I’ve seen some beautiful places and the coast of Ireland is one of those places. It’s wild and harsh but so breathtakingly beautiful. The ocean crashes up against massive cliffs of rolling green hills moving inland. The water is a pure blue and the sky on a sunny day is a robins egg shade. It feels almost magical as the wind whips up from the water and tugs at your hair and the edges of your clothes. One of the most interesting places we visited was Giant’s Causeway, a world heritage site that was formed by molten lava meeting the sea. I would advise a hat and scarf if visiting in the late winter or early spring. The hat is no longer available and the scarf is from the winter FabFitFun box, but I’ve linked to similar options for the hat here and for the scarf here.
Exploring Northern Ireland
I love old castles and there is no shortage in the United Kingdom and Ireland! This castle, Carrickfergus Castle, was a fortress on the edge of Belfast. It’s right off the main road now and a whole portion of the city has grown up around it. It was one of the first structures in that area and it’s wonderful that they preserved it even with the modern world growing up around it. One of the best tips I could give anyone traveling to Ireland during March is to pack lots of light layers, because the weather is erratic but the landscape is beautiful! A light rain jacket and a light down jacket are a great option for layering. I chose one from Uniqlo, which I’m linking here because it’s the ideal travel jacket and it happens to be on sale right now!
Belfast Castle
This year I’ve had the opportunity to play in several new locations, one of which being Ireland. While there I was able to visit several beautiful and unique places. One of those places was Belfast Castle in Belfast. The castle used to be a private home and has now been converted into a space that is used for weddings and events. It’s situated high on a hill overlooking Belfast and the ocean. I was there to play the Belfast Nashville Songwriter Festival and during our free day is when I ventured out to the castle. It’s so inspiring to see historic places and imagine the lives of the people who lived there, it always get my writer wheels turning!
Let’s Talk Mexico
Just a few weeks ago I had the chance to go to Mexico for the first time to perform at a wedding. I’d never been to Mexico before, so I was excited to experience a place that I’d heard was so beautiful, and to escape the tails of winter that were lingering in Nashville. I had a fantastic time at the Westin Resort and Spa, and Mexico was a beautiful and green locale! With a busy schedule, I was only able to stay three days, but I’m looking forward to going back and visiting again!
Jet Set Candy
I found this shop while just wandering around in New York City, and absolutely love, love, love the concept! It’s so clever, and for anyone who appreciates travel this can be the perfect gift! They have trinkets representing wanderlust-worthy cities all over the world. The charms are all designed to represent the city they harken to. New York City has a tiny empire state building, a taxi, and several other charms. They also have airport code tags! Which I am obsessed with. The one drawback I had was the price, I felt it was a little expensive. Especially given that it’s something you might want to get several of; for various cities you love! This is not a sponsored post, as someone who loves to travel and collect mementos from the cities I visit I had to share it with fellow travelers!
www.jetsetcandy.com
New Year’s Eve
It’s been a big year for me! I started my blog, I started touring a lot more, I released two songs to radio, and there were ups and downs, and bridges to cross, it was a lot packed into one year, but all in all, it’s been a great year and so much fun. I loved playing shows in LA, Chicago, New York City, Vermont, Maine, and visiting so many new places as well! I’ve grown as a musician, I’ve learned so much professionally, personally, and through going to school at Belmont all the while. I love the people I get to work with, the music I get to create, the musicians I get to play with, it’s such a magical experience every time we step on stage. Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year, I’ve had such a great time sharing it with you!