Beakers & Babies

A week from tomorrow, we head back to the states for the holidays. I can't believe it's that soon and I can't believe it'll be 5 months since we were home last. Our upcoming trip would probably have been our first, had it not been for a good friend's wedding this summer. It's a long trip home, but we're glad to make it for our loved ones. So, in preparation for our approaching travels, I thought I'd share a bit from our previous trip. 

My time home in July made me feel like a grownup, featuring Beakers and Babies... not to be confused with beaker babies or test tube babies. Our good friends, Sarah and Craig, dubbed "The Beakers" years before they made it official, got married in Ohio (actually in/near Dublin, Ohio, which was pretty coincidental). I was thrilled to be standing beside my college girls, synchronously crying, watching our good friend take her vows!

So lovely, right? It was great to be back home and share in the happiest day of their lives... Which brings me to babies. Nope, no babies for the Beakers yet (for anyone who was confused at the title haha)! 

Another dear friend, whom I've known since first grade (coincidentally another Sarah), had her first baby! She and her husband, Shaun, welcomed a baby boy the same day that my other friend got married. Big day for the Sarahs! 

As I'm rarely home, I had joked with her about working her birthing schedule around my visit. I tried to persuade her to put extra jalapeños on her burger when we went out to eat, strongly encouraged different oils, long walks and well, other things, ha. Luckily, none of that was necessary and she had her baby a week or two before her due date! I'm convinced the precious little guy was listening to me :)

So, even though I'm far away most of the time, I was lucky enough to be there for these important firsts... the first wedding of my college friends, the first baby of my friends from home. I'm not sure when we became these grownups, but I have to say I kind of like it! 

These joyous occasions, paired with much needed family time (including wedding dress shopping with my Mom, yay!), made for such a great trip! I'm so looking forward to being back with friends and family again soon. Now, who wants to get married or have a baby this time I'm home? Think about it.

Venice Itinerary

As I wrote this post and added a link from my Travel page (check it out for my posts on our trip to Venice and others!), I realized I'm really starting to like the look of it. I have 6 of our recent trips included, and there are many more to catch you up on! I feel so lucky that I've been able to do this and share in the excitement with my husband.

So, here's another itinerary for the list. Having spent a holiday weekend in romantic Venice, these are our tips...

When to visit: 

I don't usually include this in my itineraries, but thought it was important to touch on briefly. I'd recommend spring or early summer (we went in early June and it was perfect), or early fall. You'll still run into quite a few tourists during these times, but it won't be overwhelmingly hot and/or smelly, or flooding ("high water" season is Oct-Jan).

Where to stay:

This is pretty subjective in Venice, so I'll just say what we did. When we travel, we like to be somewhat close to the touristy areas (easy transit ride or walk), but far enough away in a more quiet neighborhood with a local ambiance. Our hotel was the Residenza Cannaregio in Cannaregio, the "Jewish Ghetto." I would recommend it, but have also heard Dorsoduro is a nice neighborhood too. Personally, I wouldn't want to stay in the heart of the craziness near Piazza San Marco, especially since the city is easy to navigate -- which leads me to....

Getting Around:

First of all, I'd recommend walking a lot to get a feel for the different areas of the city. One of the best parts about visiting Venice is getting lost in the maze and stumbling upon cool little squares, restaurants, shops, markets, etc. Aside from that, you can take the Vaporetto (water bus) or Water Taxis. Taxis are the fastest, but more expensive, so I'd go for a Vaporetto pass (from 12 hr passes to 7-day passes).

Gondolas:  These wouldn't be used for practical transportation, but I would absolutely encourage taking a ride. Gondolas are pricey, but well worth it! They are often cheaper with more people (up to 6) vs. a private ride, and you can always try to strike a deal with your Gondolier (extra if they sing to you, so up to you if you want it - I would just listen to the singing another time and save yourself the $$). Don't go on Grand Canal, but go on the smaller canals for a less crowded, more intimate experience. Go at sunset and take your camera (and a bottle of wine if you want!).

What to see:

Grand Canal/Canals/Gondoliers

Piazza San Marco: Basilica di San Marco, Campanile di San Marco (bell tower), Torre dell'Orologio

Rialto Bridge/Market

Museums: Many to see, but St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana on one pass. Also, the Peggy Guggenheim has been recommended to us!

Churches - plenty of gorgeous churches to check out!

Piazza San Marco

Last, but not least, take the Vaporetto for a day trip to the Lagoon Islands. Murano is famous for its glass, Burano for its lace and colorful buildings, and Torcello for its ancient ruins and tranquility. 

Burano

Restaurants/Venetian Cuisine:

It's Venice... there are tons of great places, so I'll just include 3 favorites:

Antica Trattoria Poste Vecio - we stumbled on this gem and later found out it's the oldest restaurant in Venice - I had amazing Lobster Gnocchi here (seafood is a big part of Venetian cuisine)

Vini da Gigio - restaurant in Cannaregio - excellent food, wine, and service!

Al Bottegon (also known as Cantinone Gia Schavi) - great lunch spot - cheap and delicious cicheti (little bites) and you can get wine to go (where we got our bottle of Prosecco for our gondola ride)

All I Want for Xmas is... a Work Permit!

I can't believe the holiday season is upon us... Cue the cheery music, shopping madness, ugly jumpers (for my U.S. readers, jumper = sweater), and booze filled holiday parties. I've started getting in the mood myself, lighting my "White Christmas" Yankee candle and watching Love Actually, Elf, and even New Year's Eve. 

I also went on a holiday mission with my friend, Michelle, to the Euro Store (equivalent of the Dollar Store) for Xmas decorations. Ours are boxed up in storage, but we both still wanted a little festive touch for our Dublin homes. I got 2 stockings, garland and gold pinecone ornaments for a DIY garland for the mantle, and red tea light holders for €7 - now I call that a successful trip!

While I was putting up my new decorations, dancing around and belting out Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" alone in our apartment, I started thinking about what I wanted for Xmas. My Mom asked me a few days prior, and I told her I didn't want anything, just wanted to be home with everyone (don't you just love when people give that answer? Makes it soo easy on you, right? Ha). I then jokingly said, "If you can get me a work permit, that would be great." 

For anyone who knows me well and knows about my nightmare of a permit application process, you know this is no joke. You probably want this for Christmas too, just so you don't have to hear me complain anymore! It's unreal to me that this year is winding down and I'm still sitting here, waiting for the Irish government to pick up the application (MY THIRD ONE) from the stack it's been sitting in for a month and give me the "OK" to start working.

I had NO idea when we moved that it would be this complicated and torturous an ordeal. Finding a job was not the hard part; the permit process, however, has been the most ridiculous thing ever. I'll tell you what though... What I've missed in professional growth this year, I've gained 10x in personal growth.

This year, I'm more grateful than I've ever been for everyone in my life. As I told Mom, I could care less about presents and I'm looking so forward to spending time with my family and friends, even for the short week that we're home.

Since the Employment Permits Office informed me that they "don't accept bribes," after I asked if there was any way to expedite the process for the umpteenth time, maybe I'll just show up at the office with a bottle of whiskey (that is, if there was a physical location), pull a Marilyn Monroe and sing Santa Baby...

"Santa baby, slip a [permit] under the tree, for me
I've been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight"

Thoughts?