MIA

The past few months have been completely insane, and I mean that in the best way possible! As a result, I’ve completely neglected my blog and I feel terrible about it! But I’M BACK…and here to stay! :)

Europe was absolutely AMAZING! I had planned on blogging while I was over there to keep everyone updated on my travels buuuut….

1. The Internet in most hostels SUCKS! I’m talking slow…like watching paint dry.
2. I was deathly afraid to upload my pictures to any foreign computer after my friends got permanently deleted from her camera. AHHH!
3. Who has time to blog when the most beautiful/exciting/wonderful cities are 2 steps away waiting to be explored?
4. When you only get three hours of sleep for four consecutive days and it comes down to blogging or sleeping….you choose sleep, trust me!

Over 45 days I visited eight countries and 15 cities:
Ireland (Dublin and Galway)
England (London)
The Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Belgium (Gent)
France (Paris)
Italy (Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Venice)
Greece (Athens and Mykonos)
Spain (Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid)

Quite the whirlwind adventure, if I do say so myself. I knew that I would be doing A LOT of traveling, but I totally underestimated how exhausting it would be. We were constantly on the go! Trains became our second home and getting an adequate amount of sleep was usually unheard of. In the end, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I met so many amazing people, saw so many beautiful places, ate so much delicious food and have a million memories that will last a lifetime! I’d love to share all of the pictures but we took over 1,000! Here are some highlights and personal favorites:

We couldn’t resist making Guinness mustaches while at their brewery in Ireland!

You can’t go to London without taking a picture in a red phone booth, right?

At the Notting Hill Carnival in London. It was a bit like Mardi Gras in New Orleans and definitely just as fun!

EVERYONE rode bikes in Amsterdam! They even had their own lane with specific stoplights. The canals made for a confusing, but beautiful city.

It’s true what they say, Belgian chocolate is surely the best!

We finally got to see the Eiffel Tower light up on our last night in Paris!

Cinque Terre, Italy. Hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. No picture could ever do it justice!

The Trevi Fountain at night! I’ve wanted to visit my entire life. And yes, I made a wish! :)

Mykonos, Greece. ALL of the houses are painted white with blue doors. It definitely gave Cinque Terre a run for its money!

Our backpacks and portable homes for six amazing weeks.

The three amigos celebrating our last night in Madrid!

Beach Fun!

I just recently got back from a fun filled week at the beach and couldn’t have had a better time! I was so happy to escape the dreary Louisiana weather and soak up the sun with my toes in the sand.

While in Gulf Shores, Alabama I visited The Hangout, a restaurant and bar located right on the beach.

The restaurant had a really cool “wish wall” where you could write a personal wish on a piece of paper and place it in a slot. All of the papers were different colors so it made a really cool effect once they were all up.

I loved this sign in the bathroom so much that I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it.

I don’t know what it is about sunsets at the beach but they’re always twenty times prettier than the ones here in Louisiana. I took a picture of this one on the way home.

I got home on Friday night and woke up early Saturday morning to participate in Red Dress Run, a yearly New Orleans tradition. Everyone dresses up in red dresses, guys included, and crowds the streets to drink and party New Orleans style. It was such a good time, and I highly suggest that you check it out if you’re in the city during the festival!

Only in New Orleans do people walk around with their pet parrots! Meet Ruby!

I’ll be leaving for Europe in THREE days! I really can’t believe it and feel completely unprepared. I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off all day in order to get last minute supplies together. I should be packing instead of blogging but I couldn’t resist posting the pictures from my awesome trip. Next stop Ireland! Yippeeee!!! :)

Move

My friend and fellow travel enthusiast, @lindzeemccain recently posted a link to this video on her Facebook page, and I instantly fell in love with it! I’ve watched it at least 30 times now. I’ve also come to the realization that my trip is LESS than three weeks away! AHHHH!!! If you love to travel, or just want to see an amazing take on a 44 day trip around the world, watch this video!