My first visit to Ireland & the Irish Family Initiation

I had a fantastic time in Ireland & I am thankful to have been able to immerse myself in the culture through my boyfriend, Jason's amazing family. I was also very lucky to be able to experience delicious Irish home cooking every single night & eat a full Irish breakfast (thanks Stephanie & Paddy!)

Jason took me to the leprechaun museum, which is great to hear stories about leprechauns & to take photos sitting in giant furniture.

We also went to the Guinness Storehouse despite my strong dislike for beer. It is a fascinating museum of the history of Guinness & at the top is a bar where we tried a free Guinness with the purchase of our museum ticket (& I can still say that I do not like beer, YUCK).

Then the fun continued at Newgrange, which is a beautiful sight to see & I think one of my favorite parts of my 9-day trip. The landscape & scenery are beautiful & for a city girl, it is nice to get a change of scenery. There are symbolic markings on the rocks that no one knows the meaning of that is near the cave entrance. The tour guide was very passionate about the site & showed us what it was like with no light & how it would be like to live there. Newgrange reminded me a lot of Stonehenge so if you like Stonehenge, you will definitely like this.

I had a great time being a tourist & visiting all the tourist sites, but the main reason for my Ireland trip was to meet Jason's whole family at his brother, Robbie's wedding. The reception was at Ballymagarvey, which looked like a quaint castle. There was food, lots of drinking, & Jason & I danced as if we were on "Dancing with the Stars," or at least that is what we thought. I had the best time meeting all of Jason's family & bringing in the New Year with a kiss from Jason.

I also got to experience the nightlife scene at the Palace in a cute town close to Jason called Navan. Jason & I drank, mingled, &danced all night long. I did not realize how much Jason & I love dancing until now.

I loved Jason's family; I felt very at home & if I were close to a city, I would move to Ireland in a heartbeat. Ireland is friendly, clean, & obviously, I love it because Jason & his awesome family are there. Who knows, I may be living out there sooner than I think depending on how things go. Fingers crossed!

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Florence, Italy with Jason

Jason & I took the train, TrenItalia down to Florence. Mom has booked us a fast train ticket but we had gotten on the slow train by mistake bringing us in an hour later. On top of that, we were charged 50€ extra for being on the wrong train. Jason & I were pissed, but things were fantastic when we reached Florence.

My friend, Lorena lived in Florence for 1 semester & is also Italian so she was able to recommend delicious places:

1. Lunch/Dinner at Gusta Osteria (Via de Michelozzi 12/R).
2. Dessert at Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri,9) near the Duomo. They have great gelato & cannolis.
3. Lunch at All' Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri, 65R). The best sandwich shop I've ever been to.
4. Dinner at Academia (Piazza San Marco) recommended by my friend, Kieran. All of these eats are very affordable on a shoestring budget, authentic, & delicious.

If you're looking for nightlife, look for the Lochness Lounge along Via di Benci. There's a great hookah place next door & many bars surrounding that street. Jason & I had plenty of wine, got a hookah to share, talking, & acted silly while getting lost in the streets of Florence. It was a memorable night for sure.

Jason & I also visited the Duomo. We had clearly purchased tickets online & printed them as the ticket said to do, but the bar code was too small to scan & the people working there could care less about 2 English speakers. Be sure you have a large bar code to scan or be savvy like me & bring it up on your smartphone & enlarge it (I know, genius).

We looked around the museum, which I didn't think was that impressive, but maybe because Jason & I were still angry about the whole ticket situation. We then walked ALL THE WAY up the bell tower & got amazing pictures of the views of Florence. I definitely recommend touring the Duomo. 

I must also mention Hotel Casci. The staff was so friendly, the hotel was clean, & the room was reasonably priced for its amazing location (right next to the Duomo, nightlife, & all the restaurants I mentioned). I would definitely recommend Hotel Casci to have an amazing Florence experience without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately after such an amazing trip, we hit problems again. We had to switch trains in Padova to get back to Vicenza. We pulled into Padova late but had about 3 minutes to spare to catch the next train. The door was open & we were about to get on when the conductor put out his hand blocking us from getting on & the doors shut. TrenItalia has HORRIBLE customer service & treats their American (or maybe all foreign) customers like dirt. It's too bad TrenItalia is the only train choice. All I can say is be on time & ask the conductor if you're on the right train before getting on.

Despite the horrible customer service at the Duomo museum & with TrenItalia, it was a wonderfully romantic & perfect trip to Florence. Thanks for booking it, Mom!

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Venice, Italy with Jason

I've been to Venice before with my friend, Alexis & her family.

Although it is beautiful, it's a very smelly city due to crowding & polluted water & the people aren't very friendly. 

Nevertheless, I took Jason, my fabulous beau, to Venice making it my second visit. It was still smelly & many things were closed (reposo [you may know it as siesta or a midday break] is from 2-4 so try to avoid exploring during that time), but we make the most of it.

We walked around & got lost down desolate alleyways.

We then found the gondola rides. It was 80€ for 30 minutes, but I told them that it was too much so we got a 20-minute ride for 50€ instead.

Always try to bargain when buying high priced items or services in Europe.

The gondola ride was beautiful & so romantic; Jason & I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

The gondola driver told us the history of Venice's different sites. It was quite an experience, especially with the one I love the most.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Verona, Italy- The land of Romeo & Juliet

To get to Verona's center, take TrenItalia to Verona Porto Nuovo & it's about a 20-minute walk to the Colosseum.

However, we took a cab being that we were pressed for time; the cab was 7€.

We went to the Colosseum (also called the Arena) & got in at a discounted price with our student cards & took photos together with the amazing structure in the background.

We saw Romeo & Juliet's balcony. Jason & I wrote notes to each other in the guest book that they had. After we bought a lock, wrote our names on it, & locked it on the gate of the fountain near the arena & restaurants in the main circle (it should be easy to find since our lock is the only one there). 

After we got 3 fabric, heart-shaped pot holders free-hand embroidered for Mom, Jason's parents, & one for Jason & my new apartment.

 It was a romantic & fun-filled day for us. I definitely recommend Verona, especially for couples.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Garmisch & Mittenwald, Germany

On December 21, 2014, Mom & I drove 4½ hours up to Garmisch, Germany from Vicenza, Italy. We went to the Christmas market where I got hot spiced mulled wine (also called glühwein), a hat, & a scarf. Then we went on a 55-minute train-ride to Tirol that was free with our hotel stay at Hilleprandt (buses & other attractions were free/discounted with our stay as well).

Note to Ariel Viewers: Most everything in Southern Germany is closed on Sunday so be prepared to not do anything on Sundays other than church if you're into seeing a German service.

However, the train ride was nice. The landscape is beautiful: the mountains, trees, animals... It was breathtaking. In Tirol, we ate at the only café open & everyone in the café smoked, which drove us crazy, but we dealt with it. We ate two hotdogs, which were delicious & then a drunken old German man tried to strike up a conversation with us, but completely forgot how to speak English & gave up. We then ate dinner at Hofbräustüberl back in Garmisch & it was super good. Then we went back to our hotel, passed out at 20:00, & woke up at 08:30.

Mom & I both slept horribly despite the long time laying in bed; the beds were rock solid & very hard to sleep in considering Mom & I love our memory foam/Temperpedic type mattresses. After our free breakfast at the hotel, we drove to Mittenwald, which is a town near Garmisch. In Mittenwald, we saw awesome little shops, ate a great lunch, went inside St. Peter und Paul Mittenald Church, & I bought a nice leather backpack & wallet.

We drove back to Italy on December 23. I would definitely recommend going to Germany, especially Garmisch & Mittenwald. They are very small, cute, & quaint towns; the people are super nice, & the gypsy population is low, which means theft is low.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Get educated to be in everlasting debt

It is instilled in most of our heads that higher education is one of the only ways to get ahead in life, to make more money, & to get a better career, but is it really worth it? Students leave college with sometimes $100,000 of debt or more & they end up paying it off for the rest of their lives on top of the accruing interest. So many people these days have degrees & it makes it difficult to stand out in the crowd to get chosen for a good position & ultimately, graduates are left taking jobs that pay $10-$15/hour until they gain years of experience. How can people reasonably live on that & still pay off their loans? Many graduates live at home to save, pay off loans, & figure out their lives & it is truly unfair on both the parents & the graduates (even if your parents are like mine, who would let you live at home forever).

A degree does not guarantee a job; it just gives people a leg up to be noticed, but now to get noticed, seen, & heard, one either needs a master's, which requires even more money, or experience, which is nearly impossible to have being a young & recent grad. Phil N. said, “Can you make it without one? Yes, but you need to work your tail off. Can you make it with one? Yes, but you need to work your tail off to pay for it. Either way, the work has to be put in for the lifestyle that you want. It’s almost a personal preference. I personally think I need it because the lifestyle I'm destined to lead requires it, but I also know that for a solid part of my life I'll be paying back loans- everything has its cost. By no means do I think it's fair, but I can’t argue with the system currently.”

Basically, in order to get the life I want, I need to pay huge amounts for it as an American. Why is our economy set up to get young people in debt from the get-go? Countries like Spain have close to free education & graduate with almost no debt. Yes, Spain has many economic issues, but at least their graduates have a chance to succeed. However, there are people like my older brother who is doing incredibly well for themselves without a degree. He has a nice home in Texas, a nice car, & he & my sister-in-law comfortably support my adorable niece & nephew &can still take vacations. So many paths, so many choices & ways to be successful in life. It's all up to you & choosing a way that works for the life you wish to live.

If I were to give any advice as a recent grad, I would say to get your associate's degree at your neighborhood community college. This is what I should have done & regret not going to community college before Pace University. Once you have an associate's degree & try to transfer to a 4-year institution, you may have to take some of the University's mandatory classes, but most, if not all, of the prerequisite courses will transfer. It is a huge savings & I recommend everyone do this rather than going to a four-year school from the start. Not only do I push education, but I push getting it the smart way, not the expensive way. What do you all think? How was your financial experience in & after college?

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielviewyoga

Free Education in Prison & Where on Earth our Taxes are Going

“Prison education is a means of rehabilitating & re-directing. If you release someone with the same skills with which she came in, she’s going to get involved in the same activities as she did before.” – Marymount Bedford Hills Program student.

According to the Prison Studies Project, there have been studies conducted over the last two decades that have confirmed that the higher the education level in prison programs, the crime rate ultimately reduces saving the taxpayers money. However, taking into consideration that less than 5% of American’s taxes are going toward prisons does not make this situation any better.

From what I have researched, I do think that prisoners who are not serving a life sentence & are not mentally ill should be educated to high school level for education is an important step for people to grow. However, I do not think that it is fair that hardworking Americans with clean records & are earning a living for themselves are spending thousands of dollars on college educations when people who have done wrong are getting a college education for free.

The government justifies their spending by telling us where our money is going (see photo from www.cbpp.org). Even so, many citizens do not see results. 22% of our taxes go toward social security… Oh, I’m sorry, I am pretty sure that I have heard that social security will be nonexistent by the time I need it so what am I paying for? Also, why are only 2% of our taxes going toward education? That seems insanely low to me.

Here is what our taxes should be paying for:

1. High school education for prisoners (ones without life sentences)

2. Defense & international security assistance

3. Healthcare for EVERYONE (which should include medical & scientific research since it betters life for humans)

4. Free education

5. International affairs

6. Fixing of roadways, transportation routes, etc.

7. Financial support for the elderly & disabled I may be missing some here, but these are the 7 that I think are the most important. I don’t understand what is so difficult about changing the system to better the people. Our system is so backward that we make it a struggle for working-class people to get a higher education, but our criminals are getting it for free. If we had the American money-hungry mentality with Europe’s healthcare & education system, we would be unstoppable. We need a change & we need it now before our economy collapses as a whole. We’ve already gone through one recent government shutdown; let’s try to prevent another.

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielviewyoga