Throwback Thursday – Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas! It’s one of those places that you have to visit at least once in your life, but careful not to stay too long. Las Vegas is great! It’s a perfect weekend getaway, because you’ll run out of your savings if you stay any longer haha. Its located pretty centrally in the west. If you were in California, Arizona, or Utah, you could easily make this weekend trip happen.

I’ve been a couple of times, but most notably, for my 21st Birthday!

Believe it or not, I actually won a little money! Vegas is awesome because if you are gambling in the casino, you drinks are free!

Good thing the strip stays alive all night long. Most of the year, its the only bearable time to be outside. Almost every time I’ve gone, its been in the 100s while I was there. Its perfect for lounging by the pools, but not ideal for walking around and seeing all the hotels.

All in all, what I’ve learned about Vegas:

1. Don’t stay to long
2. Go in the off season so you don’t melt (and you can get better deals on hotels)
3. Don’t bet all your money in one place – and don’t bet money you can’t afford to lose (I personally brought $200 that I was prepared to lose. That way if I lose it, fine. But if I win, AWESOME!)
4. Be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for food…. but keep in mind that the food is amazing!
5. Keep a cool head and have an amazing time!

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Stonehenge

I’m a total history nerd. So when my mom informed me that Stonehenge was going to be part of our UK Spring Break trip, I nearly lost my mind. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go here (thank you Discovery Channel). I’ve always been fascinated by how Stonehenge was made, its relative isolation, and I’ve always wanted to know if there was an “energy” to be felt surrounding the stones.

Stonehenge is located basically in the middle of nowhere. We took a bus tour to get there, and Stonehenge was one of a few stops.

On thing I was impressed by was the size of the stones. You hear the height and weight, but you really just can’t picture it until you’re there in person. It is so much bigger than I imagined. But I’m disappointed to report that I didn’t feel any alien energy in the area. Its just a normal, historical place.

Throwback Thursday! – My First Trip to Paris

In the summer of 2011, I did a summer abroad in Strasbourg, France. It was my first time to Europe, and that trip sparked my travel addiction. Towards the end of my studies, my mom and boyfriend (now my husband 😊) met me in Strasbourg and we went on to see Nice and Paris.

Pre-Study Abroad Sendoff – Disneyland and Southern California

Before my 2012 Manchester Study Abroad, I suggested that we have a good old fashion California send-off. We went to Disney, Newport and Balboa, and explored Orange County. It was the best! We went to Disneyland on Jan 3, which has to be the absolute best time to visit. The weather is cooler, there are zero lines, and they still have the place decked out for Christmas! Even though it was January, it was still pretty warm at the beach. All in all, we had a wonderful time.

Lake District

On one of my last weekends in England, we went to the Lake District. We did this in hopes that it would be a little warmer. We traveled in June, but it was still chilly. This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Check out these beautiful pictures from England’s Lake District.

Manchester

Manchester has such a special place in my heart. It was my home base during my study abroad, and I even met a few life long friends there. I spent about 6 months living there in 2012. It was the time of my life! While Manchester isn’t your typical tourist stop, its still a vibrant city that’s worth checking out (especially if you’re a footy fan!)

I will never forget the first night there. We met some people on the plane and they asked if we would like to join them for dinner. They were from Philadelphia, but one of them had a brother who lived in Manchester. They took us to a Russian restaurant…which was delicious! I don’t know what I expected, but the meal was so yummy! Like any good Russian would, I finished the meal with a shot of vodka. While sitting around and talking afterwords, the lights suddenly got low and all the sudden a woman came out to perform acrobatics. It was totally unexpected but a really fun experience!

Your trip to Manchester isn’t complete without a stop at Old Trafford to catch a Man United Game. We were lucky enough to get cheap tickets to a game during my time there.

Downtown Manchester is your normal city with high-rise buildings and people wearing suits. However, keep walking, and you’ll find quaint buildings like this:

Manchester is home to the John Rylands Library. Talk about Harry Potter – this place is MAGICAL. They hand you mirrors so you don’t have to crane your neck yo check out the beautiful ceilings.

And just like any major city – you’re not complete without a Chinese Gate

In addition to the fun, “touristy” things, I also did normal, college, day-to-day thing. I played on the club volleyball team, I went to the mall, I had sushi with friends, I grabbed coffee on the way to school, I attended concert at the O2, and last but not least, I hung out at pubs and met so many cool people.

Questions about Manchester? I’m happy to help!

Things to Come

I wanted to give you guys and update since I’ve been on such a long hiatus. I already have a few posts planned (my English trips, the occasional throwback, local Utah tips, etc), but I’ve also traveled to a few more places and wanted to give you a preview of what’s to come. Since my last post, I’ve traveled to Puerto Rico, Moab (again), the Unitas, Toronto and Niagara, Oahu (again, but this was the best trip yet), New Orleans, Moab (again, again…), Newport, The Outer Banks, Moab (again, again, again…), Greece (Athens and Santorini), Newport (again), San Diego, Spain (Granada, Malaga/Marbella, Seville), Gibraltar, Morocco, and Portugal. I’ve been really lucky and I can’t wait to share with you all 🙂