Eventually, I’ll update y’all with proper travel notes (and must-see destinations). In the meantime, here’s a short list of all the places I’ve lived or visited since:
Donegal, Ireland
Cork, Ireland
Rome, Italy
Turin, Italy
Milan, Italy
Florence, Italy
Venice, Italy
Verona, Italy
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Copenhagen, Denmark
Victoria, Australia
New South Wales, Australia
Palm Springs, California
San Diego, California
Phoenix, Arizona
Cusco, Peru
And, coming soon to:
Prague, Czechia (July ‘25)
Vienna, Austria (August ‘25)
Budapest, Hungary (September ‘25)
My intention upon leaving Philadelphia was to relocate (semi-permanently) to Ireland. I just wished to pursue my birthright citizenship, naturalize, and begin the process of carving a corner of life out for myself there. Find my people. Realign with my values. Lean into new experiences. Relish in the joy of cooking with fresher meats and veg. See some puffins. Ponder life’s purpose on a cliff. You know. You probably also know what often happens when you wish upon a star. You learn it’s a plane. A moving target.
I ended up not being able to secure a long stay in Ireland as easily as I had thought. I ended up having to leave Ireland after the [very generous] 90-day visa-free stay that is afforded to all American visitors. I went from Ireland to Italy where I based myself in Turnio, Florence, and Verona for month-long stays each; branching out to Milano, Venice, and Cortina d'Ampezzo (the Dolomites) for little solo weekend adventures.
From Verona, I moved on to Copenhagen, where I spent a few days mostly just roaming the streets—grieving. My Gran had passed away halfway through my time in Verona and without an apartment or home base in Philadelphia, I was forced to journey on as planned. I had never known grief like that. I had never felt solitude like that. Despite my community reaching out as far as they could with the thousands of miles between us, I had never felt pinned between two such complicated emotional experiences quite like that.
After the funeral, I immediately returned home to Ireland. Where I stayed for another three months. I left just shy of the Christmas holiday to surprise my Aunt Mary, Gran’s sister, in Melbourne, Australia. I stayed there for a month, exploring and connecting with extended family. It was truly one of the most unexpectedly expansive and fulfilling experiences I’ve had since leaving Philadelphia. I never expected to see what I saw or feel what I felt during my time there. I’ll never be the same.
I intend on expanding deeper into the individual experiences I had (and things I loved) in each of these places, as well as my personal Google Maps (and notes) to help you maybe navigate your upcoming visits. In due time. I’ll post those recaps in a feed / blogroll here, as soon as they become available.
If you have specific questions about any of the visits or stays, leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to include them in the forthcoming content I share.