By far one of my favorite places I visited, Ireland. From the beautiful city of Dublin to the countryside there is always something to do. Dublin has a rustic homey feel to it making one never want to leave. If I did not study abroad in London this is the place I would go next. Everyone is so genuinely kind, and you do not meet one bitter person. Many places in the world are not fond of American's but the Irish will welcome anyone into their country. It felt like home when I was there. As I walked to get to the Guinness Factory I took a few wrong turns. So I took out my map and tried to get back on track. Though before I could even really analyze the map a man came up to me asking if I needed any help. Of course I took him up on his offer and he gave me directions. But a second time I got lost again and once again I took out my map and before I could look down at it a woman gave me directions. I was so pleasantly surprised, this kind of this would never happen in New York City. Sure you can ask someone for directions but you will either get someone who has no idea what you are talking about or they will be bitter, then the off chance you actually get someone who is kind to give you directions. So even though it was not the easiest to find the Guinness Factory, the journey there was amazing enough.

My tour guide to see the countryside of Ireland did not recommend the Guinness Factory to tourists, but since I already went that morning I did not really agree. For me personally you could say I am a beer snob, so I love learning about the process and all the ins and outs of brewing beer. I read almost every sign and love each second I was there. What could be bad about learning how to pour your perfect pint then taking your Guinness up to the 360 Gravity Bar, where you can see a gorgeous view of all of Dublin. And no picture you take with your camera could ever do it justice compared to the view in person. I could have even spent more time at the Factory than I did but I had to rush over to my second tour of the day. There simply was not enough time during my quick trip to Ireland to do everything that I had wanted to do. But again it is just another reason to go back!

So, unfortunately I had to leave the Guinness Factory but I headed over to the "P.S. I Love You" tour. Though there was not much reference to the movie it was still amazing to see the countryside of Ireland. It was unlike anything else I have ever seen before and you could never find those views anywhere in the United States. It was simply breath taking! I could stay there for hours just looking out over the hills and beyond. I can still remember me standing there in awe of the sight I was witnessing. It almost even seemed unreal that I was even in Ireland. If there was any other place besides London I would want to move to this would be it. Not to mention just watching P.S. I Love You had already made me want to move to Ireland and find my own Gerard Butler.

As I headed back to Dublin I found by far the best tavern. The pubs food tasted as it was home cooked by your mom, which is hard to find anywhere. What I really liked is you go get your food and pay right there, so it was kind of nice not having to flag down a waiter and wait for your check to come. You could sit back and relax and listen to some good music. I liked it so much I even went back for a second time. So if you ever get the chance to go to Ireland definitely try to check out O'Neils!

My time in Scotland I only visited Edinburg but it was absolutely gorgeous! It is filled for so much history and charm, it was hard to say goodbye. I could just walk around for hours admiring the gorgeous sights. The rustic feel and the cobble stone roads where so enchanting. The Edinburg Castle was amazing and the views from the top were breath taking. I ended up eating lunch at an old tavern bar which was so warm and cozy and the food tasted homemade.

I ended up staying at a hostel in Scotland and it definitely was not the best form of a hospitality service but it was good for just a weekend. It actually ended up being a very interesting experience. There were bunk beds which are not particularly unique for hostels but there was a children's rug on the floor. The kind with roads and shops, but it was on top of another rug, very bizarre. Our lockers also were not numbered but were identified by a different bug or creature, which I certainly was not too fond of. Though it may have not been the most ideal place and sequence of events, it was definitely an experience that was one for the books. Really throughout each of my hostel experiences there was always something that was a little interesting, but always made for some of the best stories. After all spending a few nights in a hostel is part of the study abroad experience!

I certainly did not get the chance to do everything I wanted in Scotland. So here are some other reasons why you should go to Scotland! 

http://amongraf.ro/19-reasons-why-scotland-must-be-on-your-bucket-list-amazing-no-12/20/

The University of Edinburg was also very rustic and beautiful. Besides the University of Oxford, Edinburg is the other University which I think would be really cool to attend. When I visited it was a  little chilly but I could just imagine when it is warmer outside students just hang out in the courtyard area relaxing or catching up on their studies. I would highly suggest to anyone to visit Scotland, from the views and sights to the history it is a great place to explore!

This week it is all about Paris! One of my favorite places I had visited. I know some people who have traveled to Paris don't have a very good experience there but I think its just who you run into and where you go. I feel like that can happen any where.

The best part of my trip to Paris was we just had to hop on the Chunnel from London. Once I arrived in Paris it was so mesmerizing! It's unlike any other place I have ever been to. I definitely did not have enough time to do everything I wanted, so that's just an excuse to go back!

My absolute favorite memory was climbing the Eiffel Tower! And no I did not take the elevators up, I walked up all of those stairs. It was a challenge especially in the cold but it was worth every step. Once I got to the top the views took my breath away. Then the light show came on when we were up at the top, and that experience alone was amazing! To warm myself up after I got a crepe from a stand by the Eiffel Tower, and things just don't get better than that!

The Louvre was another favorite of mine in Paris! I'm usually not one for museums but I could spend days there and it would be an easy thing to do because there is so much to see! I saw the Mona Lisa which was very surreal. Just standing in front of such an iconic piece of art left me speechless. Though for some reason I thought it would be bigger, it was a lot smaller than I imagined it would be. It was such an amazing experience, I would go back in a heart beat and plan out a whole day to spend at the Louvre!

The best part about traveling when it is winter all different cities decorate their towns and have special events. Similar to Winter Wonderland in London, the streets were filled with a variety of vendors in Paris. There was food, sweet treats, mulled wine, crafts, jewelry and even rides! It was so fun to see decorations for Christmas and it reminded me of a split second of NYC decorations from back home. But I loved Paris even more!

 There is so much to do in Paris and I was there for just a weekend I hope to one day go back soon. I almost forgot to mention the love lock bridge. It is such an iconic symbol of Paris but how to the Parisians feel about it? Check out this article which may give you some new insights of the bridge. http://abcnews.go.com/International/paris-locks-bridge-love-locks/story?id=25683052 

This week is all about things to do in England well mostly right in London! This list is not even close to half of the things one can do in London but its a start and lots of these are fun for the whole family!
My time abroad I have done most of what is on this list with a few exceptions. The one I recommend the most is climbing the O2! The view is gorgeous and truly a great experience. If you are ever in London from November to the beginning of January then you must check out Winter Wonderland. It is filled with good food, rides, drinks and souvenirs! Harrods is another must! I could spend days just walking around and looking at all the chic clothes.


Attractions:

• London Eye
• Hyde Park
• Buckingham Palace
• Tower Bridge 
• Tower of London
• Big Ben
• British Museum 
• Natural History Museum
• Globe Theatre 
• Tafalgar Square

Shopping:

• Harrods
• Oxford Street
• Portobello Road 
• Covent Garden

Extras:

• Climb the O2
• Abbey Road
• Winter Wonderland (Noverember-Janurary)
• For the Harry Potter lover take a picture at Platform 9 ¾
• Visit Oxford  
• Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England 

Lastly we will finish off with a video! It's all about getting the know how to get around London with starting with a few basic tips. For one I am a HUGE fan of the tube! It's fast, easy and gets you where you want to go! It is not like NYC when everyone is crammed on escalators and you cannot even pass by. Londoners really do stand to the right so if one is in a rush they can walk down with ease. Even for rush hour tube traffic there was a system. Every morning I had an early start to get to my classes and it was about a 30 minute tube ride. The Tube station was packed with commuters trying to get to work but I noticed the tube pulls up to the same spot each time so people would be in a queue. If you miss that tube train there is usually one right behind. There would be that occasional person to push ahead but for the most part it was a pretty organized system. Compared to NYC's Metro station the Tube will win every time!