As our country was prepping to celebrate another birthday, I decided to pack my bags and head to the Northwest to escape the Texas heat! Goodbye Austin, hello Seattle!
I booked a room at Hotel FIVE in Belltown, Seattle; check-in was a breeze and the delightful hotel staff was more than happy to offer a quick overview of the area and some recommendations for food nearby.
Photo Credit: Brandi Bhamani
Once I got up to the room, aside from the vibrant decor, I notice something very unexpected, it was this adorable little husky sitting on the bed. His name is Dash and the little card on the bed encouraged me to take him along on my travels, tagging photos with #dashadvenutres. This was a bit of marketing genius!
Photo Credit: Brandi Bhamani
The room was clean and quiet with a funky, yet somehow homey decor. The red accent wall behind the bed really made the room feel warm and inviting.
Photo Credit: Brandi Bhamani
There was also a pineapple shaped box placed on the counter as a fun little upsell; an assortment of Munchies for your late night cravings.
It took me about three weeks to convince myself to do it, but it’s totally happening … I’m heading to Ireland in October!
Yes, while this seems to not be such a big deal to some, I’ve always lived my life with a certain care … for many years I have had to weight the thoughts of a good meal versus a roof over my head. In the past five years, all of that has changed. Though a lot of hard work and determination, I have placed myself into a great position.
Even though everything is going well, I always have that little voice in the back of my head that say, “what if … ” Well, with the purchasing of these tickets, I have basically told that voice to shut it’s trap!
I’m not much of a spontaneous person, so while three weeks of convincing is the exact opposite, I still feel like I’m becoming a more “in the moment” individual.
With that, the tickets are purchased, the time off of work booked … now I just have to figure out what to do when I get there.
To help answer this question, I’ve turned to my all time favorite travel guru, Rick Steves!
Rick Steves Ireland 2015 is up-to-date, and considered by many sites to be one of the best travel guides out there … let’s face it, Rick is my hero! Travel, adventure, food and friends – I can’t think of anything better.
I’ll be flying into Dublin – basically the least expensive option from the US – with the intention of spending about four to five days exploring Ireland, chatting up the people and drinking copious amounts of the black stuff. Let’s face it, I’m a light weight … by copious amount, I mean a pint or two.
After that, who knows! I have about 10 days booked on the other side of the pond, so I’m thinking of taking a quick trip over to Bavaria, maybe check out Hirschgarten which is heralded as having the largest beer garden in Munich, maybe the world.
The only thing I’m afraid of with this trip, is falling in love with either of the countries … that would pose a problem for my budget. But hey, you only live once, you might as well enjoy it!
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