PORT.u.gal w/ JESS 👯‍♀️🇵🇹

 

Douro River in Pinhão 

Lisboa | 16 - 2o may [4 nights]

• Time Out Market Lisbon https://www.timeoutmarket.com/lisboa/en/
• Pink Street Lisbon
• Santa Justa Lift (Elevador de Santa Justa)
• Belém Tower
• Pasteis de Belém https://pasteisdebelem.pt/en/ 
• Cascais https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/lisbon/cascais
• Sintra Pena Palace https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/plan-your-visit/tickets-palace-of-pena/

Pena Palace in Sintra 🌿

Porto | 2o - 23 may [3 nights]

• Chapel of Souls (Capela das Almas) 
• Train to Pinhão in the Douro Valley - Port Wine Tasting
• Flight to Faro in the Algarve - Southern Portugal

Porto River Front on Ponte Luís I Bridge

Lagos | 23 - 27 may [4 nights]

• Praia do Camilo (Camilo Beach)
• Kayaking in Benagil Cave
• Eating cataplana 

Benagil Cave

BEST Cataplana 🦐

Lisboa | 27 - 28 may [1 night]

• Last meal together at Minibar https://www.minibar.pt/en/

hidden door!! 🚪 

This is our 4th trip together!!

1. Puerto Rico 2o19
2. Belize 2o21
3. Turks & Caicos 2o22
4. Portugal 2o23

We've known each other since we were 5 years young in 1st grade, and grew up together through middle school and high school days. Looking forward to our next trip together!! ✈ ❤ ☺

24 HRS in Barcelona 🌛

 

Fans Cheering on FC Barcelona

To my surprise there was a parade for FC Barcelona on the day I was in Barcelona transiting through to get from France to Portugal!!

I love to be able to serendipitously be in the right place at the right time.

I was walking from my hotel to the street with some buildings that were designed by Gaudi, when I noticed a ton of fans sporting FC Barcelona on one street. I stood there for a moment looking around, and then I Google searched "FC Barcelona parade today," and sure enough they were going to be passing by on the street where I was standing on. I was debating to stay or continue on my walk, and eventually I decided to just stay and cheer on the team with everyone else. ☺ It was quite the experience to be a part of

Victory Parade Route

FC Barcelona

Barcelona's Womens Team | Barça Femení

France 🇫🇷 w/ Rita ❤

 

reunited after ~10 years!!

I AM SO FREAKIN' LUCKY!!! I first met Rita when we were in undergraduate studies at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon~

She was there to see me grow + learn throughout my college years and we lived together during our undergrad years and post at various times. I even shared a bed with her part of one summer when I just moved back to Portland and was working as AmeriCorps before moving in with another dear friend of ours named Erika!!

When I was figuring out my time and travels in Europe, I thought I'd send her a message on IG to see if it was okay to visit her in Paris. I knew she lived there, but I didn't want to bother her if she was busy or may have other plans. Luckily for me, she was free and she helped plan a trip down to the south of France with me, her and her manfriend. ☺ SO I took a cheap RyanAir flight from Dublin to Paris Beauvais Airport, and then took a shuttle bus from Beauvais to Paris Port Maillot (~1.5 hours). I arrived right at high commute time, but Rita braved the crowded metro to fetch me and we returned to her home in another part of Paris. ❤ 

The next morning we hopped on the train to Béziers, France! We got picked up by Rita's manfriend's brother and went to a small town called Cers. 

Cers Town Centre Mural 🐇🍷

It was beautiful to be able to reunite in France after all these years, and to be able to be welcomed + invited into their family home in Cers. I am constantly amazed at this thing we call life, and be a witness to see how each of us navigates through it. 

🧀ᐩ🍷🍇

[ 11 ~ 15 may ]

Dublin | PART I 🇮🇪

The last time I came to Europe was to Greece in the summer of 2o18 with Michael. I usually do not plan to travel to Europe. Why? I think it's because since I identify as Asian American, I prefer to travel to SE or S Asian countries. Every time I went to Hong Kong, I would feel like I was going home to the "motherland." People looked like me, they spoke Cantonese, and I felt a sense of belonging. ❤ 

I decided to come to Europe because my childhood best friend Jessica wanted to go to Portugal 🇵🇹 for our annual friend trip. She got her plane ticket to Lisboa back in Fall 2o22. AND I waited to get mine because I was undecided about going. BUT once I got back from India in January 2o23, I decided WHY NOT?!

So I searched for the cheapest tickets to Europe for May, and Aer Lingus had a direct flight deal from Seattle. 🛫 Jessica could only take 2 weeks off for work, but since I had more time off because of my sabbatical I was able to book my trip from May 8 - June 8. One month in Europe!!

The start of my Euro-Trip began in Dublin, Ireland!!

Trinity College ☘️

I never have imagined myself visiting Ireland, but it was neat to experience. I stayed 2 nights. I arrived the morning of Tuesday, May 9th and walked around my hostel area, and Trinity College.  The next day I did a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, which was absolutely beautiful to see. I was freezing 🥶  cold, because I did NOT pack for cold weather... I wore all the "warmest" clothes I had, and I was still cooooooollllddd... BUT I survived!! ☺

Cliffs of Moher

This is also totally out of my norm for travel. I usually do NOT... I repeat do NOT travel to cold places. I am a wimp in the cold. 🤣 

To be honest... I had trouble grasping with the idea that I was traveling to Europe for a month. I kept thinking and telling myself that I won't enjoy it, and that I should've stayed in Seattle to work + try to earn more money before summer break (July-August). I know a lot of people just Love LOVE l❤ve traveling to Europe... and I love love L❤VE traveling to Asia. haha. I think we grow within a safe distance outside our comfort levels AND this trip is definitely an opportunity to push me to think outside of what I am comfortable thinking + being.

I am still struggling to figure out what to do post sabbatical year. It's been such a healing time, and I don't know if I'm ready for it to end. OR do I need it to end so that I can go back to a routine of what I know? OR should I explore what else is out there?? OR do I need to find within myself what I am searching for? 👀