Around this time last year, I wrote a hybrid post, titled “A thankful rant” where I took a moment to thank those who mean the most to me, my friends, my family, and you, my readers… Until – well, this happens quite often to be honest – it turned into a bit of a rant about the original meanings for holidays and how the point has been lost for most of the reasons for the seasons. Before jumping into familiar waters, I want to say that if my family or friends are reading this – you mean so much to me, and I hope the next month, leading to Christmas is a magical one for each of you. To my readers, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you! For without your support, your comments, your reads, and your thoughts, I would not be able to do what I do, living a life fulfilled with exploration, creativity, personal growth, and with the ability to share my opinions and feelings freely, with complete gratification stemming from those I am blessed enough to inspire, instilling a new life full of hope.

Choosing to spend a period of time abroad to study English, or indeed any other language, is obviously a very exciting and life-changing decision. It is easy to be drawn to those places often popularized in modern culture, for example the bright lights of ‘the city that never sleeps’, New York, or the grey skies of ´The Big Smoke’ that is London. However careful planning and research is essential if you are to get the most out of your time learning in your chosen destination. Here we give you an insight into what are considered the best places to learn and practice the English language. 

The longer I travel, the more countries I see, and the more experiences I have, I begin to split two completely different ways when it comes to how I want to travel. At first, I started off as a bold backpacker, ready to take on the world and to try every new experience possible – and it didn’t matter to me where I stayed or how I did it, only the journey mattered. Then, as I traveled for 6 straight months in hostel bunks and on CouchSurfing makeshifts-at-best, my age reared its wrinkled and age-stained head, and all I wanted was comfort for once, throughout the final two months of my trip. I’ve traveled long enough to know how to ‘get into’ a destination, how to find the paths less traveled and how to connect and get to know the people of a place, so changing the way I travel has little negative effect on my overall travel experience. I’ve found that I still grow and learn, and create amazing memories, yet I yearn for something more like home, after being uncomfortable on the road for so long.

If you’re looking for a magical city break this Christmas or  looking to relax for a few days during the festive holidays, then look no further than Ireland’s capital city, Dublin.  Famed for the friendly natives, music and off course the Guinness, Dublin has lots to see and do over the festive season.  If you are considering a city break during Christmas, here are five reasons why Dublin should be at the top of your list.

Travel photography is an important way of exposing the world and sharing experiences from different places with others. Many travel photographers have made uploading photos to different media platforms a regular habit that is part of their daily routine.

The airport is like a traveller’s limbo, the place in-between home and holiday. The eager anticipation you experience as you await your flight, combined with the multiple security checks and the relative lack of freedom, can make the whole experience pretty distressing. Here are some tips for making the airport less stressful.