It’s really sad that I haven’t blogged in so long. I’m well over a year behind. I haven’t told you about Chile and Argentina, the Channel Islands, and who even knows what else? Of course I had a computer mishap one year ago and lost some photos from my trip to Chile and Argentina, but I also still have photos and will definitely come back to that. I’m breaking the code. My excitement at getting back into writing regularly is to tell you about my trip to Europe last year. Recently I had someone message me and tell me that they tried to go to my website to look up information about the Faroe Islands.

Two things right and wrong with that statement. Firstly, Bluehost had shutdown my website because they said it was using too many resources on their server, I’ve since moved to my very own server with another hosting service (which meant this website was down for almost 3 weeks because it was quite the process). Yet Secondly, had he even been able to access my website, he would not have found any information about the Faroe Islands because I have not yet written about that trip and it happened last November.

I think it’s time we start there and move forward and backwards as it seems to fit.

This 35 day, 5 country visit back to Europe was made possible because after 3 tedious months finalizing my thesis, muddling through the final of final papers, I was giving it all I could give, after being a complete slacker, so I was giving it all I could give double time. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now, but clearly I had not. All I needed in hand to leave on this trip was one slip of paper that said my thesis was indeed complete, and all final reviews had been submitted, and congratulations you are officially finished. Got to have that piece of paper to prove it. After I made that deadline I had almost 2 months off before my next school began, so I figured it was time to head back to Europe and visit some magical places I’d been holding out for.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZpXRO5lmLp/

Now I’m not sure if you can believe it, but to go to all of the listed places in the title I paid $990 dollars in airline flights. WOWWW. Wanna know how?

Well, WOW Air has begun flying in major U.S. cites with the intent to branch out to others shortly. You can find flights to Europe from places like NY, LA, SF, for $180 one way which is AMAZING. I can’t even fly from San Francisco to Pittsburgh for that cheap. Now you won’t get any luxuries on these flights, no food, no movies, but if you plan ahead then there’s no need to worry. I had to had one checked bag for my backpack and I did add legroom but even still not a bad flight. If you prepare by bringing your own snacks, and an iPad with entertainment, then you will be golden.

Sometimes, you even get an entire row to yourself, which happened for me on this flight! 😉

I bought a round trip ticket from San Francisco to Ireland with a 7 day layover in Iceland at NO EXTRA CHARGE! That’s right, WOW Air is based out of Iceland and is trying to bring tourism to the country so you can add a 7 day layover to either end of your trip with only tax fees. BALLER. The total cost was $637.93

I started my trip in Ireland and made my way to Scotland from Northern Ireland by ferry so decided to also fly to the Faroe Islands from Edinburgh Scotland and was able to buy a one way from Edinburgh to the Faroe Islands and a one way from the Faroe Islands back to Dublin Ireland to pick up my round trip back to the states, with a 20 hour layover in Copenhagen Denmark! Phew, total cost for all of those flights was $353 rounded to the nearest dollar.

Helo Pad for Special Dignitaries that says WELCOME in Gaelic

I was so excited and ready for this trip. I spent the usual 3 hours packing because everything has to fit properly into my backpack and small carry on back pack properly so it doesn’t hurt my back if I have to hike around a city with all my gear, and a couple days after graduation, and my entire family came out to visit and celebrate, I was on the late bus to San Francisco to catch my overnight to Iceland and continue to Ireland (I took my 7 day layover at the end of the trip instead at the beginning). EEEEEE!

With the time change I arrived in Ireland around 10pm and set off straight to a hostel that was recommended. I had not booked anything ahead of time, I never do anymore because if I don’t like what I see I don’t stay and also I normally meet awesome people on the traveling road who are full of recommendations which I would always rather listen to then trip advisor or one of those websites. I have quite the opinion about that which I will tell you some other time.

So I went and checked into a hostel that was booming and packed to the gills with over 100 tenants. I locked up my back in storage and immediately set out to find some food but with very little luck because it was so late and there was not much food to eat.

I did however find some scraps at a convenience store and headed back to the hostel to hang out, drink a beer, and then pretty much head to bed. I was tired after all the travel and I decided to go on the free walking tour the next morning and wanted to be up early in time for breakfast.

Now, I have been a part of this blogging thing for quite some time although it wouldn’t really seem like it. I have met people through the internet now and again and  I talk with them and collaborate about different things or just share the our simple passions. One of those people is a gentleman named Tom, who is an American who married an Irishwoman and lives in a small town outside of Dublin called Cellbridge. I contacted Tom after I bought my ticket to Dublin and asked him if he was available to meet up for lunch in the city and he was glad to oblige me, which was so SO SOOO AWESOME!

He works at a quaint bookshop right in the middle of the city, so after a few hours on the walking tour I dipped off and headed to meet Tom for lunch. It was a great lunch! Especially when you get to meet and have a conversation with someone who shares many of the same ideas and passions. He took me to a quaint Italian restaurant and we taked and talked and laughed and it was like we have been friends for years. I love how invigorating the traveling road can make you feel. At the end of lunch he insisted that I come out to Cellbridge that night for dinner and I agreed to come and meet his wife and 2 sons.

After we parted ways from lunch with the expectation that I would catch the bus out to Cellbridge, I roamed around Dublin and went back to a few different stops from he walking tour, to enjoy a proper Irish coffee, with the whiskey not Bailey’s although I love both, and just enjoy the magic that is Ireland and that I have truly dreamed about since I read about the magic and folklore in historical novels when I was younger. I have always wanted to childishly believe in that stuff and I definitely do.

Proper Irish coffee

Around 5pm I caught the bus, following Tom’s specific instructions, he had even quickly stopped in with me to a bookshop after lunch so I could buy a proper map of Ireland, which I would need for my upcoming road trip and pointed out the area to me, how could I screw this up?!

By getting off the bus too early. Opps.

I road the bus for quite some time as he headed outside the city but I accidentally got off the bus in town and not at the proper stop near Tom’s house so I found myself in a proper Irish pub and ordered a Guinness while I connected to the internet and called Tom.

He eventually found me and I had to chug the Guinness so I could head to his house. He family was GREAT! His wife was such a joyful and amazing woman and his sons were really funny and the banter was so comfortable and friendly. We ate dinner and told stories and laughed long into the night. She even had proper choclate biscuits from none other than Fortnum and Mason’s in London which I love, and the home cooked meal was so delicious. How spoiled I was hitting the road for 35 days and able to have a home cooked meal on my 2nd night in Ireland!

Tom’s Family in Cellbridge, Ireland!

We laughed so hard about everything and after dinner Tom and Fi drove me back to the train station so I could catch a train back into the city. They were the most wonderful hosts and so inspiring to be around, I can’t say how wonderful it was to meet up with someone I had been talking to on social media for years. I hope that one day they will be able to visit me so I can return the favor.

Once back in Dublin, I went to Darkey Kelly’s pub, which became one of my favorite places to start or end an evening in Dublin and one that I would return to multiple times during my trip. and messaged an Australian girl and 2 Finish guys I had met at the hostel and went on the walking tour with earlier. They came and met me and we stayed out until the wee hours of the morning drinking and dancing. It was a lot of fun.

Hostel Mates

I fell into bed late that night and was getting up very early the next morning to pick up a friend at the airport, pick up a rental car, and head South. Stay tuned for the next Post!

Lookey Lookey Archway cookie, Justin and I do Ireland together.

This article appeared first on The Cassey Excursion.

COST BREAKDOWN:

ALL FLIGHTS IN TOTAL: $990

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR THIS TRIP: $108

TOTAL SO FAR $1,098

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