experience for our first Airbnb place.
Anyway, just a brief update before hitting the hay. We have to be up in five hours to catch a series of buses to get to the airport. Both of us are madly in love with Edinburgh (and Scotland in general) and want to come back as soon as possible. One of my favorite things about our few days here, though, is hearing about the locals discussing the Scotland Independence movement and hearing the people for, against, or undecided. The States isn't quite in the same situation, of course, but in a lot of ways we can really sympathize with how removed and unlocalized the politics are; I'm definitely going to keep tabs on this issue and see what comes of it.
While there was a million things Gooligan and I wished we could have done or experienced while in Scotland, I'm glad we spent our last day seeing the countryside and putting Edinburgh in context. Plus our tour guide explained so much of both historical and contemporary Scotland, including the movement that is coming up to vote next year about Scotland's independence from the UK.
The highlands were gorgeous. It was rainy today, so everything was super green and the rivers and waterfalls were a little higher than usual. The mountains were a little hard to see sometimes, but the mist obscuring them made them almost more magical in a way.
We stopped at this tiny village and on Donald's recommendation we ate at this tiny mom and pop bakery. We had a quiche and a macaroni pie and both were incredible.
Then we hurried back onto the bus to make it to the 1:00 hour-long boat cruise on Loch Ness. The Loch was gorgeous, choppy, and dark--and terrifying. Apparently anything that sinks to the impossibly deep bottom is permanently petrified!
We didn't see Nessy, but we did see a lot of stunning reviews. Unfortunately there was a mix-up in the bookings and our tour guide couldn't get us into the whiskey distillery, but he took us to a free whiskey tasting and bought a bottle to share on our way to Glen Cloe.
One of the best parts of the tour, however, was the end. We got to see some hairy coos (AKA Highland cows) which are the most adorable animal in the world. We both fed the cows, too, although I dropped my piece of apple. (Cows don't have very much agility in their mouths.)
Apparently Hamish (one of the cows we saw) is so famous that the Queen herself spared his life when there was an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease and all cows over seven were supposed to be slaughtered!
Once we got home, Gooligan and I heated up some soup, showered, and hung out with Ritchie and another one of his friends again. I'm really glad to have had such a wonderful experience for our first Airbnb place.
Anyway, just a brief update before hitting the hay. We have to be up in five hours to catch a series of buses to get to the airport. Both of us are madly in love with Edinburgh (and Scotland in general) and want to come back as soon as possible. One of my favorite things about our few days here, though, is hearing about the locals discussing the Scotland Independence movement and hearing the people for, against, or undecided. The States isn't quite in the same situation, of course, but in a lot of ways we can really sympathize with how removed and unlocalized the politics are; I'm definitely going to keep tabs on this issue and see what comes of it.
Wednesday + {Edinburgh: Day Two}
The buses in Edinburgh are so great! Not only are they cheap (£1.50 one-way or £3.50 for all-day), but they run 24 hours a day (midnight-4:30 in the morning is a little more expensive), go everywhere, and they're double-deckers. Needless to say, Gooligan and I like to sit on the top level and soak up the city from up high.
On our first proper day in the city, we walked to the supermarket just across the street and bought a ready-made sandwich and a pair of apples. Then we took the bus to Holyrood Park, where Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags are located. We were going to hike up Arthur's Seat, but after we crested the Salisbury Crags we decided that we didn't quite have it in us to do a second big climb.
But we saw some amazing views from the Crags. They really do provide an incredible view of the city.
After our hike, we took a break and ate lunch outside, then wandered back up the Royal Mile to the Edinburgh Castle. On our way we popped into a few free museums--one had a lot of objects from Edinburgh's history, including Robert Louis Stevenson's golf ball (!) and one was a wax museum of history. By the time we reached the castle, I was nearly asleep on my feet at this point, so we skipped going inside. Next time we're definitely going to spend an entire day inside; one of the employee's descriptions of it made us really disappointed that we hesitated to go see it. But it was an important lesson for us--and a good one to learn early on in the trip: no hesitating if we think we're going to regret it later.
After a brief detour back to our flat, we went out for gelato and dinner. In that order, of course. Affogato closed at eight and the pub we went to dinner at was open until one in the morning, so we decided to mix things up. I'm so glad we did, too. The gelato was delicious. Gooligan and I split a gingerbread/bacio bowl and it was perfect. (Bacio is a light chocolate hazelnut flavor akin to a light nutella in taste.)
We were really hungry by the time we headed off to the pub. We ate at Nobles--a slightly nicer pub about four or five miles from our flat. Gooligan got the Pan Fried Wood Pigeon and I had fish and chips. The food was much better than our first night out and we ate to bursting--which was good because the walk to the bus stop was cold.
Back at our flat, we hung out with Richie for a short while before we both had to call it a night due to early mornings.
On our first proper day in the city, we walked to the supermarket just across the street and bought a ready-made sandwich and a pair of apples. Then we took the bus to Holyrood Park, where Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags are located. We were going to hike up Arthur's Seat, but after we crested the Salisbury Crags we decided that we didn't quite have it in us to do a second big climb.
But we saw some amazing views from the Crags. They really do provide an incredible view of the city.
After our hike, we took a break and ate lunch outside, then wandered back up the Royal Mile to the Edinburgh Castle. On our way we popped into a few free museums--one had a lot of objects from Edinburgh's history, including Robert Louis Stevenson's golf ball (!) and one was a wax museum of history. By the time we reached the castle, I was nearly asleep on my feet at this point, so we skipped going inside. Next time we're definitely going to spend an entire day inside; one of the employee's descriptions of it made us really disappointed that we hesitated to go see it. But it was an important lesson for us--and a good one to learn early on in the trip: no hesitating if we think we're going to regret it later.
After a brief detour back to our flat, we went out for gelato and dinner. In that order, of course. Affogato closed at eight and the pub we went to dinner at was open until one in the morning, so we decided to mix things up. I'm so glad we did, too. The gelato was delicious. Gooligan and I split a gingerbread/bacio bowl and it was perfect. (Bacio is a light chocolate hazelnut flavor akin to a light nutella in taste.)
We were really hungry by the time we headed off to the pub. We ate at Nobles--a slightly nicer pub about four or five miles from our flat. Gooligan got the Pan Fried Wood Pigeon and I had fish and chips. The food was much better than our first night out and we ate to bursting--which was good because the walk to the bus stop was cold.
Back at our flat, we hung out with Richie for a short while before we both had to call it a night due to early mornings.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Tuesday + {Edinburugh + Day One}
Well, I'm in Scotland! As promised. Getting here was an exciting trip. No crises, thankfully. But there were a few eventful moments--when security at Sea-Tac shut down for a moment due to a false alarm, a forgotten water bottle delaying us at security at Heathrow, and a delayed plane almost tipping me over into panic mode when, twenty minutes until our plane was supposed to take off, no gate had been announced yet.
Overall, our flights and bus rides were relatively good: Gooligan didn't get much sleep on the flight to Heathrow due to an upset child, but she napped on the second leg and the excitement of finally being here has kept us going until it's a respectable time to go to bed. It's almost eleven p.m. here; about three p.m. in Seattle.
After we arrived in Edinburgh we caught two buses to get to Morningside, where the flat we're renting a room in is located. Our host (whom we connected with via Airbnb) is absolutely great. He's given us a lot of tips about the area and provided us with maps and really made us feel welcome.
Then Gooligan and I took a brief outing to walk around the neighborhood, snap a few pictures, and grab something to eat.
The food could've been better, but it was alright and the first decent meal we've had since a late lunch on Monday. After dinner we came back and watched a football game with our host and his friend and stayed up late (for us) talking about politics, travel, and the world.
Tomorrow we're going to check out a Highland tour, maybe see some art. Expect a lot more pictures coming your way! Edinburgh is beautiful.
 |
| Waiting to take off from Heathrow. |
After we arrived in Edinburgh we caught two buses to get to Morningside, where the flat we're renting a room in is located. Our host (whom we connected with via Airbnb) is absolutely great. He's given us a lot of tips about the area and provided us with maps and really made us feel welcome.
 |
| The view from our room. |
Then Gooligan and I took a brief outing to walk around the neighborhood, snap a few pictures, and grab something to eat.
The food could've been better, but it was alright and the first decent meal we've had since a late lunch on Monday. After dinner we came back and watched a football game with our host and his friend and stayed up late (for us) talking about politics, travel, and the world.
Tomorrow we're going to check out a Highland tour, maybe see some art. Expect a lot more pictures coming your way! Edinburgh is beautiful.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sunday + {H--30}
In 30 hours our plane will take off! I'm mostly excited at this point (probably 99% excited, 1% nervous). I know this is going to be an amazing adventure for Gooligan and myself and I'm so happy to be able to share it directly with Gooligan (and her sister and her sister's friend), plus indirectly with all of my friends and family.
When we first started planning this trip, Gooligan and I worried that maybe it was irresponsible or self-indulgent. We thought it would be more responsible if we immediately launched ourselves into the next stage of our life: found jobs, found an apartment, starting pay off student loans, etc.
But through the astounding response of everyone, whether they've generously donated to our travel fund, offered us a place to stay, offered to connect us with friends abroad, or even just wished us the very best, I've come to realize that this trip is important in a lot of ways.
Gooligan and I have both grown so much emotionally, mentally, and spiritually in the last four years. We've engaged with the world, meet a wide variety of people, and been shaped by everything that happened during our time in Bellingham.
Hopefully this trip will add to our understanding of the world. Hopefully the people we meet and the experiences we have will round us out a little around the edges and give us a larger context to think about as we grow into ethical, strong, and loving adults.
But none of this trip can happen until Gooligan and I tie up the last few loose ends: we've got to pack, clean, and run a few errands.
Next time I update I'll probably be in Scotland! So until then, fly high and seek peace.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Saturday + {Summertime}
After we got back from the Color Run, life has been non-stop. Well, I guess, technically, life has been non-stop ever since Moving Day. We spent a week sharing a twin mattress on the floor of our otherwise furniture-less apartment, intermixing our last few days of work with cleaning marathons, utilities-disconnecting, errands, last-minute socializing, and copious amounts of television watching in the wee hours of the evening when we were too exhausted to look at another cleaning rag.
Then, as soon as our apartment inspection was over, we got in the car and drove straight down to Portland to meet up with Maddie & co. for the Color Run.
Which was a blast. We were coughing up color for days, but it was well worth it. I've never had so much fun running. There were so many people and everyone was in such high spirits; even though we only ran for about two-thirds of the actual race, it was amazing. I felt strong, energetic, and felt like I pushed myself.
As you might have noticed, amidst all this chaos, I stopped updating this blog for awhile. So what have I been doing?
Well, during our week in-between getting back from Portland and flying to Scotland on Monday, I've been finishing our itinerary and enjoying the last few days of Seattle summer. When we get back, it'll almost be the end of October, and fall will definitely be here with winter on its way.
On Thursday, I went for a bike ride to a park about five miles away. It was an absolutely gorgeous day; the park is beautiful, too, and I had it almost all to myself. Well, myself, a sack lunch, and Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Then yesterday, Alex, Gooligan, and I went hiking in St Edwards State Park.
Moving away from Bellingham is tough, in part, because of all the stunning nature that is so readily available to you. We used to be able to literally walk out our door, cross the street, and disappear into the woods. Or hop in the car, drive five minutes, and arrive at a gorgeous lake or park.
But the last few days has been an important reminder that we still live in a beautiful place: we just need to invest a little time into (re)discovering it. Whether it's hopping on our bikes to go for a ride, or going for a walk or a run in the winding streets nearby, or driving somewhere for a slightly bigger adventure, we're still blessed to live in an incredibly nature-rich area.
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