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Top 5 Enchanting Things About Scotland

After visiting Northern Ireland, Mac and I were eager to see more of the United Kingdom. Our original plan had been to go straight to England but at the last minute we took the advice of fellow travelers and bought plane tickets to Scotland. We’re really glad we did—from surreal scenery to fascinating folklore, there was so much magic in Scotland that we easily fell under the country’s spell. What made it even better was the fact that it caught us entirely by surprise. Here are the top 5 things that enchanted us about Scotland. The hiking: From the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands to the outskirts of busy Edinburgh, there was no shortage of incredible wilderness to explore. It wasn’t simply the wilderness that captivated us, though. It was...

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The Trouble With Northern Ireland

After spending three weeks in the Republic of Ireland, Mac and I continued on to Northern Ireland. Because of its brutal recent past with the Troubles, a decades-long conflict between Catholics and Protestants, it’s a part of the world not many tourists have made it to. Indeed, the tourism industry in the country (Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, not the Republic of Ireland) is less than ten years old. Both of us grew up with the Troubles—and their many bombings—dominating the nightly news. Once the smoke had cleared, we were eager to see Northern Ireland and learn what all of the violence had been about.    Despite its sordid history, Mac and I assumed that Northern Ireland was almost going to be an extension of the Republic of...

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Ireland: The Can’t-Sees and the Must-Sees

In the beginning of July, Mac and I traveled to Ireland. Our plan was to spend three weeks exploring the green country by foot, bike and rental car. Even though Ireland isn’t all that big, we wanted to experience its diversity, from urban Dublin to touristy Dingle to quiet Connemara. We had several must-sees on our Ireland travel list but were also both hoping for something more—something unseen. For Mac, it was about connecting with his Irish roots. I was after a glimpse of the true Irish spirit. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In the beginning, it was enough just to soak in the sights and sounds of Dublin. Bright colors made the buildings pop against a perfect and decidedly un-Irish cerulean blue sky. There were friendly pubs and street...

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Where in the World?

It’s a question we’ve been asked a lot lately–where in the world are you guys? There’s a short and a long answer. The short answer is that we’re in Cappadocia, Turkey. The long answer is that since we last posted on the blog we’ve spent time in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Morocco and now Turkey. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing location-specific posts as usual. But here are some of our favorite photos to give you a taste of what we’ve been up to. Drinking beer in Dublin (Ireland)    Learning about the Troubles in Belfast (Northern Ireland)   Falling in love with the Scottish Highlands (Scotland)   Visiting Beatles landmarks in Liverpool (England)   Riding...

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Life Lessons From River Aria

  It’s not easy to live an incredible, fulfilling life. I’d say it’s downright hard. Especially when you’re young, there are so many life-altering decisions to make–who to marry, what career to invest in, whether or not to have kids–that making any choice at all can seem completely overwhelming. If there’s one thing that can help, it’s the wisdom of people who have come before you. And once you start looking for it, you find that life advice is everywhere. It’s not always serious, as in the sign above from the Guinness Factory in Dublin (which is featured in one of the most famous Guinness commercials of all time). And it’s not always good. But if you keep an open ear (and an open mind), you may...

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Mac’s Plants, Bugs and Critters

As you may have guessed, this is a Mackenzie article. Today’s blog post is all about nature. We’ve met some interesting creatures throughout our journey. I have been fortunate enough to grab some nice close-up snaps of these unique discoveries. If you like creepy crawlies of all kinds, feel free to plow on ahead.   Bugs: Seeing so many colorful insects has really been fun for me this trip. It has also added hours to our hiking time as I stop to try and get the perfect pic.   Plants: Taking such a significant amount of time to travel has certainly allowed us the time to stop and smell the roses. While I’m sure you’ve seen many of our landscape shots, here are some of the flora posing for their close ups.   Assorted Critters:...

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