A Note on Exploring Locally

When I was younger, all I can remember about going on family vacations or school outings was that I thought the destinations would be lame, boring, or just embarrassing to be seen around. Though there are definitely still some places that I would still probably be embarrassed to go, on the whole I have learned to ditch the bad attitude when it comes to traveling—especially when traveling locally. Sometimes I can't believe that a mere four years ago I would have balked at going hiking near my house, or visiting a small town like Hannibal, Missouri or Le Claire, Iowa. 

Diary of a World Traveler

Madrid Day 1: "You need to be an organized country to have a mafia."

Today, I left for my final trip abroad with the Augustana Symphonic Band. Although bittersweet, I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of this trip to happen. Upon landing in Madrid at 8AM, we toured the city in our bus to see sights like the bull fighting ring, the Prado Museum, Puerto del Sol, and the Salamanca district. The next morning, we traveled outside the city and performed our first concert. Based on my experiences so far, I can tell I am going to love Spain! 

Diary of a World Traveler

England Day 6: A South Bank Adventure

We woke to a bright and sunny morning in London—a welcome surprise after the past day of clouds. Plus, it was perfect weather for our most walking yet! A full day of exploring the South Bank treasures ended with a fabulous ride on the Eye, just as the sun was setting hazily over the city. I could not have asked for better weather or a better day traversing yet another part of this beautiful city.

Diary of a World Traveler

England Day 5: The Nerdiest London Exploration

My inner nerd was satisfied today, as we walked around London to see some of the most iconic pieces of the city’s storied literary and film history. We started the day early and did more exploring of different parts of the city that we had not yet been to. Once again, I was happy to walk instead of take the tube, because who wants to look at a dark hole in the ground when we could be looking at some amazing pieces of London?

Diary of a World Traveler

England Day 4: Arrival in London!

I’m in London. After years of waiting to see this amazing city, I am finally here to stay for a few days. We decided to spring for a very central hotel that is walkable basically everywhere, and it has not let us down. We spent our day touring the basic landmarks of the city, found London quite navigable, and then settled down for a dinner of a complimentary wine, cheese, bread, and olive spread. We are living a posh London lifestyle—if only for a few days!

Diary of a World Traveler

England Day 2: Bath 

Today, I walked into a Jane Austen novel, and I could not be happier to say that I did. Bath is a stunning city with beautiful town houses, quaint streets filled with boutique shops, and amazing architecture. Whether walking around the posh Royal Crescent and surrounding area, contemplating buying a bottle full of Roman bath water, or lighting candles in the Bath Cathedral, we were always happy to be walking around in the sunshine and enjoying this historic city.

Diary of a World Traveler

England Day 1: Oxford University

Today, I crossed off one of the top five cities on my list of places to see before I die. Oxford and Oxford University are now done for the first time, but I know I will want to be going back many times in the future. Not only is the school an incredible part of history—both architecturally and academically—but the city of Oxford itself has such a great variety of iconic museums and cute little places to shop. I had so much fun seeing everything it has to offer, even if it did rain on us a little bit toward the end of the day!

Diary of a World Traveler

Dublin ➝ Southampton: Stonehenge

What a day! We rose early at 5AM to get ready for the bus at 6, boarded our flight at 8:30, and then landed in England around 10AM. We then drove to Wiltshire, our home for the next ten days. Then, after a nice lunch on the patio, we drove about five miles to see Stonehenge. I can tell just by the short amount of time we’ve been here that I am going to fall deeply and madly in love with England.

Diary of a World Traveler

Dublin Day 18: "The snot green sea."

Our final day in Ireland was bittersweet—many people have gone home over the past week, but we stayed until the very end. We did as much as we possibly could in the time given, and I think we have done a pretty good job the past three months. To close out our trip, we had a nostalgic visit to St. Stephen’s Green for lunch, then took a trip out to Dún Laoghaire to visit the Joyce Martello tower and museum. A beautiful day for the beach and a wonderful way to say goodbye to this amazing country.

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Dublin Day 14: "It's like a desert out here."

As a celebration to our final day of classes, the group got to go on a surprise boat trip to the coastal city of Howth. We made a long trek to the ferry dock, boarded, and trolled through the harbor on our way out to sea. Though the seas were a little choppy, we all arrived alive and had an awesome day hanging out in the sand and sun. What a perfect day to officially end the term!

Diary of a World Traveler

Dublin Day 11: "Get outta here, birds. This is fancy bird town."

When we set off for Dublin Zoo this morning, I had no idea what to expect. I am not a huge fan of zoos back home. I’m not a huge fan of caging animals. I figured this zoo would be like any other. Boy, was I wrong! Anyone who has the time to go see the zoo while in Phoenix Park or in Dublin should definitely go check it out. I saw the most animals I have ever seen in one visit, most performing natural behaviors in natural habitats. That makes me a very happy animal lover and a very happy visitor.

Diary of a World Traveler

Norway Days 5 & 6: Saying Goodbye

A final goodbye to Norway. I don’t even know where to begin. The perfect weather, the incredible boat trip, our wonderful hosts making us breakfast at 5:30AM, the great flights back to Dublin… everything in the past two days has made my trip to Norway absolutely unforgettable. I cannot wait to go back to Scandinavia with my family someday—and maybe even discover some of my family history there, too!

Diary of a World Traveler

Norway Days 3 & 4: "Now that is a Diana sized door."

These past few days have been absolutely amazing. I have seen and done so many things and met so many lovely people. Madly exploring a different country for four days is going pretty well so far—even if I did get knocked out for a few hours with motion sickness as a result. We took a trip to the island of Osterøy yesterday and explored downtown Bergen today. The weather has been perfect for walking around and seeing the sights, though, so I am not going to leave any unseen!

Diary of a World Traveler

Bergen Days 1 & 2: "What's the whale's name from Moby Dick?"

Wow. What a day yesterday, and what a morning today. Things have been action packed so far, but everything has gone smoothly. Our flights were on time, my outlet adapters work, and we climbed a mountain. I tried some huckleberry jam on bread and traditional Norwegian brown goat’s cheese and fell in love with both. I can see the mountains and the ocean from our bedroom window, as well as all of the other windows in the house. Diana’s family has been the best of hosts in every way. I think I will have to come back to Norway some day—that is how impressed I have been in the past 24 hours.

Diary of a World Traveler

Dublin Day 2: "It really is a lottery." 

Today, I took a step back in time 5,000 years. We visited the Neolithic monuments of Newgrange and Knowth and got to learn all about how the tombs were constructed, how they were used, and why they are so important to the history of Ireland. Any time I get to encounter the past is a good time for me. This was an absolute privilege to see, and definitely worth moving our Norway tickets for!

Diary of a World Traveler

Navan ➝ Dublin: "Baaaaaaaaart."

I cannot believe another month has gone by. Our time here is almost over! Only 30 days left to enjoy before heading home to that Midwestern summer. Today, we made our way back to Dublin via Trim Castle, the Hill of Tara, and the Battle of the Boyne museum in Oldbridge. It might have been a dreary day, but I am glad I got to see these famous and historic places before we leave!

Diary of a World Traveler

Navan Day 1: "Two world wonders in one day. What a time to be alive."

What another amazing day here in Ireland! I say that too much, but it seems to be true every time. We were given absolutely perfect weather to go see the hexagonal rock formations of Giants Causeway, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. What a beautiful and humbling place to roam around for a few hours. When we got back home to Navan, we had a quick dinner and then went to see Captain America: Civil War. For those in the States who have to wait another two weeks for it to come out… prepare yourselves and get pumped!

Diary of a World Traveler

Sligo ➝ Navan: "He was too old for a confirmation and too young for a funeral..."

Our last morning in Sligo went without a hitch, and then we were off to Navan. The weather was not with us, so we only went to one of the historic cites on our planned list. But either way, the drive was pleasant and the place we did stop—Boyle Abbey—looked great even in the steady rainfall.

Diary of a World Traveler

Sligo Day 10: Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye to Sligo will be fairly easy compared to the other places we’ve been so far. That is no fault of the city itself, but rather of the poor timing of our visit. Week eight is always a stressful time at home, and apparently a term abroad is no different. But I am glad we got to stop here, even for a little while, and experience a smaller-town feel while still being close to a lot of great places!

Diary of a World Traveler

Sligo Day 9: "A girl with no town."

I learned a lot about centuries-old disputes today, from both sides of the conflict. Though Northern Ireland is in a peaceful period most days, there are always inevitably times when an argument will spark or violence is remembered, threatened, or performed. The stories I heard still flow through the blood of everyone living in the city of Derry, and that was palpable while visiting. But despite all this, I would recommend Derry and a visit to these museums as essential to anyone who wants to understand the seriousness of the Troubles in the North.