After 6 glorious days exploring in and around Galway, it was time to leave our cozy condo in Salthill and drive to Dublin. Taylor and Stephen were headed back to Philadelphia while my parents and I were south-bound to a couple golf resorts. It was hard to leave this though…. However, after a couple hours drive to … More Lazy afternoons at The Guinness Storehouse
After such an amazing day in Cong (check this place out!), I was excited to return to the Cliffs of Moher and show my family this spectacular place. First stop on our drive to the cliffs was Dunguaire Castle, a 16th-century tower house open for tours and banquets in the evenings. Oh the things we do for tourists… … More Dunguaire Castle, Aillwee Caves and wild walks at the Cliffs of Moher
As soon as I found out I was headed back to Ireland, I immediately knew the places I wanted to revisit around Galway. Obviously I would take my family to some live Irish music in Galway, visit the Cliffs of Moher and bicycle around the Aran Islands (been there done that). But as for other ideas, my … More The Enchanted Forest and Castle of Cong
I was just reading through my 2014 Year in Review and laughing at my concluding thoughts on what 2015 would bring. Boy oh boy I was so incredibly wrong! Like in your face wrong. “As for 2015, it will be the year of the wedding and the year of focusing on our life in China. It … More 2015: My Year in Review
The last time I was in Galway for a hot second, we didn’t get to see much of the surrounding area so I was excited to see more of the famous rugged landscape of the western coast of Ireland. Before coming to Ireland, my sister and I booked a two-day tour pass with Lally Tours … More Connemara: Bogs, Fjords and Kylemore Abbey
In September, I spent two weeks in one of my favorite countries in the world… Ireland! Usually I never return to places I’ve visited internationally (except Chiang Mai) so I felt very lucky indeed to be back in the Emerald Isle. It is really interesting to go back to place you have already been and have a completely different … More Back in Ireland… Hurling and History in Galway
Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday, after Christmas of course. My family has the wonderful tradition of escaping to a cabin in North Carolina with 2 other families and we eat, drink and be merry. That’s exactly what we did 2 Thanksgivings ago. Now that all of the kids are adults, it has become increasingly … More Travel Disasters and Thanksgiving on Lake Lure
It feels so good to be home. I mean check out this sunset from my first night back in Florida: You just don’t get this in Penang. The past week or so has been an absolute whirlwind but I’ve loved every second of it. It all started when I was upgraded to business class on my … More A Whirlwind Week Back Home
Hello friends. Tomorrow we leave for Italy! We will be skiing in the Alps and celebrating the new year on the slopes. We will also visit the hometown of Peter’s grandmother. I love Italy! It is one of my favorite countries and I can’t believe it has been almost 5 years since I was last … More Day 358-360: Christmas Recap and Italy Bound
Friday, December 15th This year we kept one family holiday tradition alive. We saw my sister perform in The Nutcracker ballet on Friday and it was just as beautiful as I remembered. Even though I have seen the Nutcracker maybe a bazillion times since I was kid, I still find the story, music, and dancing … More Day 348: In the Holiday Spirit
Kirsten Captures 