The decision to move home was something rather spontaneous and unexpected. It came after I met someone on the camino and so my plans changed. I had planned to do the world cruise on Viking Sun but soon enough found myself back onboard for a quick contract before moving home to start a new jobs as a spa manager.

During 2019 I lived in South Dublin in a beautfiul shared apartment with stunnign views and started a new job, well a few new jobs actually. I worked as a spa manager, spa front of house, temporary spa receptionist and eventually a travel consultant at Trailfinders. 2019 was a mix of many different experiences, not only work wise, but definitely travel wise too. Although I managed to travel to a few new places during 2019 (Mexico/Ukraine), many of my trips were to local places in Ireland or places in Europe that I had been before (Scotland, England, Czech Rep and Italy. 

During my time at home, not only was I invested in exploring new parts of my country, but I had also signed up for my 2019 challenge, to run the KBC Dublin half marathon. I found myself regularly training and hiking before and after work in the Dublin mountains to get fit and ready for the race that would be in Oct 2019. Some of my trips around Ireland included a trip to Westport to hike Croagh Patrick, a trip to Killarney to hike Irelands highest mountain Mt Carantoohill, a trip to Kilkenny with my mum and a trip to Achill for a big bike trip around the island. Inbetween these travels I also managed to see and visit different parts of the city and county including the amazing Victors Way in Wicklow (pictured below with ganesh statues), Glendalough and Sally Gap, some of my favourite scenery in Ireland.

During 2019 I was lucky enough to have some special people come to my city including my lovely Swede Lis who docked with Viking for the day and Erin who came over from Scotland for thr weekend (and of course I returned the visit not long after). I managed a few trips abroad with my other half at the time, including Hamburg, Freiberg and Basel to visit a dear friend from the camino. Every year I look back at the year and see how many new places Ive been, somehow I believed that 2019 was quiet in comparison to other years and in some ways it was, but looking back, I have done and seen a lot over the past year.

I ran the KBC half marathon in Oct in 2.5hrs, which was my goal for my very first ever race. I was delighted. During July/Aug I was lucky enough to be hired by Trailfinders UK, who sent me to London for 5 weeks and again in Oct for another week. I have written about my experience in my blog London 2019.

If visiting Ireland I would definitely recommend camping and hiking in the places I have mentioned ie Westport, Killarney and Achill. They are amazing spots to base yourself to see some beautiful scenery and work up a sweat. I spontaneously drove after work in south Dublin to Westport, Co.Galway for a long weekend. I craved peace, nature and scenery. I went completely off grip internet wise and just enjoyed my time staying in a cute B&B at the harbour where I met locals with inspiring stories, pushed myself up mountains (Croagh Patrick- the Irish Pilgrimage) and drove the Wild Atlantic Way stoppign at many towns and museums along the way including the free Irish Folk museum which was so so interesting. In Achill, we camped at a beach campsite not far from the main town on the island and explored some beautiful coves and beaches, where we even went for a quick swim, much to the shock of the locals. It was baltic!! We rented bikes at a local mans house and took them up and over the steep hills of Achill for over 40km, much to the shock of the man we rented them from (they were road bikes and incredibly hard to get up a hill). We explored tea rooms in Westport, ate dinner in nice country pubs, listened to live music and woke up to the sound of the waves each morning (and the sheep passing by the tent). Killarney was the main base for climbing Mt Carantoohill which is Irelands highest mountain (or hill). We explored Killarney town which was touristy as to be expected but had a lovely charm about it. We drove up (and got stuck) on the narrow roads through the National Park, surrounded by hillwalkers, animals, bikers and horse drawn carriages- like a scene from PS I Love You (more like PS I told you not to drove down this road). The hike up the mountain was a tad strenuous going up the infamous 'Devils Ladder' and coming back down through the fog and getting completely lost, not being able to see in front of us, but inbetween was breezy. Luxkily we joined forces with a group of Northern lads who were also lost, and found our way to the bottom in one piece.

2019 had a mix of adventure, alot at home but come to think of it, alot abroad too. Im looking forward to 2020 which will take me on some similar camping adventures however this time I will be in Portugal and living in a camper with my dog. Can i use this as my 2020 challenge??

​Hmmm

Towards ther middle of 2019 I had enough of the spa industry and longed for a career in the travel industry. This came true when I got the job with Trailfinders and was sent off to London to share a flat with new friends and take part in 5 weeks intense training- and boy was it intense. Durinf my time in London I managed to reunite with friends from all parts of my life. I got to reunite with Nicola who was my first every travel buddy in 2007 when we met in Australia (we have reunited many times in Ireland and UK since then), Lucy and her crew, who I had travelled with in Canada in 2010 and had been to see her and her family many times in Kilkenny since then, Carla who I had met during my first yoga teacher training in India in 2013 and i even got to reunite with old ship friends when they docked in London for the weekend. It was an adventurous 5 weeks.

Whilst here, I couldnt help but go to the Westend to see some musicals including Wicked, Waitress (where I randomly bumped into my ship friend Johnny who was now back working at the theatre)-thanks for the half price drinks mate, and Come From Away which was amazing. I explored the posh areas of Chelsea, Notting Hill, Kensington and Camden (where we were staying) amongst other parts of London and became oh so familiar with the tube once again. One night we even had a very random encounter with the band Walking on Cars- turns out a colleague of mine from Kerry is best friends with them and had planned to meet them for drinks whilst another colleague and myself were out meeting my friend Lucy and her crew. He invited us to come hang out with them- and with my colleague Amy being a huge fan, this would be a night to remember for sure. My ship friend Sumeet came out and all of a sudden there we were- Trailfinders colleagues, old ship friends and a famous Irish band, sitting around a big table or dinner before hitting the town for a spot of dancing until thr wee hours. You just couldnt plan these things if you tried.

It was so nice to have the opportunity to reunite with old friends during this time but also to meet some new friends through my job and get to attend various events too. We went to a travel speed dating style event which was set at breakfast time and was rather interesting, involving us sitting at different tables with different South African suppliers (safari or hotel suppliers) and learning about their business in a few minutes before moving on with the ring of a bell. We also had an all you can drink event hosted by another company based in South East Asia which was fun- Pierce Morgan even had to vacate his space in the pub because it was reserved for us- he wasnt happy!

As fitness goes, I got in a few runs during my time there, both through Hyde Park and Holland Park as well as attending a few yoga classes at Core Collective- studio to the stars apparently ( well the Made in Chelsea stars anyway!). It was a busy 5 weeks full of study, destination learning, reunions and new experiences. I even managed to get my two colleagues Amy and Kelly onboard Viking for sneak peak at their brand new ship as well as a delcious buffet lunch- they were delighted, and I was delighted to see some familiar faces from my first and second contract with Viking including Sergio who I would stay with in Mexico. A friend of mine managed to get me free tickets to Bob Dylan/Neil Young in Hyde Park too, which made my entire life, I was so sad I had missed the irish show and was even more sad that this one was sold out. Thank you so much for that!!

London was awesome and no matter how many times I go back, there is always something new to discover. Now to plan my next visit back??  

The plan to go to Czech Republic was, well, as you can imagine- spontaneous!! I was planning to reunite with someone I had met in mexico and we wanted to find somewhere kind of central to Europe but a btit different too. We decided to visit Beroun, a town about 40 mins from Parague city but close enough to national parks, castles and Karlovy Vary- where 'Casino Royale' was filmed. We hired a car for the 6 days which was so worth it because It meant we could drive from Beroun in to Prague and back, in and around various towns in the hills including Karlsteijn and Karlovy Vary of course, quite easily. The town of Beroun was nothing amazing like Prague itself, but considering we had both been to Prague before, we thought it would be cool to have a different experience especially for New Year- although we didnt have high hopes for entertainment in Beroun. 

During our time in Beroun we discovered a few local places to eat and drink local beer/cheap wine as well as indulge in our favourite fried cheese, almost every day. We discovered a local brewery set in the middle of an industrial area just off the main road (random eh?) where we spent a fun evening drinking whiskey on the rocks and eating a made up veggie platter which was delicious. We had one of the worst chinese meals of our life in this town, despiote the hangover, when even bad food tastes good, but enjoyed the luxuries of Karlovy Vary the most. It was a 2 hour drive each way and was so worth it. The town itself was set on the river and the architechture was so picturesque, and was dotted with many thermal spas and quaint cafes. We had a lovely coffee and ice cream sundae in the Hotel Pupp Cafe (Film location for Casino Royale)- I was craving a sundae having watched 'The Irishman' the night before and seein Al Pacinos character eating them in almost every scene. The cafe was so classy and there was even a queue of people waiting for a seat, it was that popular- lucky we didnt have to wait more than ten minutes. 

We drove the narrow roads of thre high up national park which took us through some quaint ghost towns but with magnificent scenery. We had dinner in a lovely country pub and went for a lovely New Years Day hike to a castle in Karlsteijn. New Years Eve dinner was in a very american style diner in Beroun, considering everything else was closed or not appealing. We found ouselves on a bit of a 'pub crawl' if you can call it that, through the town, even sneaking into a couple of private functions hoping they wouldnt notice the dodgy foreigners. They did!! We ended up back at the brewery mentioned earlier, which didnt have many people but luckily the night was saved when the Beroun fireworks began at midnight. We had no idea this was going to happen, but It was a very nice feature of the evening and a nice way to start the new decade.

My favourite part of the trip was the fireworks and Karlovy Vary and my worst part was probably the chinese meal we had - if I can even call it that. Beroun and surroundings were beautiful, the roads were so easy to drive but it was bitterly cold. Our Hotel 'Hotel Grand Litava' set right in town, was very good value and had a great location, but there was not much entertainment or facilities for guests. I got to try a few craft beers in Prague city and visited the cafe where Einstein used to go as well as the Lennon wall (one more time). 6 days in the Czech countryside was fun, different and with the car at hand we had so much freedom to explore the many places around us. 

It was for 2 reasons that this trip was booked... Okay maybe three! It was Michaels birthday trip, my country 88 and well, it was spontaneous because of cheap flights.... Any excuse eh?

I had always wanted to visit the Ukraine (a friend once asked me why we call it THE Ukraine, I still wonder why)considering the history there and being a history buff I really wanted to visit Chernobyl- which we didnt get to this time. I had a few friends from Ukraine but they were still on ships when I was visiting, however they gave me some great tips. My main aim, sad but true, was to find a perogie place and eat them morning until night- I love them, however in Ukraine they are called Vareniky - but are the same thing (potatoe and cheese dumplings boiled or fried- and with many other fillings too). I did find one and I was happy!!

In Kiev we explored the city and enjoyed lots of the museums bith indoor and quirky outdoor displays. There is an outdoor war museum which is pretty interesting as well as the Chernobyl museum which was so incredible to learn about. We had just finished the Chernobyl documentary so this trip came at the right time. We managed to go to an opera/ballet, which I always try to do when in Eastern Europe/Russia r Baltic countries as they are always incredible. Our hotel was just a metro ride away at Hidropark and it was located on a barge. It was a very old Russian style decor with a communist feel which made the whole experience really authentic for some reason. It was like stepping back in time. The metro system in Kiev was so good and so easy to navigate, we considered taking the hop on hop off bus but considering the price and what was included, we decided to do it ourselves and walk most of the city. Google maps for the win!!

Some highlights of the trip were, Ukranian National Chernobyl Museum/ Museum of the Great Patriotic War/ Alley of Heroes/ Beer House/Mariyinsky Palace.

It was a spur of the moment trip, like most are for me, but this one saw me hit a huge milestone in my travels. Luxembourg would be the 90th country i had travelled to. I had always thought of visiting but considering the flights were only on certain days of the week, the schedule never worked out for me before but now with freedom from employment and a new van life on the horizon, there was no better time to go. I took my mother as a belated xmas gift- 2 for the price of one eh.


The flights themselves were a bargain at €60 for both of us return, not inc baggage, although at this rate im a pro at packing everything into a small space. We set off for a long weekend with a castle booked to stay in for the duration. It sounds fancy- and it was, but it was very good value. I decided to rent a car considering the castle was about 45 min from Luxembourg itself and it seemed the best way to see other places and get around easier, not to mention that Ryanair had a great deal on a car rental for the duration. I suggest booking it separately as it saved me a lot rather than adding on with the flights.


I had no idea what there was to see in Lux and I am embarrassed to say but i didn't even know which currency they used or language they spoke, but that's why we travel, to learn.


I was upgraded to an automatic car which made life so much easier and all I did was ask (no harm eh). We arrived to Chateau d'Urspelt that evening and it was a phenomenal sight that greeted us. The hotel was like a fairytale castle especially at night all lit up. We checked in and went to our room which was spotless and so cosy. We had breakfast each morning at the hotel which was prepaid (definitely cheaper to do that then pay on arrival, it's half price) and was such an experience in itself. I think that was the best hotel breakfast i ever had- there was literally everything you could think of, from passionfruit to fresh waffles, to all types of eggs, teas, coffees (delicious), smoked salmon, so many freshly baked breads and more. We ate until we needed to lay down. We didn't eat any other meals at the hotel as it was extremely expensive but instead had Italian one night and Indian another night, both in two other towns after our days out. The Italian was awful and the Indian was fab.


Our first day consisted of a free 2 hour walking tour which i found online and was amazing. The guide was very funny and group loved him. I learned so much such as; Luxembourgs languages which are Luxembourgish, French and German- in that order. Luxembourgish is a sort of mix of both, quite strange tk bear at first but intriguing. They use both of the others too and kids have to learn all three in school. Luxembourg, is the only country in the world to have a Grand Duke and the country is run by monarchy and government. I learned lots of history as well which I won't go into, instead ill let you learn that yourself when you visit. Luxembourg city was amazing, it was like a medieval timelapse complete with a modern city centre with all the usual shops but surrounded with old city walls, castles and fort remains. You could spend hours walking around these areas and gasp at every corner, and we did.


Day 2 we headed to a few towns closer to the hotel such as Clervaux which had a beautiful hilltop castle, Vianden which was my favourite with it's windy cobbled streets and amazing chateau perched on the cliff, Diekirch which is home to their local beer by the same name which is delicious and Ettlebruck which we only saw at night but seemed like another average Luxembourg town but it is where we are a beautiful Indian meal.


Day 3 we drove right down to the French border to Esch Sur Alzette which was very underwhelming considering it was one of the other cities of Luxembourg. We realised we left our rental car documents in the hotel and instead of exploring more of the area, we ended up driving all the way back to the hotel to collect it, to avoid a hefty €100 fine. The rest of the day consisted of me driving back and forth on the roads which became very familiar to me, before heading to the airport just in time to catch our flight. Right now im on the plane home and reminiscing about the past few days in such a beautiful place. I would highly encourage anyone to visit Luxembourg, for 3 days with a car and for 2 days max just staying in the city. The car is worth it and the roads there are amazing so it is much better to explore and have the freedom with the car, although i did see local buses and many train stations but not too many in the countryside.

Check our Chateau d'Urspelt for your stay, i cannot recommend it enough.

Mexico was always somewhere i wanted to go, years ago when in Canada i remember considering a trip down there, which I couldn't afford, but it didn't stop me from looking. At that time i was looking at a quick 'All Inclusive' resort style trip to get some sun and well, stay safe- after all Mexico is soo dangerous right? Wrong


Don't get me wrong, it's not the safest country in the world but i feel like if you are streetwise (which someone kindly labelled me once) and follow your gut, you can't go wrong. Also knowing locals definitely helps... Luckily when I started my job with Trailfinders, i was told to take a week of annual leave which i was due and they were kind enough the play around with the schedule and allow me 11 days to travel, this changed everything.


Originally i thought of returning to Iceland, i then considered other places close to home but when my time was extended I could look further afield. It worked out perfectly that my good ship buddy Sergio happened to be on his vacation back home at that time and so I booked my flights. I think he thought i wasn't serious until he got the screenshot of my itinerary, then he got super excited and went all out planning for my arrival. How cool?


When i arrived to Cancun, i took a Ado bus to Merida which is a big colonial city about 3 hours from Cancun. I planned to stay with Sergio and his family for a few days and then make a circle around the Yucutan peninsula and back to Cancun over a 10 day period, i had no real plan, but that's the beauty of travel. I was welcomed with open arms by Sergio and his amazing family who hosted me in their beautiful home just outside of the city. Sergio spent the next few days driving me around to many places of interest including Celestun Biosphere where we took a boat ride to see the flamingos, to the beach with his family, into amazing Merida city and my favourite excursion which was to the Cenote.... where we had a private tour through all the underwater caves. This was the most spectacular sight i had ever seen, and I've seen the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu to name but few. It was a natural wonder and completely blew my mind. Looking below the surface of the water with the snorkel on, I was absolutely taken aback by the underwater world of caves below me and tried not to freak out when the guide told us how deep it was. It was terrifying but spectacular, so much so that Sergio, who has seen many of these cenotes (these are a network of underwater caves and waterways native only to Yucutan and all 5000 are connected) said it was the best be had ever seen, and if a local says this, then it must be pretty good right?


Sergio took me to some amazing places to eat local Mexican food, not your usual fajitas and burritos like we imagine, this was freshly ground guacamole, freshly made tortillas and the most flavoursome fish first caught. I was so thankful to him and his family for showing me such a great time, if only i could have stayed longer.


Sergio dropped me off at the bus which took me to Valladolid, the closest town to Chichen Itza - one of the wonders of the world and a place high on my list. I decided to stay at a hostel here for one night. The first afternoon i had some delicious food and headed off on an exploration of the beautiful, quaint town. Many people avoid this place and I myself planned to see the mayan ruins and then continue on but i was so happy i stayed there. The town was so picturesque and architecturally mind blowing, i took so many pictures. It was here i met Ruby and Abby in my hostel, two girls on a big trip around Mexico and Columbia. We decided to head to Chichen Itza together the next day where we hired a guide with a few other travellers we met on the bus (donativo local bus) for about €10 each. It was so worth it. Not only did we learn the history of the most famous Mayan ruins on the globe, but the guide knew all the best photo angles....


We picked up some souvenirs and headed off back to Valladolid before grabbing our bags at the hostel and continuing on the bus station to get the bus to Tulum. The girls had planned to stay at a nice beach front hotel at Tulums hip beach area while i had opted for a hostel in the town centre close to the bustling 'strip'. I soon realised that Tulum has many different sites to it and i much preferred the 'bali beach vibes' of the Tulum beach area. I explored the town which was lined with bars, restaurants and shops that all sold hand woven dream catchers, hired a bike and cycled to the Tulum ruins. I even managed to catch-up with a friend from work who was in Mexico with his wife. He picked me up and we explored another cenote and had a lovely lunch together. That evening, I got dolled up and cycled to the beach bar to meet up with the girls where we sat drinking cocktails on the rooftop and listened to live music. It was the dream! When the night was over, the owner of their hotel popped my bike into the back of his truck and took us all into town for 'the best local tacos' which was open all night. There were were at 2am, a group of travelers from all over the world including a Canadian man we met a long the way, eating THE BEST tacos in Tulum. This made my heart smile. I yearned for these moments back in Ireland and i had forgotten this feeling existed. This was the start of a fire inside me, reigniting.


The next day i headed for Playa del Carmen just an hour up the coast from Tulum, but i had heard it was more hustle bustle vibe there. And it was....


I stayed at my 'fancy hotel', you know the one nice place you stay along your trip when you've been slumming it at hostels every other night. It was actually very cheap and was right on the beach. When it was too early to check in i was told to relax on the sunbeds and enjoy my complimentary cocktail... Don't mind if i do!


I became friends with the local waiter who was a young local man very friendly and full of knowledge. He said he had never met anyone from Ireland before and the next day ran up to me to tell me how he had met an Irish family. He was so excited.


My room was huge, had everything i needed and more importantly had privacy to relax. That evening I roamed the infamous strip, full of bars and restaurants and huge versions of shops we all know. I got a lovely gelato and bought a nice ring as I wandered around the street stalls. The next day I decided take the ferry to Cozumel, where I hired a scooter and circled the island (there's only one road, you can't get lost really). I felt the freedom as I drove on the open road, wind in my hair and views of the turquoise sea all around me. This was life, this was living. The more i saw and did in Mexico the more i sparked that fire inside of me. I stopped at a derelict hotel perched over the ocean and enjoyed a few moments of peace and calm before continuing on. I did this a few times along the way to take it all in. When i dropped the bike back, i got some delicious churros whilst waiting for the ferry back to Playa. That evening i planned to meet someone i had met on my flight over, who turned out to be creepy so i luckily avoided it and ended up meeting a fellow traveller. A very handsome fellow traveller. Needless to say, my plans changed and I had a lovely few days in playa with great company before taking my flight home from Cancun. I was glad i had sacrificed a few days in a hostel in crazy Cancun for a real travel experience because these are rhe moments you cannot plan and you cannot recreate. The fire in me was roaring and looking back, this is when i knew i had to make changes. The ideas of vanlife came to me, I knew i needed to feel like I'm living my life again and I was fully inspired by each person i met a long the way, including myself, the real me. Thank you Mexico for being more than you'll ever know.