lá breithe shona duit NORA 🎉☘️🥂

 

It had been a lovely week, the perfect birthday present to give herself. Indulgent, she admitted, taking such a big chunk of her savings that way. But what were savings for if a woman couldn't use them to celebrate in a spectacular way her first quarter century of living.

Heart of The Sea

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Viktor Lazić, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Why A Solo Birthday Trip Is The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself

ELITE DAILY

"collect moments, not things."

When she’d sold her condo and then in one frantic week, auctioned off

every possession she owned—every stick of furniture, every pot and pan

and appliance—they’d been certain she’d gone over the edge.

Rebecca had never felt saner.

She owned nothing that didn’t fit in a suitcase. She no longer had any

tax-deferred investments or retirement plans. She’d cashed in her

certificates of deposit, and the home entertainment center she’d thought she

couldn’t live without was now gracing someone else’s home.

It had been more than six weeks since she’d even looked at an adding

machine.

For the first—and perhaps the only—time in her life, she was totally

free.

Impulse

___________________

By StockSnap - 

https://pixabay.com/en/people-woman-travel-adventure-trek-2591874/ archive copy, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72553316

Spending Money on Experiences Makes You a Better Person

It can make you more grateful and generous.

You've probably heard about the health benefits of practicing gratitude—how it can boost your mood, help you treat others better, improve physical health, and keep stress and fear at bay. Now, here's a little trick for how to automatically infuse more gratitude into your life: Spend more money on experiences, and less on material objects.

Martha Stewart

___________________

“Wait.” He held up a hand, wanting to be certain he understood

everything. “You’re telling me that you sold your possessions, all your

possessions?”

She couldn’t remember ever having felt more foolish, and she

straightened her shoulders defensively. “Right down to my coffeepot.”

“Amazing,” he murmured.

“I bought new clothes, new luggage, and flew to London. First-class.

I’d never been on a plane before in my life.”

“You’d never flown, but took your first trip across the Atlantic.”

Impulse

"She’d come for the adventure, for the thrill. For the freedom."

“Yes, exactly. I bided my time. When I was eighteen, I left. 

There was insurance money that came to me then, and a small trust 

fund from the sale of our house in Saint Louis. I planned to go to college.

 I had no idea what I wanted to do or be, so I decided to take a year off first and 

do something my parents had always talked of doing. To tour Europe.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, alone.” She sipped her wine now, leaning back on the counter. 

Had she ever told anyone even this much before? 

Since the night everything changed for her? No, no one. What would have been the point?

“I was thrilled to be alone, to have no schedule, no one telling me what to do. 

It was both an adventure and a pilgrimage for me. 

I backpacked through Italy.”

Wolf Moon

________________________

By StockSnap - 

https://pixabay.com/en/people-woman-travel-adventure-trek-2591874/ 

archive copy at the

 Wayback Machine (archived on 19 January 2019), CC0,

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72553316

This Unexpected Travel Trend Is Especially Popular Among Women Right Now

Solo trips are one of 2019’s biggest travel trends, 

and women are definitely leading the charge.

Real Simple

Be Inspired

The land in southeast Wyoming is a magnificent paradox. 

Spreading plains and rolling hills coexist with rocky mountains 

and thick velvet pines. 

From the kitchen window, the view was astounding, 

and Samantha Evans halted in her duties for a moment to drink it in.

The Rockies dominated the vast curtain of sky,

their peaks laced with snow, 

though it was late March.

Song of The West 

____________________

OPEN YOUR MIND AND INVIGORATE YOUR SENSES.

Because some things can't be explained, only experienced.

Wyoming Vacations & Travel Guide

____________________

Moments later she was out the door, gazing around her in delight 

at the beauty of the starlit Wyoming night. Her breath puffed

out in thin white mists as she moved. The air, tinged with frost, 

carried the aroma of pine, and she drank it in greedily, enjoying the

mixed scent of hay and horses and aged wood. 

She could hear the lonely sound of a coyote calling to 

the full silver moon. 

And suddenly she realized that she had fallen in love with Wyoming. 

The spell of the mountains and plains was on her, and she was

inexplicably glad she had come.

"Goodness, you were out a long time," her sister commented 

as Samantha plopped down in a wing-backed chair in front of the fire a few minutes later. "You must be frozen."

"No." Samantha stretched out her legs and sighed. "I love it out there. It's fantastic! I never realized how big the sky was before, and I

don't think I'll ever get used to the space, the openness."

Song of The West

Winter Driving: How to Survive

Damn snow. Gabe downshifted to second gear, slowed the Jeep

 to fifteen miles an hour, swore and strained his eyes. 

Through the frantic swing of the wipers on the windshield 

all that could be seen was a wall of white. 

No winter wonderland. 

Gabriel's Angel

__________________

By HopsonRoad - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54631963

Winter adds an extra level of danger when a car breaks down.

Family Handyman

__________________

He was hungry, soaked to the skin, and afraid he would run out of

gas-petrol-before he found anything remotely like an inn or village.

In his mind he went over the map. Visualizing was a talent he'd

been born with, and he could, with little effort, reproduce every line

of the careful map his hostess had sent him.

The trouble was, it was pitch dark, the rain washed over his

windshield like a roaring river, and the wind was buffeting his car

on this godforsaken excuse for a road as if the Mercedes was a

Tinkertoy.

He wished violently for coffee.

When the road forked, Gray took his chances and guided the car

to the left. If he didn't find the inn or something like in it another ten

miles, he'd sleep in the damn car and try again in the morning.

Born in Ice

Love for Rome grows with each visit

"Have you ever been to Rome?"

"No." He thought he heard just a trace of wistfulness in her voice. "I haven't been to Europe at all."

"When you do, come to Rome. It was built on grit."

Her mind drifted a bit as she thought of it, and her smile remained. "I think of fountains and marble and cathedrals."

"You'll find them—and more." She had a face exquisite enough to be carved in marble, he thought. A voice quiet and smooth enough for cathedrals. "Rome rose and fell and clawed its way back up again. An intelligent woman understands such things. A romantic woman understands the fountains." 

Lessons Learned

________________

CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=601565

Love is lovelier the second time around, Frank Sinatra told us.
It's much the same with Rome.

STUFF

Magic spring in Prague

Here he was in one of the most beautiful, most cultured cities in Eastern Europe, and he couldn’t risk the time to see anything.

He wanted to drop in on the Mucha exhibit, to study the Art Nouveau foyer of the Main Station, to wander among the artists on the Charles bridge.

Three Fates

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By Jay8085 [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], 

via Wikimedia Commons

The vibrant capital of the Czech Republic on a walk through its parks, squares, bridges, breweries and literary corners

ELMUNDO

EL MUNDO translated to English

_______________

She walked steadily, down sidewalks, over the cobbled bricks of squares and gave her shadow little time to admire the domes, the baroque architecture or the Gothic towers.

She stopped once at a sidewalk kiosk and bought a large bottle of water, which she stuffed in the oversized purse on her shoulder.

Gideon regretted, when she kept up the clipped pace and the sweat began to run down his back, that he hadn’t followed her lead.

He cheered a bit when he realized she was heading toward the river. Maybe he’d get a look at the Charles after all.

They passed pretty, painted shops thronged with tourists, restaurants where people sat under umbrella tables and cooled off with chilled drinks or ice cream, and still those long legs of hers climbed steadily up the steep slope to the bridge.

The breeze off the water did little to bring relief, and the view, while spectacular, didn’t explain what the hell she was doing. She didn’t so much as glance at the grandeur of  Prague Castle or the cathedral, never paused to lean on the rail and contemplate the water and the boats that plied it. She certainly didn’t stop to haggle with the artists.

She crossed the bridge and kept going.

He was trying to decide if she was heading to the castle, and if so why the hell she hadn’t taken a bloody bus, when she veered off and walked breezily downhill to the street of tiny cottages where the king’s goldsmiths and alchemists had once lived.

They were shops now, naturally, but that didn’t detract from the charm of low doorways, narrow windows and faded colors. She cut through the tourists and tour groups as the uneven stone street climbed again.

She turned again, walked onto the patio of a little restaurant and plopped down at a table.

Three Fates

10 Reasons to Sail down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)

With that she pulled smoothly away from the dock. "How do you feel about St. Thomas?"

"Jack..."

"Only kidding. I've thought what a kick it would be to travel the whole Intracoastal. 
Take a whole summer and just cruise."

He'd thought of it, too, as something he might find time for—someday. 
After retirement, perhaps. When Jackie said it, it seemed 
possible it could happen tomorrow.
And it made him wish it would happen tomorrow. 

Loving Jack

________________

By Skipper Michael 16:21, 12 May 2007 (UTC) - 

Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2096873

The Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW, is a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. It runs from Boston, Massachusetts, south along the Atlantic coast and around the southern tip of Florida, then following the Gulf Coast to Brownsville, Texas.

Sailing Britican

American adventures

“Then you're in for a treat.”

He was absolutely right. The long, winding drive in the spectacular T-Bird was joy enough. The little villages they passed through were as scenic as any postcard. The sun dipped down toward the horizon in the west, and the breeze in the open car smelled of fish, then flowers, then sea.

The restaurant was hardly more than a diner, a square of faded gray wood set on stilts in the water, across a rickety gangplank. The interior decoration ran to torn fishnets and battered lobster buoys.

Scarred tables dotted the equally scarred floor. The booths were designed to rip the hell out of pantyhose. A dubious effort at romantic atmosphere was added by the painted tuna can and hurricane globe set in the center of each table. The candles globbed in the base of the cans were unlit. Today's menu was scrawled on a chalkboard hanging beside the open kitchen.

“We got lobster rolls, lobster salad and lobster lobster,” a waitress explained to an obviously frazzled family of four. “We got beer, we got milk, iced tea and soft drinks. There's French fries and coleslaw, and no ice cream 'cause the machine's not working. What'll you have?”

Megan's Mate

_________________________

Ansel Adams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

From reliving the Wild West to hurtling round a legendary race track to climbing up an American icon, we bring you 33 fabulous American adventures everyone should experience.

MSN

_________________________

Take a minute, look up there. That's a sight, isn't it?"

Her heart was still beating too fast for comfort, but she looked up. And there, above the ragged shadows of the mountains, hung a full, white moon.

Stars exploded around it, as it someone had loaded a shotgun with diamonds and blasted away. Their light turned the icing of snow on the peaks an eerie blue, and dashed the crevices and gullies into deep, rich shadow.

This, she thought, was what she missed when she allowed nerves to hunch her over, to force her gaze to the ground. And though she might have wished shed had this moment alone, she had to give credit to Lo for making her stop, making her look.

"It's beautiful. The guidebook I bought called the mountains majestic, and I thought no. When I saw them before. I thought not majestic but tough and rugged. But that's how they look now. Majestic."

"There are spots up there that you have to see to believe, and they change, even while you're looking. This time of year, if you go up, stand by the river, you can hear the rocks clack in the spring runoff. Take you on a ride up. Nothing better than seeing the Tetons on horseback." 

Angels Fall

How To Be A Tourist In Your Own City

Stepping outside, Ariel took a deep breath of New York. She loved it—
had always loved it in a way usually reserved for tourists. Ariel had
lived on the long thin island of Manhattan all of her life, and yet it
remained an adventure to her. The sights, the smells, the sounds.


Dual Images

___________________

By Paolo Neo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

No doubt about it, discovering other cities is an unbeatable experience - but a stressful one too (think traveling for hours before reaching your destination, packing your things or dealing with airport security). 

So why leave for another place, when there's so much yet to discover in your own town? 

Because staying at home doesn't necessarily mean you're not going to have a good time. 

Here are a few tips for spending a day exploring your hometown that will help you see it with fresh eyes!

BLOGLOVIN'

___________________

He'd never pictured himself biking along the oceanfront—much less enjoying it. The fact was, Nathan rarely even came to this section of town. It was for tourists and teenagers. Being with Jackie made him feel like both. She was showing him new things not only about the city where he'd lived for nearly a decade but about the life he'd had more than thirty years to experience.

 Everything about her was unexpected. How could he have known that the unexpected could also be the fresh? For a few hours he hadn't given a thought to Denver or penalty clauses or the responsibilities of tomorrow. He hadn't thought of tomorrow at all.

 This was today, and the sun was bright, and the water was a rich blue against the golden sand. There were children squealing as they played in the surf, and there was the smell of oils and lotions. Someone was walking a dog along the beach, and a vendor was hawking nachos.

 Across the street, beach towels waved colorfully over rails, making a tawdry little hotel seem exotic. He could smell hot dogs, he realized, and some kind of colored ice was being sold to children so that it would drip sticky down their arms as they slurped it. Oddly enough, he had a sudden yen for it himself.

 When he looked up, he spotted the black-and-yellow colors of a kite shaped like a wasp. It had caught the wind and was climbing. A light plane flew over, trailing a flowing message about the special at a local restaurant.

 He took it all in, wondering why he'd thought the beach held no magic for him.


Loving Jack 

General Stores

When she walked into the mercantile, Mac was ringing up a sale at a short counter opposite the door.

The place was what she'd expected: a little bit of everything—coolers for produce and meat, shelves of dry goods, a section for hardware, for housewares, fishing gear, ammo.

Need a gallon of milk and a box of bullets? 

This was the spot.

Angels Fall

______________

America's 13 Most Charming General Stores

You need to add these rural gems to your road-trip bucket list. ​

COUNTRY LIVING

______________

She pushed her cart to the counter. "That should do it, Mr. Drubber."

"I'll ring you up. No charge on the teakettle. It's a housewarming gift."

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"My store, my rules." He wagged a finger at her.

Angels Fall

I Left My Job to Travel the World

Her boss had thought she was suffering from temporary insanity. 

Edwin McDowell of McDowell, Jableki and Kline was never going to understand why a promising young CPA would resign from her position with one of the top accounting firms in Philadelphia. 

She'd made a good salary, she'd enjoyed excellent benefits, and she'd even had a small window in her office.

Friends and associates had wondered if she'd suffered a breakdown. After all, it wasn't normal, and it certainly wasn't Rebecca's style to quit a solid, well-paying job without the promise of a better one.

But she'd given her two weeks' notice, cleared out her desk and had cheerfully walked out into the world of the unemployed.

When she'd sold her condo and then in one frantic week, auctioned off every possession she owned—every stick of furniture, every pot and pan and appliance—they'd been certain she'd gone over the edge.

Rebecca had never felt saner.

She owned nothing that didn't fit in a suitcase.

Impulse

__________________

By Filip Maljković from Pancevo, Serbia - Acropolis column, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39962718

—This Is What I Learned

 The Wall Street Journal recently reported that more people are taking a midlife career break and stepping away from normality to discover more about the world—and themselves. 

MY DOMAINE

__________________

She was stronger. She was surer. She was freer. And she'd done it herself.

She could think of nothing she wanted less than to go back into someone else's firm, tallying figures, calculating profit and loss. 

So she wouldn't. Rebecca sank into the chair as the thought struck home.

She wouldn't. She wouldn't go job hunting, carrying her resume, rinsing sweaty palms in the rest room, putting her career and life in someone else's hands again. 

She'd open her own firm. A small one, certainly. Personalized. 

Exclusive, she decided, savoring the word. 

Why not? She had the skill, the experience, and—finally—she had the courage.

Impulse

northern lights

Besides, you can't really see this from inside."

"See what?"

"Look up, Lower 48."

He looked where she pointed and lost his breath. "Holy God."

"Yeah, I always thought it was holy. A natural phenom caused by latitude, sunspots and so on. Scientific explanations don't make it less beautiful, or magical."

The lights in the sky were green with shimmers of gold, hints of red. The long, eerie streaks seemed to pulse and breathe, bathing the dark with life.

"The northern lights show best in the winter, but it's usually too damn cold to appreciate them. Figured this was a good night for the exception."

"I've heard of them. Seen pictures. It's not like the pictures."

"The best things never are.

Northern Lights

________________

3 great places to watch the northern lights

 in America

 

 

 

 Right now, you may see the aurora borealis – also known as the northern lights – from northern California to the Texas Panhandle to the Virginia coast. About every 11 years, the sun's magnetic-field activity peaks, causing the lights to blaze farther south. 

 

Here are top three spots to see the light shows, starting near the fall equinox on Sept. 22. 

 

"It's as good as you think," NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center scientist Joseph Kunches says. "It's worth staying up late to see."

 

 YAHOO! TRAVEL

 ________________

 

"So you came here."

"To bury myself. But things happened. I saw the mountains. I saw the lights. Northern lights."

He looked at her and realized by the faint smile on her face she understood. 

He didn't have to say more. So he could say more.

"And I saw you. Similar reaction to all. Something inside me wanted to come back to life."

 

 Northern Lights