I've spent the last two weeks in the states visiting family in Florida and friends in Kentucky.
After a crazy travel debacle, I made it back to London on Monday morning,
and white the happiness I feel to be back in the UK is not at all shocking,
having a break home couldn't have came at a better time.

I had this terrible anxiety the weeks before my trip.
Every time I have left London in the past years, it had always been a one-way flight
and the future of when I would be back in the city was unknown.
I was having of a Pavlovian reaction,
feeling like I had to do everything in the world before I got on that plane.
Heather literally had to sit me down and tell me, 'Caity. YOU ARE COMING BACK.'

And, of course, I did come back.
It's a great problem to have, loving a place so much that you don't want to leave.
But going home at this particular time was the best thing I could have done.

I have lived in London for almost a year now.
And while I love it - absolutely, with all my heart, love it -
it is one of the most stressful and difficult things I've ever done in my life.
The stress and anxiety of taking that jump and making your life how you want it is terrifying,
and stressful - did I already mention that?

Two weeks away gave me that little break to clear my head,
and see the ones who love and support me most in this crazy ride.

To have these dreams that may seem irrational or impractical to some,
and have people that believe in me that I can make it happen?
And not only that - but allow me to go off and do the things I need,
then welcome me home, even if only temporary, with open arms as if I never left.
I'm a very, very lucky girl.

I'm all for making your dreams come true;
in fact, I annoyingly URGE you to go out and do that.

But don't forget about the ones you left behind.
Because they are the reason why you're able to do this.
Without my parents raising me to go for what I believe in,
or the friends who still manage to talk to me daily after not seeing me for months/years at a time,
without any of these folks who support what I do, who tell me how proud they are of what I am doing,
there is no way in hell I would be where I am.

So this post is a big thank you to them,
and a reminder to you;
don't forget about the ones that love you.

Whether things work out the way I've planned,
or take a completely different turn from this,
they are ALWAYS there to cheer me on.

Heather Here. I'mmmmmm baaaaack!

A few weeks ago, I finally got to leave London for the first time in months

There weren't too many helpful guides on the city out there when I searched,

and I loved the place so much that I thought I would help you out next time you decided to make a visit!

We stayed at an awesome hostel - St. Christopher's Inn.

If it sounds familiar, it probably is.

There are a ton of St Christopher's located around the EU and UK - it's one of the most popular out there.

The reception was stocked with a full bar, and the drinks were REALLY cheap.

And if that doesn't convince you to book a stay, I'm not sure if I ever will be able to.

The hostel is no more than a 10-second walk from the Rosa-Luxemburg subway stop,

making it convenient to get anywhere in the city.

Although it wasn't the closest stay to the city centre, the location is great if you are looking to do some shopping in the boutiques and malls!

Friday:

Depending on the time you get to your hostel,

going to one of Sandeman's Free Walking Tours is a MUST!

They are everyday starting at 11AM and 2PM right in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

I can't say enough about how amazing, fun, and informational the tours are!

AND THEY'RE FREE!

This will give you a great foundation of knowing the city for when you are walking around without a guide later.

A few of the places we crossed on the tour:

The Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe - by far my favorite memorial I've ever been to

The parking lot above the bunker where Hitler killed himself

Bebelplatz - where the book burnings took place

Checkpoint Charlie

The Berlin Wall

and so many other sites!

After this, you can stroll right up to Museum Island and the Berliner Dom.

While it's still light out, head into the Berliner Dom and take a self-guided tour inside the cathedral.

It's only a couple Euros, and if you're a student you'll even manage a discount.

 After you've seen the tombs and chapels, climb up to the top and get a gorgeous view of the city.

From the Berliner Dom, you can walk around the island and enjoy the free museums.

I suggest hopping across the bridge and finding yourself an outdoor seat at one of the nearby cafes

to enjoy the beautiful view of the river and Museum Island.

Saturday:

Saturday gives you the chance to see a different part of Berlin.

There are dozens of different markets all over the city for everyone to enjoy.

Taking a stroll through one of the many parks, I've heard, is an amazing experience.

As it was too cold to stroll around Mauerpark, which houses the Berlin Wall Memorial

as well as a large strip of the Berlin Wall,

Rachel and I decided to forgo that opportunity.

During the spring and summer, though, it's a wonderful place to sit and relax.

If you're lucky, you'll get to enjoy one of their many open-air events

Großer Tiergarten is another park closer to the centre of town.

It holds a supposed haunting ground, as well as The Victory Column, different museums, cafes, and the Reichstag.

The Reichstag is the equivalent to the British Houses of Parliament, and is an absolute must-see.

Located on the edge of the park and adjacent to the Bradenburg Gate, it provides stunning views of the city. 

The top of the building has a massive glass dome with a spiral staircase that leads all the way to the top.

In order to go, you'll need to make a reservation at least a day in advance - but it's free!

From here, you are just a few minutes walk from Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers am Gendarmenmarkt,

which is a DELICIOUS chocolate store.

They had chocolate sculptures of the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, and a real chocolate volcano!

Plus, they have about 500 different truffles to choose from - good luck with that.

The top floor is an elegant and inexpensive restaurant that serves different forms of chocolate with each tea, bread basket, and meal.

Don't forget to indulge in dessert (don't worry, we don't count the chocolates with the meals as dessert) with a delicately designed mocha or a shake!

After this, you should be ready for the evening.

Berlin is known for it's eccentric nightlife.

And although I didn't get to experience the famous bars and clubs around, it's definitely worth exploring.

Or, if you are up for a more leisurely night, I suggest the Hofbräuhaus.

And it's only a stones through from St. Christopher's Inn!

If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing a Hofbräuhaus,

just imagine leaderhosen, 1 litre steins, cute men everywhere,

loud music, drunken dancing, and one thousand of your newest and closest friends.

What's not to love about that?

Sunday:

Since Sunday is normally a travel day, it's best to catch a morning tour.

Rachel and I chose to go to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial with Sandeman's.

They have loads of other tours, as well as the postdam tour, the Third Reich Berlin Tour, the alternative city tour,

and even a pub crawl.

We also chose this day to walk up and down Unter den Linden - the central road in Berlin -

to buy some keepsakes and souvenirs.

Berlin is such a wonderful city - I hope you get the chance to enjoy it someday!

It definitely sits in my top four favorite cities so far. The culture, history, art, and beauty of the city

is what makes it such a unique place to visit.

Happy traveling - I hope you love it as much as I did!

Link up below!

Otherwise known as the Leibster.

I was passed on this thing again.

This time, it was by one of my absolute favorites - Cynthia!

She is living in the Czech Republic, and you can read all about her life as an expat over at Adventurings.

She also loves The Beatles. It's only right we became friends.

Her questions:

1. If I handed you a plane (or rail) ticket to anywhere in the world for one week, where would you go?
 My 'set in my ways' self would say hands down Liverpool - but that's just annoying.

Not being annoying I would looooove to visit Iceland. I have seen too many posts and photos on this gorgeous place and I am dying to see it for myself. A close second is Hallstatt, Austria.
GORGEOUS.

2. What was your favorite book you’ve read in the past year & why you loved it so much?

 Okay - I'm a terrible person and a master's degree is taking away any reading I could do.

I've also been binge watching House of Cards which takes away doing absolutely anything productive with my life right now.
So can I turn this question around and ask what books have you loved and why? Gimme those suggestions!

3.What  does your “default outfit” look like? (AKA - If I stopped by your house or met you for coffee on any given day, what might you be dressed in?) 

 Ha! What a great question for me - if you were to ask Heather on any given day what I would be wearing, she would probably throw out three specific outfits and I would most definitely be wearing one of them.

Tights, black skirt and a crop sweater or flats, black jeans and a sweater. Every day. All the time.

4. What item do you miss the most from home (that can be bought at a store) and wish it could be shipped to you posthaste?
I've thought about this a lot, actually. My boss just went to America and asked if I wanted anything and I couldn't really think of something I really have been missing.  McAlister's Deli cookies are always my go to. That place is so damn delicious.

OH. YES. Jolly rancher jelly beans. That's 100% it. So if you're asking for a reason... then yes I would absolutely love a shipment.

5. The mountains or the beach?
This is a torturous question!  How am I supposed to decide?

Since my parents live on the beach, can I choose the mountains and just have them as my holiday time? Sounds legit, that's my answer.

6. What’s a strange quirk of yours?

Someone told me I'm too animated when I talk. Like, flailing my hands all over the place like it's needed to get my point across. I think I try to do that less now

Can I also just add this even though it's more of a "talent" and less of a "quirk?" Well, it's actually more of a 'who care's Caity, why are you so proud of that' BUT I can fold my tongue and it's in Ripley's Believe It Or Not because so few people can do it. And yes, it may be weird but I feel SO COOL ABOUT IT.

7. Would you like to move back to the town you grew up in someday?

I spent my childhood in a tiny place called Chardon, Ohio - an amazing place to grow up.  Almost one of those 'everyone knows everyone' towns, and it was so safe that we could roam around as kids. There was a huge area of woods behind our houses that our parents never minded us running all over. I knew those woods like the back of my hand, and could probably still navigate it if I went back today.

I spend my teenager years in Louisville, Kentucky - another amazing place to grow up.  I always said that Chardon and Louisville were both so perfect for the ages I was at the time. And while I consider both places I grew up, I wanted to answer the question with both in mind. I would choose life over here before moving back to these places, but I wouldn't rule them out. I owe so much of myself to these cities and I would love to raise my own kids in a place I spent my years as a kid in.

Buuuuuuut I'd also like to raise my kids in London.

And stay here forever.

8. What inspires you most, creatively?

People!
Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone go after what they are truly passionate about.
And better yet, seeing them finally make that dream come true.
It's those stories that inspire me to create my own story how I'd like to read it.
 And then it's accomplishing that, that makes me want to share it with the world through this little thing.
That's some good ol' creativity inspiring creativity, y'all.

9. What do your travel plans for the rest of 2015 look like?

My travel plans in 2015 are so generically me, it's sickening. I'll be in Liverpool at least 3 times - knowing me it will be more. And in June, I'll be going back to America for a quick little visit! I'll be in Florida for about two weeks hanging out with my BFF's, otherwise known as Mom and Dad. And I also get to make a trip up to Louisville for a friend's wedding that I am SO exited and so unbelievably happy about! I've also not been to Louisville or seen these friends in two years, so it's going to be a good trip.

Yes. I know. No crazy Euro-raging or world-seeing. I'm boring and I'm broke. FORGIVE ME.

10. What’s a place you’ve been that you love that is totally underrated or off the tourist radar?

Can I say Liverpool? I've clearly over-used my mentions in this post already, but it's just such an incredible place!
I think, especially in England, a lot of people have misconstrued ideas of what it's like there.
But I think people need to make a visit before they judge.
Between the music, the history, and the people - it is one pretty amazing place.

I also think the Scottish Highlands are severely underrated for the beauty that they hold.
You can go to Spain, Italy, any of the 'must-see' places,
but I have never seen views like I did in Scotland.
Whether I was on a lake, a mountain, or even just standing in the middle of the road,
everything around me was the most incredibly sight I'd ever seen.
If there's a trip I'll tell you to take, it's up to Scotland.

Then make a detour and stop at Liverpool on your way back. OK I'M DONE NOW.

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- I want to throw this out to Elle at What The Elle

because she lives in Bristol, she's awesome, and what other reason do I need?

- I want to tag Rebecca's personal blog too.
She's from  Official Theatre, and she lets me tag along to all these cool events that just make life better.

And she also appreciates good theatre .. and a good drink. Or four.
But who's really judging when there's wine around?

- Lastly, I want to give this over to the lovely Travel Tuesday co-hosts,

Amanda, Michelle, and Marcella!

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My questions:

1. What's a day in the life of you?

See what I did there? That's a Beatles song.

Not my best, but I promise it's getting better.

HA GOT YOU AGAIN  ...Am I the only one laughing?

2. What are you really really good at?

3. What meal could you eat for the rest of your life?

Food, drink, AND dessert. I know, I'm feeling nice today.

4. Favorite musical?
Come on, you know this was coming.

5. Life goal - what is it?

6. Dogs or babies.
Is that cruel?

7. You have to travel with only on person for the next 5 years. That means 24/7, baby. Who is it?

8. What is your current JAM? 

(As much as I wish we hadn't left the topic of food, we did at question 3 - we're talking about music here!)

9. Most thrilling adventure you've ever taken

 10. What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

11. What is your favorite day of the week?

You don't have to answer that.

I was just trying to do a really smooth segue into the fact that it's TUESDAY!

Did you get a chance to read Katrina's post last week about the legend of the Richmond Vampire?
It was one of my favorites.

Don't worry if you didn't - I've got the link for you right here.

Link up below!

SORRY!

Travel Tuesday is a little dim on this page today.
I am currently working on my dissertation proposal that is due on Thursday.

Let's all say a quick prayer for me...

So while I am trying not to gauge my eyes out to keep from reading,

why don't you check out my favorite post from last weeks linkup?

Kaelene lives in Iceland - ICELAND!!

Jealousy: begin.

 She moved there to be with her hunky Icelandic viking of a boyfriend.

Jealousy: continue.

She talks about why you should visit Iceland in the winter

- as if we needed any convincing to visit. Hellooooo GORGEOUS -

and if for some unknown reason you are skeptical, just check out her pictures.

Find the post here.

Also - link up this week below!

Happy travels!

If you’ve ever wondered who that mysterious and good looking chick is that makes occasional cameos in Caity’s blog posts, then you’ll want to read on.

 It's me, Heather!

I'm the one you read about, but actually have no idea who I am.

And contrary to the awful pictures that Caity posts of me on here, I'm actually a normal person - I swear.

“Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

 

I saw Kaelene do this, and loved the idea.

And I've been away from travel-land and into London-land lately, so why not reminisce a bit

on some of the greatest experiences of my life.

A) Age you went on your first international trip:
I'm going to NOT count going to Mexico/The Caribbean with my family growing up,

so my 'real' international trip was at age 20 when I did my study abroad semester in London.

I mean, it was an alright trip - London's pretty decent..

B) Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:
Terribly cheap when it comes to beer, so I'll definitely say the Hofbräu Original in Munich, Germany.

The mix of the deliciousness, the fact it was a whole liter to enjoy, along with the atmosphere of the beer garden - 

Yup. Definitely my favorite.

C) Cuisine (favorite):
Is this a real question?

ALL THINGS ITALIAN!

Gelato, pizza, spaghetti, wine - give me it all.

D) Destinations–favorite, least favorite, and why?:
Favorite: 

 These questions are a killer - how am I to choose one?

Every place I've been to has been absolutely amazing,

but if you're MAKING ME choose one,

I'd obviously have to go with Liverpool -

I've never connected with a place so much.

I mean, I dedicated an entire post to why it's the greatest city in the world..

Least Favorite: 

Easy.

Naples, Italy.

I know I know, it's gorgeous there, etc. etc. etc.

When Heather and I made it, though, we were in the absolute wrong area for enjoyment.

There was nothing around but cheap shops, and there was no way to get to the coast and see the water.

Terrible location choice on our part - I'd love to go back and give it a second chance.

E) Event you’ve experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:
Scotland.

I was not expecting the trip at all.

I have never seen views like I did there.

It was the most incredibly visualizing experience I have ever had in my life.

Even now, I'm still remembering the weekend and saying

'Wooooooowowowoow that was gorgeous'

F) Favorite mode of transportation:
Come on now. Walking!

Why would you ever want to travel somewhere and NOT scout it out on your own two feet?

A trip wasted if you're spending it in a bus or underground.

G) Greatest feeling while traveling:
Realizing where you are.

I can't tell you how many times we've been somewhere and I've said to Heather,

"Do you realize we are in *ENTER CITY*??!!

Like, really. We are in *ENTER CITY*.

How weird is this? This is our lives right now."

When you take that moment and think about your life and what you are doing with it.

Such a surreal feeling - the absolute greatest.

H) Hottest place you’ve ever traveled to:
Hmmmm - probably Cinque Terre, Italy.

But I blame half of that because it was hot,

and half of that because we clearly had no idea how to prepare for hiking 5 miles of hills...

Hot and dumb, basically.

I) Incredible service you’ve experienced and where?:
Speaking of Cinque Terre, that's the answer to this question as well.

We splurged and stayed at the cutest hotel in the village of Monterosso - Hotel Porto Roca.

Located on a cliff of the village with a breathtaking view of the ocean,

the entire hotel was full of antique furniture and decor,

and the staff was more that ready to help with whtaever we needed - even if it was sandwiches at 10PM. Thanks again for that..

J) Journey that took the longest:
Well, there was this one time that Heather and I jumped on a German workers train on accident..

The trip was only about three hours, but between not knowing where we were headed and the scantily clad German men yelling that we were going to be arrested - it was the longest. trip. EVER.

K) Keepsake from your travels: 

I wanted to have some type of memory from every place we visited,

and I'm not really the shot-glass collector type.

Instead, I found local vendors selling their art on the streets and bought from them.

I came home with a drawing, painting, or mosaic from every city and hung it on my walls.

It didn't help with the travel-sickness I felt, but it was great to still be able to surround myself with these places.

L) Let-down sight, where and why?:
Same as my least favorite - Naples.

Majority of my blame is on us for not knowing how or where to choose to stay,

but it was the biggest let-down of the semester. So unfortunate.

M) Moment where you fell in love with traveling:
Ah, my first trip out of London!

We had a week off of classes in February, and decided to cram Prague and Paris into six days.

Such a quick and thrilling trip to both - I think we walked 20 miles between the two cities.

It was getting back to our flat and hitting the floor in a mix of happiness and exhaustion when I just knew this life was meant for me.

N) Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:
Well - my travels aren't known for their luxury.

Hostels, hostels, and more hostels have made up the majority of my accommodations,

but I absolutely love hostel life, so that's exactly how I wanted it to be.

So I'll go back to the splurge of the century when we were in Cinque Terre in Hotel Porto Roca.

It was absolutely the nicest place, with the nicest view.

Will be going back in about 20 years when I can afford it again..

O) Obsession–what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?:
I love a great building with a blue-sky backdrop.

Something about the way it looks on a clear sky is just so beautiful to me,

and the photographs turn out just stunning.

P) Passport stamps-how many and from where?:
Literally just pulled out my passport for this.

Prague, Paris, Dublin, More Paris, The Bahamas, Munich, Italy airport stamps, student stamps, and this one time my flight from London was diverted and we landed in Moncton, Canada.

That was fun.

Q) Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where?:
Hm. This is a tough one for me.

Does St. Paddy's Day in Dublin count? That was quirky all over ... and green. Very green.

So were we.

R) Really Frightening: where’s one place you’ve visited where you felt unsafe or uneasy? 

Luckily, Heather and I have both felt and been very safe in all of our travels - even when we were careless.

The only place that ever made me uncomfortable was Paris - walking home one night, a guy followed up and went all the way to putting his hands on Heather's neck. It didn't go any farther than that, and we got away from him, but proooobably the worst moment of our entire time abroad.

S) Splurge-something you have no problem spending money on while traveling:
Food! It's so amazing to try all of the dishes from different cultures.

And it's delicious - YUM.

T) Touristy thing you’ve done: 

One time Heather and I took photos with a dress up Roman soldier in front of the Pantheon.

Well, we were conned into it. 

It was all fun and games until he ended with 'FIVE EURO NOW'

...

U) Unforgettable travel memory:
The mini-backpack trip we took through Switzerland to Germany to Italy to Scotland counts as one, right?

There are so many amazing memories, I don't know how to narrow it down.

Riding on freight trains, sleeping on the street, almost being talked into skydiving with an Australian, singing in the most famous club in the world, drinking games through Dublin on St. Paddy's, eating pizza by the ocean in Italy, dancing through the original Hofbrauhaus with the friends I made 20 minutes prior.

There are too many - and THAT, is why travel is amazing.

V) Visas-how many and for where?:
Two - one for my study abroad semester in London, and one for my master's degree in London.

Clearly there's a lot of London love over here - if you haven't noticed already...

W) Wine–best glass while traveling:
Wine didn't grow on me until the year after I came back from abroad, but I do know that the best glass I did have was in Italy - OF COURSE.

Does it get better than wine in Italy??

X) eXcellent view and from where?:
Scotland - like I said above. WOW.

I don't really know how else to explain it but that I was utterly speechless.

Y) Years spent traveling:
I guess I can say three now!

Starting with my study abroad semester through Europe, then coming back home to Ohio,

taking a job up to Massachusetts, spending a month in London, moving down to Florida,

and then finally moving to London.

I feel like I haven't settled in quite some time!

Z) Zealous sports fans and where?:
The UK-UL college rivalry will always be my favorite.

The greatest energy, the most annoying fans, and all in my home state.

Trying to get into football over here too - and I'll tell everyone I'm a Liverpool fan.

Come on - did you expect anything else?

Tell me one of your ABC answers!

I see so many posts:

"17 Reasons You Should Travel Alone"

"Why Going Solo Is The Way To Go"

"Traveling Alone Is What You Should Do"

"Blah Blah Blah Blah"

I mean, you can only write about the same topic in so many different ways and it still be inspiring...

BUT,

I do completely agree with these posts - they are great.

You should travel alone - have the solo experience;

really learn about who you are.

But I'm not writing about that today.

While I'm all for that,

I'm even more for traveling with your friends.

You all know Heather.

Well, by now you should.

And if not, you should probably visit this page

that will - while it should be updated - give you the details.

Heather and I met as a random roommate assignment on our study abroad semester three years ago.
Everything I have experienced since then has been with her.
We've basically become a package deal. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

And all of the amazing,
and strange,
things that we've done have been together too.
It's been pretty great, if I say so myself.

Like that one time we slept on the street,

Or that other time we fought fake Roman soldiers...in Rome,

Or the time we actually decided to dress like Leprechauns in Ireland,

Or that other time we became backup dancers

And then the time after that when we became the actual singers...

What I'm saying is

you can go on your own and get a soul-searching experience.

Absolutely.

But I've done my fair share of traveling,

and I've done it all with someone else.
But even so,

I've still found myself and who I am more than I ever believed I could,

It's a different type of friendship when you find yourself in these situations you've never been in before.

Having someone to deal with the issues and chaos doesn't take away how scary it is when you're running through an airport about to miss a flight, or on a train full of German men yelling at you.

But I know that I was glad to have someone there to calm me down when my anxiety was hitting the roof.

And having them to experience all of the amazing memories too is really something special.

No one understands what we've been through, and what we are currently going through.

But to have someone who DOES get it,

well, it's pretty great.