Meg's Travels

Keep up with me as I venture around the world!

[themegfoley]

Adventures of Meg & Care: Amsterdam Edition

The past 5 days I have been in Amsterdam, Netherlands with Caroline. We wanted to go on a trip and see each other during this long five month internship and this was the best time for us both to do it.

It was so much fun, biking around, trying delicious food, and sharing lots of laughter with my best friend.

On Friday we went to Madam Tussaud’s, the Dutch Royal Palace, Bloemenmarkt (tulip market), Rembrandt Square, and the Heineken factory. We were both exhausted from travel and not getting much sleep, so we slept out in the sun at Rembrandt square. No amount of coffee could wake us.

On Saturday we rented bikes and met friends from the Northeastern University Swim Club. After that we enjoyed the MOCO museum, with exhibits from infamous artists like Banksy and Warhol. Afterwards we explored Vondelpark and made our way to eat some fresh Van Wanderen Stroopwafels. They were made in front of our eyes and were dipped in Belgian chocolate. SO DELICIOUS. We went to the Anne Frank museum afterward and it was very heavy, but so incredible to see. That night we went out clubbing with the friends from NUSC. It was very new to me and quite literally underground. So much fun!

Sunday was a joy, we spent most of the day out biking on a tour with two guides from a place near our Airbnb. The guide was Californian, but has lived in Amsterdam for 17+ years. He knew so much and it was a beautiful day to be outside. We even got a little sunburn! In the evening we had incredible Indonesian food at an incredible place called Sampurna. That night we decided to see the Red Light District. It was.... an experience. We went into the famed sex museum, saw the sex workers in windows, and roamed the streets with the eerie red glow. It was raining that night so we had to bike home in the rain.

On Monday we had tickets to the Van Gogh museum and I learned so much about Vincent Van Gogh. Being there was so enlightening and I really felt honored to view massively famous pieces like the “Sunflowers” and “Almond Blossoms.” Afterward, we met up with my Dutch friend and former-housemate/coworker from Maidenhead, who went back to university at the beginning of February. It was so great to catch up. That night we went to the A’Dam tower swings and had an awesome dinner afterwards in that tower.

Tuesday was not super eventful, highlights include eating good cheese and actually buying some Dutch cheese at the airport. There was a transportation strike on public transport, but Care and I avoided it by traveling via bike and Uber.

This trip was incredible. I feel so lucky to have ended my travels around Europe with my best friend and I don’t think there was a single hitch along the way.

With just ~11 days left in my placement, I’m feeling excited about seeing family, friends, and everyone again. It’s been such a blast and I am sure I will have a lot to share when we reach my last day.

That’s all for now,

M

[themegfoley]

Walking and Wales

On Friday afternoon, I walked home from work. This was a semi-spontaneous decision sparkled by great weather and plans that did not begin until 6pm that evening. It was a lovely adventure, and since then I walked to and from work everyday it was sunny (Monday-Thursday). Each of those days I walked to and from work and during lunch, making my weekly total 21 miles.

As I am partly Welsh, I decided I wanted to go to the final country in the UK I hadn’t visited. On Saturday, I went to Cardiff, Wales and walked 9 miles. It took around 2.5 hours via train go get there, but when I was there I did the city by foot. This adventure brought me to the High Street, to Cardiff Castle, to a little “arcade” or alleyway that had a “New York Deli,” through Bute Park, along Mermaid’s Quay and Cardiff Bay, and then back to the town centre. Cardiff was a fun day-adventure and it made me so happy to see so many dogs, families with young kids, and couples were enjoying the cool, cloudy, beautiful day. I couldn’t help but smile, knowing it was (most likely) my last solo weekend adventure. 

That’s all for now from Meg’s (Walking) Travels.

-M.

[themegfoley]

Germany and a Weekend in Paris

From the first day of the month until May 12th, I was exploring central Europe with Kev. There was a couple days of work in there, but mostly we were going to cities like Munich, Berlin, and Paris. The huge takeaways from this trip are that I would love to speak more languages. German is a beautiful language and I really loved the people there. They were passionate about their beer, football, and I found them to be so serious about the Holocaust. It was moving to see the number of memorials to all the people that died. Kev and I went to Dachau and that was extremely moving as well. We saw a lot of beautiful gardens, beer halls, the Munich Olympic Stadium, and more.

In Berlin, we explored the Wall, did a bike tour of the artistic parts of the city, and went to the top of the TV tower. It’s incredible seeing a city from that height, it provides a whole different perspective than from the ground. We sadly had to leave the gorgeous city, with incredible public transportation and beautiful buildings.

Kev got to see my home in Maidenhead and one of the things that meant alot was that everything became real. He got to see where I’ve spent the last four months. It was a short stay, but I got to see him a few days later in Paris.

The City of Love truly was so beautiful for us. It was sunny and we saw so many things. It started with Kev meeting me at Charles De Gaulle, which is pretty far from the city centre. We dropped my stuff off at his hotel and were off. We went to lunch, then the Louvre. After that we went to Ladurée. I absolutely love their macaroons and we had a nice coffee there. The next stop was Le Chalet Savoyard, a raclette restaurant. We had to get there for a reservation and decided to take the Lime bikes that are littered throughout Paris. It was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. We both almost hit people and I definitely was not dressed for the activity, I was in a dress! But, we had cheese to eat and it was incredible. The setup is a cheese wheel that you have under a heat lamp. When it’s nice and melty, you scrape off the gooey cheese. I absolutely stuffed myself with that, but it was AMAZING. We then went to the Eiffel Tower for the 10pm twinkling lights. They sparkled and shined bright for us. The night wasn’t over yet, we still had a trip to Le Lido. It is the famous Parisian Cabaret show that didn’t start until about 00:15. It was very late and considering I was up at 4:00am that morning, I saw the whole show. It was so French and gave me a great idea of the night life there. The next day we were up and out for a delicious hotel breakfast a boat trip on La Seine. We saw all the landmarks from the water, it was very nice to have a cruise together. The next stop were the Catacombs. It was something I had never seen, and definitely enjoyed learning more about. After that we ate dinner in Bercy and Kev saw me off to the airport. I can easily say it was the best trip of my life, no hiccups or anything. 

In my time here, I’ve seen England, Iceland, Scotland, Germany, France, and currently on my way to Wales. By the end I will have also been to Amsterdam. It seems like it was yesterday I was saying goodbye to everyone at home and heading off. But there has been a lot of hard work, adventure, and self-discovery this weekend. With three weeks left, I have a lot of memories made and still more ahead.

That’s all for now.

-M

[themegfoley]

3 Days in Edinburgh

I spent the last three days exploring Edinburgh and the Scottish highlands. I  am some percentage Scottish, which is one reason I wanted to go. Other reasons were: Why not? It’s cheap, close, same currency, and the same language.

I can check another place off my bucket list.  I am particularly proud of myself, because it was a solo adventure that lasted more than a day. I definitely felt a bit nervous in a hostel, because I’d never been in one alone before. It really was fine and I think I did everything right.

An added bonus to this trip and my placement in general is that I’d say I was really good at packing light. I know how strict airlines are, how much I’ll actually need to wear, and how to layer.

I learned so much about Scotland and did a lot of the touristy stuff I was basically obliged to do, since I am a American. I toured Loch Ness, tried haggis (overall— not too bad), and saw a lot of things that were free. It’s awesome that the National Museum and National Portrait Gallery were free, but so were outdoor attractions like Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. I loved climbing up to Arthur’s Seat, because it was GORGEOUS out. In fact, my whole weekend it was sunny and glorious. I definitely got some lucky weather and made the best of it.

I’m hoping to be able to do more trips like this in the summer, in the US. I want to see things in my own country that I haven’t done before. Since I have June, July, and August off, it’s the perfect time to do it. I do think I will go to California and see Sacramento and San Francisco to visit friends, which should be awesome.

That’s all for now!

M

[themegfoley]

April Adventures

It’s been 20 days since my last post and in that time, a lot has happened. I went to Cambridge alone to explore the University and city. I turned 21 and went to get Japanese with my housemates. I left work early and was bed ridden with a fever. My family dog passed away. I saw my mom over Easter and explored England. I saw Avengers: Endgame in theaters. 

April has been nothing short of an adventure and will continue to be. I am traveling to Edinburgh for the next three days to explore a new city and try new things. My plans next week are to go to Germany with Kev and explore even more of the world. I absolutely can not wait for it, because in the span of two-ish weeks I will go to Scotland, England, Germany, and France. By the end of the month, I will see the Netherlands as well.

Something that is both exciting and daunting is that I have about 25% of this internship left. I can remember how hard the first 25% was, but with everything happening, I imagine it’s going to go pretty quickly. 

With everything in store for the rest of my time, I am thrilled I get to do so much.  

That’s all for now. 

-M

[themegfoley]

Half Way Point: Nationals & My Trip Home

This blog is coming to you after 15 days of nothing. To say I’ve been busy would be an understatement, but I have so much to share.

Everything I’ve been training for went on this past weekend. I got to compete at Ohio State for College Club Swimming Nationals and it went really well. I had a college-best swim in my 100 butterfly and know that my full potential hasn’t even been reached yet. In my last year of swimming, I want to break team records, final in an individual race, and enjoy my last full year of swimming at Northeastern. 

Over this trip to Columbus, I saw my boyfriend, Kevin, and all my friends and teammates. I’d actually never been to anywhere in the Midwest, so I can cross that off my “States I’ve Been To” list. When I was back in Boston for a day, I got to have lunch with my sister and my mom and then be treated for a day of birthday fun, courtesy of Kev. I felt so much love and joy while being with the people that mean so much to me.

What makes these past 15 days even more meaningful is that I have officially crossed over the 3 month mark. In that time, I have swam over 40 practices alone and for that I am proud of myself. The fun I had and the excitement of competing made all of that training alone, worth it. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but giving my effort and time to something that makes me so happy gave me a huge sense of purpose and something to strive for over the last 90+ days.

As the season ends, I’m going to start to focus on other ways of training, exercising, and spending all my free time in the evenings after work. I want to keep enjoying the rest of my time here, and continue to grow at work, make memories, and enjoy the trips I have planned with the people I love. Speaking of that, I will see my mom in just 11 days!

I couldn’t be happier now and I have so much to look forward to over the next 2 months.

That’s all for now though,

-M

[themegfoley]

Quick update: 2.5 months in

Today is March 22. I have been in England for 76 days, which is crazy. I had a super busy week at work last week and this one, with many of the days filled from 8-5 with differing tasks that made things fly by. 

My swimming training is coming to a close, as College Club Swimming Nationals is next week. It’s crazy to think I have finally made it to the competition I’ve prepping for since the fall, and weekly while over here. I do plan to keep training for the rest of my time, but definitely less intense.

On Friday, at work, I organized a fundraiser for Red Nose day, which is a massive day in England. On Sunday, I got to get up close and personal to a cat during a little St. Patrick’s Day photoshoot. I also celebrated the day with a Guinness!

Short blog for this week, but I’m hoping I’ll have really exciting stuff to write about when I head back to the states for a bit. I’ll be home from Thursday until Tuesday. 

-M

[qvotable]

The world only exists in your eyes. You can make it as big or as small as you want.

F. Scott Fitzgerald // The Crack-Up (via qvotable)

[themegfoley]

The Adventures of Meg (& Cady): London Edition

This past weekend was an absolute blast. My best friend since I was 4 years old joined me for a weekend of fun and adventuring in England. She is studying in Spain, but we spontaneously decided on Sunday night (5 days before she left) that she would come to me. We went out in town on Friday, explored Windsor on Saturday (which included Windsor Castle and afternoon Tea), then went to London on Sunday. I was so happy to see her and have her in my home. 

In terms of time, this is my 10th week in the country. With 66 days here, and 15 days until I fly home for my swim competition, I am absolutely blown away at how fast things are coming up. I have many travel opportunities planned, all over Europe, for the next 88 days. With those, the pace of work, and support of my friends and family here and at home, I think it will absolutely keep flying by. 

I have had a really busy couple weeks at work. I’m taking on more and being offered more opportunities. As I continue to develop, I hope I will keep improving and learning. It’s been nothing but a positive challenge and I’m really glad I chose to challenge myself. 

That’s all for now! -M

[thewanderingmillennial]

Always.

[themegfoley]

Adventures of Meg (& Kev): Iceland Edition

This weekend I spent with the love of my life in a mystical country. We had just about 58 hours together. And in every minute we were giving each other so much love. We celebrated our relationship with a little Valentine’s Day gift exchange, a trip to the Blue Lagoon, a night in Reykjavík, a day at Seæfellsjokull National Park, and then a morning in Reykjavík. We had so much to catch up on as well as a country to explore and I think we found a way to do both.

It was easy to get around because we rented a car, we called it the Adventure Mobile. I forgot how much I missed driving! It is liberating and we shared the longer drive we had to Snæfellsnes Park. It was unreal and went by way too fast. We waited so long to see each other again, this time we have just 30 days until the next reunion. He is my best friend, travel partner, and soulmate.

I already miss the beauty and mystery of Iceland. I also miss Kev, but I will see my man soon and maybe even Iceland again one day too. After all, we only saw a small chunk of the mysterious, Nordic nation.

That’s all for now.

-M

[themegfoley]

Week 6: Walking, Working, and Windsor

I have been in England for 45 days. I don’t really know how, but I have managed to make it through a long stretch of working, training, and exploring without any major hitches. It definitely has been tough, don’t get me wrong. But there are moments like seeing the stunning English sunrise, or just being sat with your friends having a pint, or even having a particularly good workday, that make it all worth it. 

On Thursday I had a really lovely Valentine’s Day FaceTime date with my boyfriend, we both made spaghetti and meatballs and just had a little date. Considering our situation, it was near perfect. I then had a pretty relaxing weekend, enjoying a movie or two and a bit of exploration. On Saturday I took the train from Maidenhead to Windsor to witness the changing of the guard. It was interesting and a touristy experience. I then did the Long Walk, which is a little more than 2.7 miles from the castle to a statue of King George III. That night I heard and witnessed fireworks! There were some that exploded into red hearts, which was pretty cool. 

On Sunday I went with my housemate into town, to grab some miscellaneous items. It was nice because we walked while it was sunny and spent the day being productive and enjoying each other’s company. We stopped for a pint and then had a great walk home. There really isn’t anything like being outside and taking in the fresh air. It also gave me a look at Maidenhead from the ground. 

Work on Monday went by very slowly and was very quiet in the office. But luckily, today went quickly. I just can’t wait for this weekend, but that didn’t distract me from having a great check-in with my supervisor. I really feel myself being appreciated and valuable to the company and people I work with.

I’m extra excited for this weekend because I’m finally going to see my boyfriend in Iceland! We’re going to explore Reykjavik and some beautiful sights. I can’t wait to see him and a new country.

Until next time!

-M

[themegfoley]

Week 5: Swimming, London & Girl’s Night

Hello! This post is coming a bit later than usual, I’ve been so busy (shocker). This week I spent four out of five weeknights at the pool, which is the most I’ve done since my first week here. I felt sore, but it’s really great that I have such a structure to my training.

I had an interesting week training the newest intern, who is really fun to be around and we went to London together! We also had an opportunity to have a girls night, as our two housemates were gone for the weekend. It was nice to do face masks, drink wine, watch all of the Bridget Jones’s movies. I can’t believe I haven’t watched those movies before. Absolutely brilliant. 

In London we spent most of our time on Regent Street and Oxford Street, making a special trip out to King’s Cross Station to see the famous Harry Potter sight, Platform 9 & 3/4. Believe it or not, the longest queue I saw during the trip wasn’t in the giant Primark, but in line to take a picture with the Harry Potter landmark. I just enjoyed from afar and took in what a fun day we had. 

As the weeks go by, I feel myself getting very comfortable with my role at work. Now that I am settled with where I am, the next step is doing something with it. Some days do feel like I only have time to handle the day to day, but I think in the next month or two I’ll be able to start making progress to implement change. 

I had some really nice video calls with people this past week and that made me so happy. I miss my friends and family, but am less than two weeks away from seeing my boyfriend. I can not wait. Until then, I’m going to keep working hard, enjoy where I am and the people I’m with, and be the best I can be.

That’s all for now. 

-M

[themegfoley]

A Month in Maidenhead

They say time flies when you’re having fun. They’re right. This month seems to have wizzed by, with every week bringing some sort of celebration, surprise, or new experience. 

This past week was a culmination of a lot of things I have already done, but I can feel myself starting to get into a real routine with work, swimming, grocery shopping etc. I also am completely confident in getting around town and feel very independent doing those sorts of things on my own. 

One sad thing this week was having to say goodbye to one of my housemates from the Netherlands, whose intern placement ended on Friday. It was hard to say goodbye and it’s clear how close everyone was (and still is) to him. However, a new intern from his university is already living with us and it will be fun to get to know and work with someone new. 

In terms of the work week, I spent some time getting through inductions, or orientation type meetings where I got to learn more about other departments. On Thursday night to Friday afternoon we had a lot of snow, which made the day very quiet at work Friday as many customers’ businesses were closed.

We went out on Friday to a couple pubs, like last week, to say goodbye to our Dutch friend. It was a great time and I really enjoyed being out on the town. 

Today was a highlight day for me because my boyfriend got a letter I sent him. It took a week to be delivered so I am glad to know that for the future. It was also great because I decided to explore Maidenhead. It was a spur of the moment decision that occurred when I got off the bus on the way to do my grocery shopping. I actually found a beautiful park right near the train station, Grenfell Park, that had a zipline swing and a slide (both of which I tried). I then decided to walk through town and grab coffee and checkout some areas I hadn’t seen before. It was a really nice walk and I happened upon a trail to Braywick Park, a beautiful area with a bunch of perfect outdoorsy areas to explore. On a beautiful, sunny day, nothing makes me happier than being outside. In fact, I was absolutely grinning from ear to ear when I tried the zipline.

Finally, to top the week off, I am going to a pub in town to watch the Super Bowl. I am a New England Patriots fan, so there really wasn’t another option but to stay up (very late) and watch it. We’ll see how work goes tomorrow. 

That’s all for this week!

-M

[themegfoley]

Week 3: Celebrations and Snow

This week was another incredibly quick one. One day I was enjoying a beautiful snowfall at a golf course in High Wycombe, the next I was on a 10K run through the fields near my home. This week my housemates and I went out on Tuesday and Friday, celebrating a 21st birthday with a proper pub crawl in town to start the weekend. Surprisingly, it’s a pretty big birthday here too, even though the drinking age is 18. 

This week I went grocery shopping on my own after a swim, which was interesting as I had to commute home with a big bag. However, as the weeks progress I feel more and more comfortable getting myself around and being pretty independent. In fact, there were moments when I really felt at home. It’s easy to get caught up in work and let things like the weekend go to waste, but luckily each day I spent some time out of the house. 

I got to talk to my mom and boyfriend quite a bit this week, and even planned a trip to Amsterdam with my best friend! I can’t wait to start exploring other places and take advantage of this amazing location I am in. I’m thrilled to have seen so many places in England, but places like Iceland, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and more are calling my name.

That’s all for now, 

-M

[themegfoley]

Reading Letters and a Sunday Trip to Reading, England

This past week absolutely flew by (weird how that happened again). It’s already been 15 days, which works out to be about 10% of my time here in the UK.... crazy. I’m starting to feel more at home; settling into my house, daily routine, and feeling comfortable getting around via public transportation. 

Almost everyday went by like a blink of an eye, which has a direct correlation to when I was productive, or filling my day with things like work, swimming, exploring, and spending time outside of the house. The times this week where I found myself feeling homesick were when I was alone, doing things I could do in the US (sit around the house, watch Netflix, etc). My perspective is that there is a limited amount of time I will be here (clearly it will go by fast) and if I am not trying, seeing, or doing something new, it is wasted time and opportunity. I know not to be over ambitious and I expect that some weekends my “adventure” will be a simple trip into town or going for a nice walk around my neighborhood. Luckily, I have housemates that like exploring as much as I do, which means I’ve been able do a few day trips via the trains, to nearby towns. 

I was surprised and absolutely blown away when I received two letters from my boyfriend, who lives in Boston, this week. He is so incredibly kind and manages to make me feel so completely loved from thousands of miles away. His loving gestures blow me away and I decided to incorporate the letters into my room decor. Little things like his letters remind me how lucky I am to have him. 

Things that went down: 

Work things: I spent the majority of the work week getting more adjusted to my position, getting logistics sorted for my UK bank account, and figuring out a schedule for my swimming 

Social things: Went to a work Holiday Party on Friday 

Travel things: Took a train to Reading on Sunday

People things: FaceTimed/ video chatted/ called my mom, dad, sister, older brother, and boyfriend. My mom is going to come visit in London and I can’t wait! 

**Note: all my photos have captions if you’re interested in clickin’ and learning a bit about where they were taken. 9

[sunsetquotes]

Alone or not, you gotta walk forward.

Cecelia Ahern (via sunsetquotes)