“Could we have a day?” That was my mom asking my sister and me if we could spend a full day touring Maui together on our last family vacation. We were completely taken aback that she even felt the need to ask. Of course we “could have a day,” there was nothing we were looking forward to … [Read more]
Well, hello friends, it’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Sometimes I think I could be a decent travel blogger and then reality hits when I realize it’s been four months and I’ve hardly written a lick on here. Life happens. But on a particularly steamy afternoon in early January in Lahaina, life was good. So, sooo … [Read more]
Aloha, friends. Usually when I travel, I like to think about how I will put into words what I see and do to give a glimpse at how a place looks or feels. And it’s never hard to come up with a way to describe Maui. I’ve visited four times, and it still seems fresh whenever I … [Read more]
It was the worst of times, Dear God was it the worst of times. 2017 arrived like a bat out of Derry’s kitchen and proceeded to suck the life out of us for an entire 12 months. This year was exhausting, wasn’t it? There were so many tragedies and scandals unfolding on a daily basis that I … [Read more]
My partner loves roasted pumpkin seeds. Like, you have no idea. Last year, I forgot to get pumpkins, which meant no roasted seeds, and I never heard the end of it. This year, The Great Pumpkin Seed Eater started talking about getting gourds at the end of August. August! I kept hearing “don’t forget about the … [Read more]
Remember when you were a kid and you got a new colouring book and immediately grabbed your crayons and had at it? Yeah, good memories, right? It didn’t matter if you stayed in the lines or not — not is always better anyways — you just got your creative groove on and it felt good. Like, think … [Read more]
Whenever a new HBO show comes out, I give it a shot. When I saw the first trailer for Game of Thrones, I was intrigued. When I watched the first scene, I was hooked. To me, it felt like watching The Wire. (No, please don’t go, bear with me for a second.) The Wire, while … [Read more]
Tour buses suck. They just do. No human wants to be treated like cattle, yet that’s how most of those tours work. However, sometimes they’re necessary when you need to get to a destination and you’re not familiar with the area. If I ever make it back to Ireland and/or Scotland, I’m renting a car and … [Read more]
I’m not sure what to think about Dublin. I arrived with preconceived notions of what I thought this city would be like and each one of those notions was turned on its head. I thought I would fall in love with Dublin right off the bat and I didn’t. I thought it would look and feel similar to Edinburgh … [Read more]
Not gonna lie, the weather on my summer trip to Scotland and Ireland was anything but summer-y. These places might scale lighter on the landmass size, but they have weather strong enough to punch you in the face. (The rain in Isle of Skye definitely felt like punches were being thrown.) Rain, wind, fog, humidity, I … [Read more]
Dark colours, crumbling castles and unkempt creatures are all part of the supposed “charm” of The Highlands. After a three day whirlwind of a tour, I can safely attest that it’s not worth your time. If you insist on going, don’t say I didn’t warn you… There are way too many castles No matter what road you’re on or … [Read more]
I never really thought much about Scotland’s connections to Harry Potter, one of my favourite things, before coming to this part of the world. The minute I touched down, that immediately changed. For the next few days I felt like I was a living, breathing character in one of the movies. Obviously, the most boring … [Read more]
On a cloudy, windy morning in Edinburgh — they have a lot of those — I met up with James Christie of Edinburgh Photography Tours to walk the town, take in a bit of history and learn camera tips from a seasoned pro. See. Learn. Do. The best kind of travel experience! Anyone who has travelled with me … [Read more]
I’ve just poured a cup of tea, Earl Grey of course, and, as I wait for my tiered tray of goodies to arrive, I’m lost in thought at what Edinburgh is like. What should I write about? How does this place make me feel? Since arriving a few days ago, I’ve been searching for my story, but … [Read more]
So, you know, just sitting with the boy watching Jeopardy when a bunch of questions about history come up, as they do. I start riffing off a few answers, but not in the form of a question, because, really? We’re still doing that? The boy leans over and says, “How do you know these answers?” I say something … [Read more]
