Llan-vire-pooll-guin-gill-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooll-llandus-ilio-gogo-goch
And here is a video of how to correctly pronounce this town.
Don't forget to go and challenge your friends on the names.
It isn't even a problem that I don't have a car here. If there's a place I need to get to, I can take a bus, train, or tram. In London, I can take the underground and walk a short distance to wherever. It's actually incredible, and all the walking means I feel much healthier.
Most of everything, from cereal to laundry detergent, is different. I never realized how often I just grabbed the same type of everything, until I came here and had to gawk at shelves full of cleaning supplies looking for something like Comet or Dawn dish detergent. It's these little things that really require adaptation.
My favorite UK food includes Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, savory bakes, Yorkshire puddings, and curries. I don't think I quite lived until I had a chicken bake from Gregg's. It's so difficult to cut carbs when there are so many delicious food things.
That said, most of the food has little to no seasoning. Salt, pepper, and hot sauce are my friends.
I do not dare admit to the number of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, breads, and yogurts I have wasted in my three months here. Food goes bad. So. Dang. Fast. Whereas in the U.S., I could buy something and not feel like it was a ticking time bomb counting down to mold.
But even though fruits go bad, there are so many more widely available kinds here (many which I've never tried), and they're usually all affordable. There are Chinese pears, inexpensive pomegranates and mangoes, passion fruits, satsumas, currants, damson fruit...and probably more.
The tap water in the UK is perfectly drinkable, of course, but I get a major stomachache if I drink it unfiltered. But then again, I drink purified water anyway in my home town because tap water there tastes like dust. A good Brita pitcher and a filter bottle saved me.
Most places open at nine and close at five. Every place that isn't a chain is closed on Sundays. It forces me to be a morning person.
I come from a culture and legal system in which police patrol university campuses looking for underage drinkers. Inevitably, they find a lot. Here, there are university-promoted bar crawls and parties. It's very strange.
I live just between a small town and my huge campus, beyond which is the city. Small towns are sometimes so quiet that I wonder if people even live there.
I recently visited a health center. My visit and prescription were both free. Cue my American amazement.
I feel a twang of embarrassment when I'm the only one in a checkout line who has to shove her chip card into the machine. Other people just tap their cards onto the reader. I will become one of them soon.
As the UK's weather toes the line between bearably chill and terribly freezing weather, I can never reliably understand how many layers to wear. My desert-dwelling self was not prepared.
Currently, the sun rises at about 8 a.m. and sets at about 4 p.m. and oftentimes, I only know that the sun is out because it is gray and somewhat light outside. I'm sleepy most of the time.
The culture is different between two cities as close as a 30-minute drive, including the slang and culture. It's jarring to travel a short distance and hear different accents.
People here seem to take coffee/drink/pastry breaks every few hours. Then they go home and have more leisure time. Then they have more paid holiday time than Americans. It's baffling.
It no longer registers in my brain that everyone has an accent, because here, I'm the one with the accent. The exception is whenever I hear a Scottish person speak because I don't really understand them. I used to try to hide my voice by not speaking too much, but now I enjoy being different.
I'm not trying to idealize all people who live here, because as with all places, some are just rude and annoying. However when I've been in obvious distress, someone has helped me. I once arrived with three suitcases at a train station that had no elevators. Someone helped me as I struggled to get them up the stairs. All too recently, I somehow shoved my debit card into the cash slot at a tram station. Someone stood with me and talked to me sympathetically as I called the tram service and my bank, before offering to buy me a ticket.
If I drop something in public, people immediately dive to get it for me. If I misplace something, someone turns it in and I get notified. Elderly women call me "darling" and "love;" really, nothing is cuter than an old British woman who calls people that. There are most instances like this, but I can't remember them all. There seems to be a better sense of community here than I've found anywhere in the US, and it makes this a very nice place to live.
One more semester, and I'm home freeeeeee
GiphyUgh, and I get to see it with my favorite person in the whole world... my boyfriend :)
GiphyI'm finally moving into an apartment!!!! FINALLY PEOPLE!!!!
GiphyI cannot wait to further my education and learn everything there is to know about writing
GiphyThis one is a bit iffy, but it's going to happen. I promise you. NO, I promise me.
I have high hopes for 2019, and so should you. It's the year for all of us.
While I was over “across the pond," I learned a couple of tips and tricks that I thought made traveling easier, more comfortable, and exciting for a first-time world traveler.
Side note: the cover photo is the coastline of Waterville, IRE, looking out into the North Atlantic Ocean.
Trust me, I know how corny and dumb that sounds, but journaling is an excellent way to keep track of the places you go to, the people you meet, and the sights you see. Think of it as a photo album that allows you to go back and relive your adventures in writing. You don't have to do specifically what I did, but I kept my journal with me at all times so I could take it out during a lunch break or when we driving.
You can make it fun as well by doing more than just plain ol' "Dear Diary" entries. I did journal entries for each day, but I also switched it up and wrote vignettes, poems, Gaelic words or British phrases I had learned, timelines of our travels, letters to myself that I could go back and read later, short stories of people I had met, or an interesting tidbit from one of the tours. I also kept all the plane tickets, theater stubs and Tube passes tucked into my journal so I wouldn't lose them.
This one is a little tricky because there are so many things that are different in each individual country. But that's why we travel, so we can learn something new, have fun exploring a new place and to better understand the worlds besides the one we are living in.
For example, I made the mistake of calling Ireland a "country that's part of the U.K." Did I ever get so many dirty looks and choice insults thrown in my direction! That is because all of Ireland, except for Northern Ireland, is a separate country from the rest of the United Kingdom (the U.K.), which consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northen Ireland.
Ireland was once under British control from 1801 to 1922, where twenty six of the original thirty two Irish counties broke free of British control and formed the modern day Republic of Ireland.
The Irish are a striking, proud civilization who are fiercely protective of their legacy as a individualistic society and as a culture, so by calling them, essentially, a colony of Great Britain, was very undermining of all of the achievements they have made as a independent country.
So, don't make my mistake! Educate yourself by asking a lot of questions, listen and think before you talk. Do not be an ignorant tourist: be a respectful and knowledgeable tourist.
You pass by dozens of people on the street every day in your hometown, on your way to work, or on campus. There are so many diverse, interesting people that I met, like Connor, an Irish street artist who taught me a little Gaelic (one of main languages of Ireland) or Mattie, a Londoner who gave me shopping tips in the Tube. My favorite person I met was Sistine, a French college student who was staying in the same inn in Ireland as I was. We stayed up until about 2 a.m. talking about and bonding over politics, cultural differences, college life and boys (lol).
My point is this: try putting yourself out there a little bit. It can't hurt and it certainly isn't going to cost you an arm and a leg to talk to someone new.
One of the first things our tour guide told us when we stepped off the plane in Shannon, Ireland, was, "Don't wear anything with an American flag, logos or sayings. Just don't wear anything that screams "I'm an American tourist!" That is because if you do, you are more likely to be zeroed in on by pickpockets and thieves.
Also, the drinking age is the Emerald Isles is eighteen years old, but most Irish, British and Welsh families serve wine or beer with meals, so the alcohol tolerance of a Brit is much stronger than that of an American tourist. So be careful with how much you drink.
Ireland is also the homeland of Guinness, one of the most well-known beer brands in the world, and most Irish made ales or beers have a high alcohol concentration.
So if you are planning on partying in London or hitting up a pub, only do it if you are of age, and only if you are with a group or with someone your trust.
Just because you are in a different country doesn't mean you shouldn't be responsible and safe while partying.
European countries are known for their fair share of pickpockets, and when a quiet, scared-looking tourist comes along clutching a handbag or backpack, they are easy prey for a potential thief. And believe me, it is really hard to get home when you have no passport, no money, and no driver's license or ID. So, do a couple things to avoid this happening it you.
I was carrying a backpack while I was on the streets or in the Tube in London, and while I didn't put a padlock on my belongings, I developed a couple of easy tricks. The trick I found most useful was when I would take a paperclip and twist it around the two zippers of my backpack, then tucked the zippers inside the backpack. That makes it is a lot more difficult to access your belongings and it alerts you when someone is trying to steal from you.
Also, keep your important paperwork and objects like your passport, driver's license, credit or debit cards, money and phone in a separate place from the rest of your belongings.
Before I left the States, I rummaged through the basement and found my parents old fanny pack and travel pouch from back when they traveled before me and my sisters were born. I kept all of those essential items tucked into my fanny pack and hid it under my shirt or tucked the travel pouch into my jeans, which made it ten times easier to grab a couple euros or show my ID when entering a museum or exhibit.
Europeans tend to dress fancy on a daily basis, so I would say it'd be good to have a couple shirts and pairs of pants that you can rotate through and travel in. I had four shirts and three pairs of jeans that I used during the trip, and two sundresses that I could wear out to dinner.
For shoes, I primarily wore my Converse high tops and my sneakers throughout the trip, which are easy to pack, can last long distances walking, and don't tear or stain easily. Avoid wearing open-toed shoes or flip flops because those break easily and have absolutely no impact absorption or foot support for all of the walking and touring you will be doing. Take care of your feet and you will have a much more comfortable trip, believe me.
I suggest sticking to easy, packable fabrics like linen blouses or cotton t-shirts. This way, you can dress up any outfit with a jean skirt, a pair of shorts, or jeans.
Please note that this is not me saying to dress in short shorts and cleavage-hugging crop tops for every time you go to London or Dublin. Just know that when you travel, dress comfortable and classily. A classy tourist is a good tourist.
We all love a good picture or video of something new or interesting that we are a part of to share what we are doing with others. But quite honestly, having a phone in front of your face for an entire trip dulls the moments you are a part of and see.
For the whole first day, I literally took pictures of everything. When I say everything, I mean everything...it was a little embarrassing how touristy I was being. So I started putting away my phone during tours so I could listen to our tour guide and learn more. That did the trick.
I learned a lot more and experienced a lot more by putting my phone down. I'm not saying to throw your phone in the ocean, just know that there is a time to be a tourist and there is a time to be a cultural curator.
As you might know from living in Ohio (hello, capricious and unpredictable weather!), it is very difficult to plan a cute outfit when it's pouring down rain or when it is a chilly twelve degrees Celsius.
Be sure to pack for the season you are traveling during, whether that be fall, summer, spring or winter. However, my advice to you on the matter of weather-conscious clothing is very simple and very effective.
When you are in an mountainous, open countryside like in Ireland or Wales, those areas are prone to quick, sudden rainstorms and extremely strong gusts of wind. So whatever you are wearing, always have a cute waterproof jacket or wide-brimmed baseball cap that you can toss on when a storm blows in. I made the bright assumption that an umbrella would solve all my problems, so when we got caught in a monsoon in Ireland, I went to open the umbrella that I had packed and WHAM. I got whacked it the face with a very wet and metal filled umbrella...which leaves a pretty significant mark on one's face. So, please stick with a very nice, very safe rain jacket that won't give you facial abrasions. It is less of a headache to deal with.
Also, don't make the same idiotic mistake as I did for not packing a single pair of shorts. On the last day when we were in London, I was sweating buckets because it was ninety-eight degrees and I was wearing the jeans I has packed. I was super uncomfortable and miserable simply because I had forgotten to pack them. Such a rookie.
For the budding world traveler reading this now, I hope these tips are as helpful to you as they were to me. Enjoy, and happy travels!
There is no running water at Kumbrabow, other than the creek that is running down into the waterfall, so you use an outhouse. There is no electricity, other than what's run by gas. There is no cell phone service (unless you're lucky). You have to drive about 20 minutes to get any form of service to the outside world.
The scenery there is seriously stunning. You drive up a gorgeous mountain, then down the other side into the campground. Once you get into the campground, it's six of the most amazingly built cabins you've ever seen. All the cabins have their own outhouse, firepit, and gorgeous porch to seal the deal of the ideal vacation. But that isn't even the best part! If you follow the flowing creek down, you will end up at a waterhole... And at this waterhole is a fantastic waterfall. It is honestly a sight off of a postcard. Breathtaking.
As if saying waterfall doesn't make this place sound gorgeous enough, I'll go into a little more detail. This waterfall flows into a nice, open watering hole that is filled with what is probably the coldest water you will ever encounter—but totally worth it. It is surrounded by trees, beautiful flowers, and interesting rocks. There is a tree placed just right over the watering hole where you can climb up and jump right on in. There is a rock right beside the waterfall that is the perfect place to jump in. It is shallow enough walk all the way around to the other side.
This is the most breathtaking place you will ever see and is honestly the most magical place on Earth.
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