Less Than Three Months To Go…. My Feelings

March of 2013, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers.

Lately I’ve been watching Friends for the first time instead of doing my schoolwork, and those have you who have watched it know exactly what accent I’m typing this in…

Oh… My… God!

All that aside I’ve come to realize just how exhilarating and yet terrifying it is that my trip to Ireland is inching closer and closer. This will be my first true time traveling 100% by myself. I’ve always been with family or as part of an ambassadorial group. Now I’m taking my first ever solo trip, and it’s for the longest time I have ever been away from home. The combination of excitement and sharp terror is absolutely exhilarating.

My life has been an absolute whirlwind lately between my classes, spending time with my partner, my part-time job (feels like full time) and my internship (which is working conventions). Considering that it has been a challenge to bit sleeping and eating in there, let alone get ready for Ireland, I’m amazed that I have the time to sit down and bust out a post for you guys. I have 65 days now until I leave for one of the greatest farm countries in the world, and I couldn’t be more excited. Add in planning out activities for my weekends, and looking up all the music festivals I want to go to and I have my hands full. I’ve scoured guide books, watched travel TV specials, and skimmed the blogs- surprisingly the least helpful so far.

With all this excitement going on I haven’t even been able to share my experiences at the conventions I’ve been going to. I promise that for my next upcoming convention (Quinnicon in Connecticut) that I will be much more proactive in getting my encounters out there because trust me, I’ve had some doozies. I’ve also been contemplating some Past Tides to share with you, but lately so much has happened in the present that I haven’t had time for the past! I swear I will get better.

I would definitely love to read anyone’s tips for traveling in Ireland, and what to see while I’m there. I should have about four weekends to gallivant, one day at least already taken up by a planned day trip. Also anything you’d like to hear about, let me know! Your comments fuel my writing soul!

Until my Next Adventure

(Coming Soon!)

Viviana Ayre

Couperage Wine and Whiskey Bar

January of 2013, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

Two months back, I had a gathering with my internship with SteamFunk Studios. In order to add a bit of fun in, I asked my darling sister if she would like a visit, seeing as I has to drive to Harrisburg, which is about two hours from where she lives in Philadelphia. Considering how fantastic my relationship is with my sister, she jumped at the chance for us to hang out even if it was only for a night. With this is mind, my sister thought that it would be nice to introduce me to a bar with cheap but delicious food. And when I say cheap I mean cheap: five dollars per serving!

Couperage Wine and Whiskey Bar is a popular little place in Philadelphia that my sister goes to every Thursday with her friends for an evening of casual drink and snacking. I won’t lie, I have no idea what the average size of a bar is, but it was crowded and noisy, but no in an unfriendly way. It was alive and friendly, and despite being an underager (not quite twenty-one yet) who doesn’t like alcohol in the first place, I was quite charmed by the atmosphere. Then the food came around.

Each of these compact, nicely portions pub food snacks were five dollars each. My sister and I split three little plates: mac ‘n’ cheese, cheese steak fries, and a pulled pork slider with chips.

Mac ‘n’ cheese:

As far as mac ‘n’ cheese goes, this was actually kind of blah. I’m not sure what kind of cheese they used, but it wasn’t particularly strong, so it had a bland-ish flavor. But it wasn’t terrible! And I remind you, five dollars. And also I’m probably ruined taste-wise due my childhood addiction to Kraft…..

Curse you cheap American food….

Cheese-steak fries:

Holy crap are these the most delicious guilty pleasures I have ever tasty. I’m normally not one for french fries (not huge on potatoes), but this was quite possibly the most heavenly thing I’ve ever sunk my teeth into. The cheese was perfectly melty, the steak was delicious, and the fries just rounded off this perfect dish of delight. For five dollars. Seriously I can’t get over the fact that these were only five dollars.

Pulled Pork Slider with Chips:

You heard me right. Pulled. Pork. Slider. Totally better than your average hamburger or cheeseburger slider.  Seriously this was a teeny tiny basket of heaven. Add in those wonderfully thick cut potato chips that are perfectly salted and I felt like I was in snack nirvana.

There is nothing better than finding great deals on delicious food. If you are ever in the Philadelphia area and you’re looking for a place with good, cheap pub food and a variety of delicious drinks, check out Couperage Wine and Whiskey Bar. Their tasty little bites are absolutely phenomenal.

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

I Am Way Too Excited Right Now

March of 2013, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So… I was intending to post a story about my travels. Something of worth and sustenance with some humor thrown in as well.

But I simply cannot focus because I’m too excited!!!! Way too excited. So as you all know, I recently got my tickets to Ireland. So I’ve been hyper and excited about that. It’s inspired me to start planning what I want to take, and where I want to try and visit during my days off from working on the farm. And now I just bought a camera after a year of being camera-less, specifically for this trip.

Look at how adorable she is!!!! But don’t be deceived by her size. She takes amazingly good quality pictures, and 1080p videos to boot! So it really looks like I’ll be doing the daily or every-other-day vlog that I want to do! And it’s going to be amazing. And thinking about the pictures and videos I’ll be able to take is making me even more excited. Thus I’m freaking out and completely unable to focus on posting a deep, insightful travel story.

My humblest apologies.

Have any ideas where I should try to go in Ireland (keeping in mind I have to take local transportation and I will only have two days away from the farm, max)? If you do, leave them in the comments!!!

Until My Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

I Own Plane Tickets Now!

February of 2013, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

Oh my goodness…. Oooooooh my gooooodness!!!!

I’m going to Ireland!

Of course I already told you guys that but it’s really, really official now!!!! I actually have a flight purchased and everything!

Depart:   Boston, MA  (BOS) Shannon, Ireland  (SNN) Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Flight #/ Carrier	Depart	Arrive	Travel time	Meal	Aircraft	Cabin	Seats
722	06:30 PM  BOS	08:05 PM  PHL	1h 35m		A319	Coach	5E
Stop: Change plane in Philadelphia, PA   (PHL)
776	09:05 PM  PHL	08:40 AM  SNN	6h 35m	Dinner	757-200	Coach	20F
Flight # 776 : Arrives next day, Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Return:   Shannon, Ireland  (SNN) Boston, MA  (BOS) Date: Thursday, July 11, 2013
Flight #/ Carrier	Depart	Arrive	Travel time	Meal	Aircraft	Cabin	Seats
777	11:35 AM  SNN	02:05 PM  PHL	7h 30m	Lunch	757-200	Coach	20F
Stop: Change plane in Philadelphia, PA   (PHL)
723	03:15 PM  PHL	04:29 PM  BOS	1h 14m		A319	Coach	5E

DO you see? DO YOU SEE?! Ermehgerd I’m really going to Ireland for a month. I can’t even describe how excited I am to be me right now. I have my farm, my wellies, and now my plane tickets to Ireland! I’m currently getting more information about what I will be doing on the farm, and when I will have days off to explore this beautiful country.

As a note I’ll most likely start up a daily vlog while I’m there in order to let my loved ones know how my life is going over there. And of course I love all my readers, so you’re all invited to watch! I’ll post more information on that when it gets closer to the actual date of me leaving.

Let me know what you guys want to know about Ireland!

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Don’t Forget to Wear a Coat!

November of 2010, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So, every trip has its screw up, and when I went to Guatemala for a few days to attend my uncle’s wedding, I made a minor mistake… I forgot to bring a real jacket.

Now, one might think, hey you’re in a tropical area, why worry about the lack of a proper jacket? That’s what I thought. But I was wrong. Boy was I incredibly wrong.

So here’s the story: My uncle’s wife is a native Guatemalan, and so they had two weddings. One was located in our home state for legality, the second was in Guatemala for his wife’s family. As bridesmaids, my sister and I manage to scrape together the funds to go for three days (a very touchy subject…. not something I’ll cover today). With our dresses and some traveling clothes, we set out for a country that had never really been on our list.

It took me three planes, my sister two; I had to fly to where my beloved sister lives so that we weren’t traveling alone. After that we flew down to South America, but had to take a smaller plane to Guatemala itself. It was the first time I’d ever boarded a plane by walking across tarmac (usually we have those little hallways straight to the door).

Our pilot boarding the plane

We arrived in Guatemala late afternoon early evening, and we went to dinner and check out our hotel. Our hotel that looked like it was enchanted…

Our bed with handmade textile blankets

The courtyard, complete with fountain

This was the hallway. No joke.

Yeah, it was gorgeous. The food was amazing too. As a farming major, there’s just something about super fresh eggs that just makes your taste buds go to heaven… Man, were they yummy. Pair that with some re-friend beans (first time ever having them), fresh mango slices, bread, and fried plantains (swooning just thinking about them) and you have a very classy and beautifully presented breakfast. As a note, it’s hard to have coffee in America when you have coffee fresh from the number one farm in the world… I’m spoiled…

Anyways! My uncle’s wife and her family offered to take my sister around the sight seeing. What that meant was leaving the town we were in and driving two hours around some mountains to get to another city surrounded by volcanoes and a lake. I do apologize for the lack of names, but I never got the chance to get the names of the cities and mountains before family differences stopped me. Nevertheless, I cannot get over how beautiful it was to make our way through the windy mountains to a city that was completely isolated. The only way to get there was by the long windy road, or by boat.

We took pictures.

We ate new foods.

Fresh made in the restaurant, including the chips!

Some of them were yucky.

Banana curry soup… yuck

Nevertheless the most important thing I learned in Guatemala was the one thing that I forgot to pack.

Bring a proper jacket (a sweatshirt would work too).

I should explain my thought process. Guatemala has a very warm climate, so I brought a little navy blue jacket that didn’t button shut. This proved to be my undoing as I realized that we spent the majority of our time in the windy mountains. We also traveled across a very windy lake!

Note how it’s a half jacket…. Also the adorable little turtle backpack I purchased

Sometimes, yes, I took the coat off.

 

Now yes, my arms were covered, but it was a half jacket that didn’t button/zip/attach at all. So all the lovely little breezes that whipped my hair straight up…

Were mildly uncomfortable!

I wish I’d remembered at least a sweatshirt to cover up with. Nevertheless it was a minor issue, just a small lesson to be learned. But make sure y’all remember your jackets before you leave the country!

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

I’m on the Road!!

January of 2013, Boot Size 10

My dear readers,

Technically I’m at a rest stop, but I am en route to Pennsylvania for a steampunk shoot, so I decided to leave a day early to spend the night with my sister and see the Philly nightlife!!! Ill make sure to have pictures for you guys because it is gonna be awesome!!!

I’ve Been Bad

January of 2013, Boot Size Shamed

My Dear Readers,

So… I’ve been bad again. I totally intended to update over a week ago for the new year, but life decided to get in the way. Then I spent the lat four days playing games when I should have been writing.

Damn you gamer me! Stopping me from being productive.

Now that I have my extreme need to stay in my room out of my system for the next month or so, I’m ready to pop out to the gym and burn off all the chips I’ve been eating, but I felt the extreme need to tell you guys what’s going on! I’m also going to try and work out a schedule to get myself to write more consistently. Maybe theme days… I’m good at follow theme days.

Anyways, to give you an update on my travels, a few things have changed.

Closest trip first: Ireland!

Well, not much has changed but my Dad and I are getting excited because the air flight sales for period of time I’m leaving is inching up. So soon I will have tickets, and confirmed times as to when I’m leaving for the the best farmland I’ve ever seen.

The next big trip along the line is Disney World. Two more of my awesome friends have expressed interest in coming along, bring the grand total up to five. The best part is that one of them has the ability to get us cheaper passes into the park. Definitely thrilled about saving money.

Last but not least I have a potential trip that I’m not quite sure if I’ll be able to go on: Brazil. My best friend slash soul sister’s family invited my partner and I to go to Brazil with them during the summer of 2014. Now this is not a confirmed because Tomas and I are still trying to figure out where we are going to be that summer and how much money we will have at that point.

So those are the major updates! Now on the technology side, I have a new laptop! My partner got me a tricked out gaming laptop for Christmas so I can actually use editing software to get pictures up. And to playing Sims 3…. That game is crack. On the other hand, I still don’t have a camera, so I’m still relying my iPhone for sharing my travels with you.

I hope you guys are having a lovely winter, let me know what’s going on!

Until my next adventure,

Viviana Ayre

My Farm Exists!!!

December of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

Well it’s time for a small update about the going-ons in my life and my upcoming Ireland trip!!! To get a little personal, December has been a kind of shitty month. A lot of horrible, personal things occurred within a very short amount of time, and I was getting really low. One of those items I can talk about is that my laptop is dead. D-E-D dead. Luckily I have a boyfriend who has lent me a better working laptop so I’m sorta back in the blogging business. But the laptop death was one of the tiny yucky things that were getting me down. Thankfully after so many bad things, one shining light did come through.

My dream farm contacted me looking for my help in Ireland!

Herb Gardens is owned (I assume) by the gentleman John Millane. As their profile states:

Herb gardens is an organic farm on a 30 acre site that we make a living from.we keep cows,ponys, horse,goats and different types of fowl and cats and dogs .Our main occupation is growing herbs and vegetables for the markets(Galway) and restaurants.the work will be [quite] varied and hopefully enjoyable.
we use compost toilets and a hot shower room that is outside the living quarters..As we make a living off the farm,we need people that do not mind working 7hrs a day,the work is mainly in the garden

My thoughts when I read the email and skimmed their profile were “yes, yes, yes, oh my god yes!” My goal is to gain a lot of skills about many different aspects of working on a farm, and here, my first offer, is a farm that has a little bit of everything!

Naturally I responded with a yes of course.

We’ve traded a few emails, mainly because they follow a vegetarian diet while I am a meat eater who avoids soy like the plague (dear people, soy has an active hormone that causes breast cancer. STOP EATING SOY!!!). So I made sure to address my concerns in which they explained that only our lunches would be vegetarian and they will provide meat in the trailer/home I will be living in.

Now, about what I’ll be squeezing in on the side: travel. Herb Garden is located just outside of Shannon, meaning that I will be close to the cliffs while near all the pubs I could ever desire. I’m a short bus ride from Shannon itself, meaning that I’ll definitely be doing some research into what I can do in the area (when only able to travel by bus!). Considering I’ll be working seven hours a day with an unknown number of days off, I guess I’ll be getting to know the nightlife rather well. Luckily I don’t drink so I won’t have to worry about hangovers. May need to invest in a few items from my Christmas gift list.

Stuff I’ve already purchased in anticipation of Ireland? More boots! Because boots are amazing. More specifically I bought Wellies, soon to be pictured, but it’s dark and I want to post this today rather than tomorrow with that whole end of the world thing happening. Wellies are those giant rubber boots you see when dealing with a lot of mud, and since Ireland gets a lot of rain, my first goal was to get some Wellies. They are adorable, and I’m super stoked to wear them during my stay.

With these facts in mind, I’d love some input from you lovely readers who have been to the Shannon area of Ireland. I love new ideas as to where to go! Leave some comments below.

Until my next adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Gift Ideas for a Travel Enthusiast

December of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

As a a travel enthusiast, I absolutely adore travel gadgets and doo-dads. And as you guys might also know, I’m a huge nerd, and thus spend way too much time on the internet looking at all the awesome toys that could be in my possession if I worked a real person job.

Food service part-time is not a real person job.

Nevertheless, I thought I’d share with you some of the items I found on my favorite nerd toy website, Think Geek.

Stocking Stuffers

Caffeinated Soap

No really, it’s soap with caffiene in it. Despite being a faithfully Thin Geek lover, even I had my doubts. But no, this stuff really works and had been tested time and time again even on Good Morning America. So it got me thinking. When traveling, the worst part is hygeine. You either have to get all your products into little three ounce containers to bring it on a carry-on, or fret about your liquid containers bursting all over your clothes and ruining them forever. But now, you can kill two birds with one stone! Instead, have a solid shower bar that won’t explode all over your clothes, and have it help wake you up in the morning! With all the walking around and exploring you’ll be doing, who couldn’t use a little pick me up?

Prices Range between 6.99 for one bar and 37.99 for ten!

Caffeinated Lip Balm

I swear I wasn’t going through two caffeinated items, but when getting the picture for the soap I noticed there was lip balm as well. This would be perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up for those who abhor coffee (aka, me unless it’s made with half milk and a gazillion sugars and chocolate). So the Spazzstick is another possible option for that sticking you need to fill cause you bought one waaaaaaay too big!

***

Price is only 2.99 per stick!

***Note- I had to leave on a small trip before I could post this (having computer issues) and when  came back to post pictures and post this whole thing, the lip balm was gone. But I still like the idea! So if you can find it elsewhere, it’s an idea!

Stainless Steel RFID Blocking Passport Sleeve

A bit more on the practical side, here’s a small gift that will help protect against identity theft! And identity theft sucks especially when you’re out traveling in a foreign country.

Price is 44.99 which is a little bit on the pricey side, but if you’re moderately wealthy it might not be a bad idea.

iPhone Powered Personal Fan

Holy moly is this one a bit silly. But I can see for those iPhone lovers who are in a warm area, or a stuffy train, a small breeze might feel heavenly. And here’s a nice compact one that will not take up much room in your luggage.Priced at 12.99

Metal Inkless Micro Pen

Now for those of you who have loved ones who travel with a journal, this is a priceless treasure to stuff in the giant red sock. This pen writes anywhere (EVEN SPACE AND UNDERWATER!), and doesn’t need refills. I won’t lie, I have not used this for myself, but I desperately want one, cause it also fits on your keyring. SO you never have to worry about you pen sinking to the bottom of your daypack when you only have a few minutes to scribble down all the facts you never want to forget.

Prices are usually 38.99, but are currently on sale for 29.99

Okay! Well now that you have a few stocking ideas, why not take a look at some of the bigger present that go under the tree!

Under the Tree

Anti-Theft, Slash-Proof Messenger Bag

The title kinda explains everything as to why a traveler would adore one of these, but I’ll explain for those who are clueless and are just looking for last minute goodies. Traveling can be dangerous, and one of the biggest dangers is a pickpocket. Because losing all your money sucks and makes getting home rather difficult. So get your travel lover something that they could really use, a bag that’s knife proof!

Price is 89.99!

Olloclip iPhone Camera Lens

Yet another one for the iPhone fanboys. Since I’m currently camera-less, I have to rely on my phone for any travel pictures which is why this cuts kinda close to home. So why not get a few lens to enhance your iPhone! They’re small, compact, and that makes one less breakable electronic to bring!

Price is 69.99, but for the 4/4S it only comes in red. If you want it in black, you gotta get a 1.99 converter.

Freeloader Pico Solar Charger

We all know the trials of trying to keep your electronics charged, especially phones and cameras. Well now you don’t have to worry about trying to conserve your battery until when you retire to your hotel for the night. Use it during your lunch and/or snack break and keep your electronics charged and ready to capture a priceless memory! This is a perfect gift for a photography lover.

Price is 29.99 because it’s on sale right now. Original price is 39.99

While this is a little late, I hope I’ve given you a few ideas for some last minute gifts for the one you love who loves to travel.

Until my next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Why You Should Always Try New Things

December of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

I was recently watching a BBC show called “An Idiot Abroad”

. Essentially they take a middle aged “boring” man who had never left England (not even to go the rest of the UK!) and they send him around the world to do tasks that occur on most people’s bucket lists, mostly involving some sort of travel. The episode I watched was, of course, about him going to Japan.

 

The aforementioned Idiot is Karl in the middle.

The bucket list event was to climb Mt. Fuji. But along the way he did other tasks such as sumo wrestled, tried three year old fish (I won’t lie, I couldn’t do it considering my lack of fondness for fish), and play with robots. What baffled me about this man is that he hated pretty much every minute of it. Every minute! My dad got a laugh out of it because the entire episode I was yelling at the television screen to let me do it, because I would have had a blast!

I am always looking to try new activities. For example, just the other day my friend and I decided to wander into a shwarma shop because we had never had shwarma before and thanks to the movie Avengers we were intrigued and wanted to try it. But while we were in there, we found a ton of little food items that we’d never seen or tried before! So we decided to go all out. I, for the first time, tried Turkish Delight!

I don’t know how you capture the flavor of rose… but it was so delicious!

It was delicious. Along with our shwarma wraps (filled with hummus, pickles, lettuce, and beets) we had two drinks we’d never tried. I picked out a blood orange pomegranate juice blend, and he tried a sour cherry nectar drink.

The right is beef, the left is chicken.

I want to drink this every DAY!

For desert we were intrigued by these little donut hole-looking delights called galub jamun…

…We did not like it as much as the rest. Mainly because it was too sweet and gooey.

Nevertheless it got me thinking of that silly little BBC show I had watched and how much the “idiot” didn’t want to try new things.  As I said, the entire time the show was going on I was whimpering because I’d give an arm and a leg to do what that man got to do, and he fought against trying new things like his life depended on it. That astounds me even thinking about it now.

This is why I’m WWOOFing in Ireland, to get a really deep and cultural experience. I don’t just want to jump from monument to monument like some people. I want to get in there and live like the people live, and eat what they eat… Though maybe not organs. Haggis in one thing I will probably politely turn away, except have a single bite just to say I’ve had it. I oftentimes have regrets about the things I didn’t do on my first trip out of the country to the South Pacific because I was too scared to. I wish I’d tried more foods, and been more open to the people I’d met. I sought to change that for all the other countries I’ve been to, and I still strive to improve on myself to this day.

My main reason for writing this is to encourage all travelers to stray off the beaten path. Try different areas of new countries. Lots of people go to Paris, why not try the countryside? Have a unique story of your own, and inspire others to try new things. This is probably where I should do a Robert Frost reference, but I feel that clinched is a little overused when it comes to this subject.

Plus I live in New England. I heard his poems my whole life.

I hope my message has come across to you. And I hope those of you who enjoy stories of leaving the average adventure behind will join me as I share my experiences with you while working in Ireland.

Until My Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre