While I'm Away

Unfortunately, while I am in Ireland, I will be unable to post :(  I hate this because I was hoping to blog while I was away; however, the computer I planned to take does not work properly.

So, you lovely people will instead, view my photos and hear about my 2 week getaway once I return! In some way, I actually love writing AFTER the trip has happened. It allows me to almost relive my trip through my words and photos!

Please forgive me for not keeping all of you up-to-date throughout my trip, but I promise when I return, you will know all about my amazing Ireland trip!!!!

9 Days and Counting!

Yes folks, I will be leaving in a total of nine days for the beautiful country of Ireland! To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement. I fully plan on seeing all I can see and doing all I can do while I am there and taking PLENTY of pictures. 

I know I have asked in the past, but I am most definitely interested in hearing about specific little restaurants, stores, etc...to visit.  So, if you've been to the Irish land and would like to offer a wondering traveler some advice, I would gladly appreciate it!

Good Eating in NOLA

As much as I wish I could have tried more local cuisine, I was pleased with my first taste bud go-around in New Orleans.

Those of you who have read my posts know that Hard Rock t-shirts are collectable items for me. Everywhere I go, I have to buy one. Naturally, I visited HRC and found my debit card drifting out of my hands and into the hands of the cashier, purchasing a beautifully designed t-shirt. Complete with a photo of the French Quarter, it donned painted Mardi Gras masks and the words “New Orleans” scrawled along the picture’s edge.

Satisfied with my new item, I went back to the table to savor the deliciously good, and may I remind you, calorie-loaded pulled pork sandwich. As crazy as it sounds to some, I hate coleslaw; so naturally, it was not finding itself piled on top of the dripping pulled pork. Now, I know that some of you will probably say…”What?! You went and ate at the Hard Rock in New Orleans? Don’t you know that there are some amazing local restaurants down there??!”  Yes, I am fully aware of that, but unfortunately, the person I was with was not too keen on trying the true, authentic delicacies.

However, we did visit The Pearl Oyster House for lunch and had a delightful sandwich and later graced the ever-so-popular Pat O’Brien’s.  And before you ask, yes…I did get myself a Hurricane! That savory, red concoction was just what I needed. All 26 ounces were consumed and by the time I was finished, I understood why most people only drink one. Aside from my lovely liquid cocktail, I opted for the Shrimp Creole and let me tell you, I was in Heaven. Full of shrimp, white rice, and a creamy creole tomato sauce…it was like nothing I’d ever had before. Oh, and to top it off, the shrimp was mixed with garlic and herbs!

I’m truly convinced that to experience a place, one must experience its food. Now, as I said earlier, I realize HRC and Pat O’Brien’s are not “authentic” New Orleans dining; however, one place, that although it may be a tourist trap, it is a must for anyone traveling to New Orleans, is Café Du Monde.

Oh my word…when my mom went, she brought me back some beignets; unfortunately, they were just “okay” by the time I heated them up in the microwave. Sitting down at a table that had seen years and years of powdered sugar wear and tear, I readied myself for New Orleans finest. Before I knew it, a bowl full of white powder sat before me. I thought maybe I might have to search for my beignets due to the enormous amount of sugar; however, a small corner peeked out and I was instantly satisfied.

The fluffy fried dough was more than I could take. Although they tell you to “shake off the excess” I did not. That powdery goodness stay piled atop and after my bite, it looked as if I had just…well white nose, you get the picture. Laughing at my new look, I quickly brushed it off and continued to partake in the now 2 lovely beignets sitting in front of me.

All in all, the few selected restaurants we hit were pleasing to the palate. One thing I know for sure though is that the next time I visit New Orleans; my meals will consist of true, local eateries. As I said before, to experience a place is to experience its food. Most places do not have the joy of having specific foods for which they known, but New Orleans does.

First Impressions of the Big Easy

Last week, I spent several days in New Orleans. Seeing as it was my first time visiting this historical city, I was anxious to delve into the chaos of Bourbon Street, the delicacies of Café Du Monde, and the history of a city that holds so many stories.
As some of you may know, it was the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament last week as well, so naturally, everywhere I looked, I ran into a blue-faced, super fan who was cheering constantly for their Kentucky Wildcats. Not so much a Kentucky Wildcat fan, I turned away and went about my business.

Leaving on Tuesday, the nine hour drive was enough to make my lower back ache and my poor behind numb. The headrest pushed my head forward and our car was so packed that there was no hope of reclining so I could partake in a nice nap. Needless to say, I was awake all nine hours and with each stop we made for gas, my butt was out of the car stretching and sighing in relief.

Arriving in NOLA around five o’clock, we checked into the hotel and enjoyed the fantastic view from our room. Staying at the New Orleans Marriott, having a corner room on the 29^th floor, it provided us with two large windows – one overlooking Lake Ponchatoula and the other overlooking the French Quarter…not too shabby.

Seeing the Big Easy on the way in, I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest. Driving on Poydras Street, I saw the gambler’s haven, Harrah’s, but it wasn’t until Canal that I finally cracked a smile. Reminding me much of New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico wrapped up in one, I was quickly coming to like New Orleans.

Judging by the sound of my stomach, we agreed it was time to go grab some grub. For those of you who read my previous post about my fascination with Hard Rock Café t-shirt, we opted to eat dinner there.  Grabbing my collectible t-shirt, designed with Mardi Gras masks and a drawing of the French Quarter, I was satisfied with my purchase. The pulled pork sandwich tasted delicious after a day of eating out of a snack bag and making a pit stop at Sonic for a quick lunch.

Before leaving for New Orleans, I had heard from many that it was best to always be on guard when walking the streets; however, I never for one single second felt paranoid or fearful. Granted, as with anywhere, there are certain places I wouldn’t want to be after dark, but I figure as long as I walk with a purpose and don’t pull a map out every five seconds, I’ll be fine.

Walking back to the hotel after dinner, I found myself taking in the shops around me and bobbing my head to the music that wafted into the streets from certain stores. That is one thing that I absolutely love and cannot get enough of…the music of New Orleans. Give me horns, the accordion, and the sounds of a washboard and I can be entertained for hours! I later bought a Zydeco cd which I must admit, has been played constantly in my car since my arrival back home.

Slipping into bed that night, I was excited to experience the days ahead in New Orleans. There was still much for me to see and do and I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

The Need to Travel

The world is composed of seven continents, each consisting of cultures, traditions, and lifestyles vastly different from my own. Living in the proud and patriotic United States, I will be the first to admit that Americans are often “those people” who are much less “cultured” than our friends living on the other six continents. Why, I don’t know. Maybe it is because we have it engrained it us from a young age that you grow up, go to college, get a degree, get a good job, and then “do all the stuff you always wanted to do” when you retire.


Honestly, I’ve never understood that reasoning. When I tell people that I want to travel for a living, they often look at me like I’m a crazy, 20-something who has yet to grow up. Yes, I have that college degree – two in fact, and yes, I have a full-time job, but that doesn’t mean that my want and desire to travel has faded.

As a spiritual person, I firmly believe that God created this world not just for his enjoyment, but for ours as well. For those who desire to travel no further than their state’s borders, kudos to you. For me, that has never, nor will it ever be my dream. I have always said that when that time comes for me to get married, my spouse had better enjoy traveling because that is a make it or break it deal for me. Also, when I have children, you better believe, they’re traveling with me.

For me, traveling is an eye-opening experience. Not only do I physically get to see places that I’ve never seen before, but I get to experience a place emotionally and spiritually. What I mean is that when I travel, I am being given a chance that other people may never be given. Seeing the world is something everyone should be given the opportunity to do, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.

Growing up, my parents never took a vacation without my sister and me. Traveling to Florida every summer, taking cruises, and spending two weeks in Europe has led me to believe that traveling is in my blood. In the past few years, I have become much stronger in my faith. Not only do I trust God to lead me in the direction he wants me to go, but I strongly believe that he has a plan for me and that is to make travel a large part of my life.

I realize I have written on this topic before – why I travel, but lately, I have felt like I needed to reiterate this not only to my readers, but to myself. Seeing this great world that God has created, it is foolish to let it go unseen. My writing may not mean much to others, but if my passion and words can spark even just the tiniest bit of interest and/or influence in traveling for someone else, then this blog is a success.

Traveling isn’t just about hopping on a plane, taking some pictures and “oohing” and “awing” over some monuments and paintings…it is about appreciating, understanding, admiring and most of all, respecting how others live in this world.

As Americans we often take things for granted. Traveling allows you to reevaluate those things and instead, appreciate what you do have.

Traveling with My Sister

"If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child." -- Linda Sunshine

Having grown up with my sister for 26 years, I knew what I was getting myself into when she and I decided to travel to Europe for two weeks a few years ago.

Those of you who have older sisters know what it is like to be picked on, ignored, have your hair pulled, and even tricked to do some pretty humiliating and/or stupid things like stand by the side of the road and wave at various cars driving by the house. Oh, and did I mention I was three years old at the time!

Anyway, as we grew older, and she moved away, our relationship has become much stronger as we respect one another and actually listen to what each other has to say. When planning our trip to Europe, we talked on the phone for hours, plotting and planning each day -- we're planners, that's how we grew up.

When the day came to leave for Paris, the last thing my mom said to the two of us, besides "I love you," was "Remember, this is a trip you'll remember for the rest of your lives. Make good memories and don't be fighting!"

Naturally, we gave her the whole ho-hum answer of "Okay mom, we know, we know" but little did we know, we actually did get along throughout our trip. For some reason, while she was living in New York, I would go to visit and by the third day, every single time, we would be so mad at each other. This time, we made it two solid weeks and had only one minor spat. We were arguing about a sign in one of the Paris subways -- a very confusing one at that -- and I was saying we should go one way while she was saying we should go another. Graced with the art of direction, she managed to prove me wrong -- figures.

All in all, my mom was right. Our two weeks in Europe was an experience I will never forget. I got to experience some of the most amazing, humbling, and eye-opening places with her. Some people prefer to travel alone, not wanting to mess with the plans that someone else might have. I can understand and respect that.  I've often thought about traveling by myself and have absolutely nothing against those that do...who knows, I just might one day.

Until then, I prefer to share my worldly travels with those I love, whether that be my parents, my sister, or my friends. Hey, at least I won't have to worry about some stranger running off with my camera when I ask someone to take my photo!

Kiss Me...Wait, I'm Not Completely Irish

Okay, so I know it has been awhile since my last post. I have a good reason though. I started working out and have been utterly exhausted each night! I promise not to go so long without posting next time though!

So, I've been doing some thinking and I've decided that Ireland will be my destination of choice this coming April (at least that is when I hope to go). I've bought my guide book and already decided on different attractions to see while I am there; however, it is always nice to hear from those who have visited the land of St. Patrick.

Basically, I'm hoping for a 10-day trip, traveling to Dublin, Belfast, Galway, and Cork. Since this year is the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, there is an exhibition in Belfast, so naturally, that is part of my itinerary.

I would like to hear from those of you who have traveled to Ireland. Where did you stay? How is the rail travel? What is a must-see and what is a miss? I would certainly appreciate any advice!!!!