My last post was in August. It will almost be a year that I published my last post. I’m not too proud of that but a lot has happen. At the end of 2021, I went through a break up, had to move (multiple times), and just prepare for a new life. I’m happy to say that I am still in Austin, in my own place. Thanks to a close friend of mine and her friends. In the end of 2021, I did not where my life was going. I was just hoping that by April 2022 I would be happier. What I learned though is that I should enjoy life everyday. Not wait for a lease to end to finally enjoy my life. I was tried of waiting for a day to be happy. In life, lots of things can happen. I need to make the magic in my life happen in bad times just as well in good times. In the past, I felt like I was always waiting for the future. I usually wanted to be somewhere else. Today, I want to enjoy the present but also plan for future. For my blog I will still talk about travel and things I do around Austin. I visited Chicago in October 2021 and I wanted to write a post about that. In June, I will be going to Greece with my mom and sister. I will definitely be writing about that. Also, in February 2022 it was the 5 year anniversary of my blog! I’m so happy to be back!
Why Iceland is Worth Visiting
I had the opportunity to visit Iceland last month. I went with a tour group called EF Ultimate break. There was 45 other people in my group. If you’re vaccinated or previous had COVID, you do not need a negative COVID test or have to quarantine to visit Iceland (This has changed). I arrived in Reykjavik on Saturday July 17th at 6 AM. The first thing we did was explore Reykjavik. The city is beautiful and has a lot to do. Keep in mind that stores and restaurants close early and bars close early on the weekdays. My lunch was from a famous hot dog stand called Bæjarins beztu pylsur. I recommend getting it with everything. It includes ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion and remoladi, a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish. It was really good, probably one of the best hot dogs, I have ever had. After, exploring Reykjavik, we had our welcome dinner. At the welcome dinner I got to meet my whole tour group. We all introduce ourselves and said why we chose Iceland. I had the cod and a beer. The cod was fresh and delicious. We also had dessert, it was a chocolate mousse. After, We went out for beers at Einstok.
Cheers to being in Iceland 
Hallgrímskirkja 
Cod
The second day we traveled to the Golden Circle. First, we visited Thingvellir National Park, the boundary between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. We got to see the Oxarafoss waterfall and walked between two tectonic plates. Then, we got explore explore the Great Geysir Geothermal area and had lunch. It was the first time I saw a geyser and also see it erupt. It was unbelievable but it did smell like rotten eggs. That day I hurt my foot by stepping on it wrong. It was after visiting Thingvellir National Park. It did not hurt when I saw the geyser but after we stopped by to see a cute Icelandic horse, my foot was in pain. I did not want this to ruin my trip, so I kept going. After the Icelandic horse, we saw Gullfoss waterfall. However, to get close to the waterfall you had to climb stairs and hike rocks. My foot was in pain but I wanted to get closer to waterfall. People in my group helped me walk and I was able to get close to the waterfall. The people in my EF tour group were amazing, they gave me Advil, helped me walk, and asked how I was. After taking Advil, my foot felt better and I took it slow to the next waterfall. After the waterfalls and the geyser, we went back to hotel to sign up for our COVID test. To get back to the United States, you have to take a COVID test (Rapid or PCR) 72 hours before your flight. Our tour director wanted us to sign us up early to get our test results quicker. After, I signed up I had a nurse in my group in my foot. She told me it was swollen and I should rest and ice it. I had a couple of hours to rest my foot before whale watching. I got some ice from the hotel and rested my foot. Whale watching, I sat on the boat and watched the whales and dolphins. I did get a little sea sick but I’m happy I got to see some whales and dolphins on my tour. After, I wanted to get something to eat with some of my group but a lot restaurants were closed. However, I think hot dogs are still open. I went back to the hotel to get ready for the next day.
Gullfoss 
Great Strokkur 
Oxararfoss Waterfall
The 3rd day we explored the the south coast. First, we went to get our covid test. There was a line but it moved pretty fast. Everyone in my group got a negative covid test. They emailed or test you the results. After, we went to Skogafoss and my foot was feeling so much better. However, I didn’t climb to the top to get another view of the waterfall. I really think, I got a good view on the bottom. Then we had lunch and went to Reynisfjara, the black sand beach. For lunch I had a vegetarian sandwich and a latte with rice milk. My meal was delicious. Finally, we to Seljalandsfoss, you can go under this waterfall. I was able to get a good picture, under the waterfall. After this I wanted to rest my foot because it was volcano time, This was not set up by EF but our tour guide found us a place that does tours of the volcano. It was really foggy that day and I didn’t want to make my foot worse, so I didn’t climb as much to see more of the volcano. I sat down with two girls from my group and enjoyed the melted lava and we sat and talked. Later, more people from the group joined us. For dinner, I had Doritos and a protein bar. Even though, I had a sandwich at the hotel I was too tired to eat it.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall 
Reynisfjara Beach 
Lava 
Skogafoss waterfall 
Reynisfjara Beach
The last day, I got to explore Reykjavik with my roommate and two other people from my group. I finally tried the bread from Brauo and Co. Its really hard to miss this place because the building is really colorful. The most popular item is the morning bun. It went so well with my chai latte. We walked around with our bread and drinks and went shopping. I got a wool Icelandic blanket for 130 dollars, so worth it. A lava necklace for my dad, lava salts, and a Christmas ornament for my mom. We got to go to Hallgrímskirkja church and a punk rock museum that use to be an old public restroom. Then we went to the blue lagoon, it was a prefect way to end of the trip. We had been walking so much and my foot needed it. I got a drink, my mask, and relaxed and enjoyed being with the group. The Blue Lagoon was packed but it was worth it. The water is so beautiful and relaxing. You can choose different masks to wear and get a variety drinks. I could probably stay at the blue lagoon for a couple of hours. I also recommend visiting the sky lagoon. We had our Farwell dinner, I had lamb and it was delicious. I kept hearing recommendations about the lamb and it was amazing. The meat is soft with so much flavor, I ate my whole plate. On our last day we all talked about our trip and said our goodbyes to our tour director. It was a sentimental moment, I really feel our group got really close. We all looked out for each other and had fun. My group really helped me with my foot and I rarely felt left out. I don’t know if its because of the pandemic why we got so close but it really made the trip. The last thing we did was go out in Reykjavik, we went to a couple bars and just played drinking games. The bars closed at 1 AM on the weekdays but we made the best of it.
Brauo and Co 
You can see the church in the back. 
Punk Rock Museum 
Iceland is worth visiting because it feels surreal. I felt like I was on a different planet. I have feeling that Hawaii gives the same feeling. Everything in Iceland is beautiful and Iceland scenery is very unique. I got to experience a lot things I hadn’t seen, a black send beach, a geyser, seeing lava, volcanos, and magical waterfalls. Also, Icelandaic people are really nice and they will go above and beyond to help you. A girl in my group lost her GoPro in the blue lagoon. The people that worked there brought it back to our hotel. They even created a little video saying that they found it. Iceland feels very peaceful and relaxing and I understand why people move there. It’s a really romantic place, I hope my future husband will go on a trip with me to Iceland. Lastly, their tap water is amazing. The best I have ever had! They also have the best yogurt, Skyr. It is a thick consistency and not sugary tasting and very flavorful.
Blue Hole Regional Park
Even though its not on my Texas Bucket list post, visiting Blue Hole Reginal Park has been on my Texas Bucket list. The park is about 40 minutes from Austin TX, in Wimberley TX and it has a swimming hole. The water is 75 degrees all year around. It’s spring Feed from water from Jacob’s well. To enter Blue Hole Reginal Park’s swimming hole, you have to make reservations online and the ticket is 12 dollars. If want to enjoy this beautiful area and swim in the water, I recommend making reservations in advance. We made our reservations in the beginning of March for May 15th. The reservation help make the area not too crowded. We had plenty of space to relax.
I had a chance to the visit park and swimming hole on May 15th with some friends. When you first enter the park it’s a little walk to the swimming hole. Then there is a booth where you need to show your reservation. They give you a wrist band to go in and out of the swimming hole area. The swimming hole was surrounded by trees very shady for when its sunny. They have picnic tables (reservation only) but many people had towels on the grass and just enjoyed the nice day. The day we went, it was cloudy but the water was still very enjoyable. There’re two swing sets to jump in the pool. I did go on one of them and my jump was not graceful. However, it was the best way to get in the water. It helped me get adjusted to the water. We also took breaks from the water and try to enjoy what sun we had. The Blue Hole Reginal Park swimming is my favorite swimming hole in Texas. The water is refreshing, the area is beautiful, and the swing sets make the water more fun.
After Blue Hole we went to enjoy some whiskey at Crowded Barrel Whiskey Company. It’s an experimental whiskey company. I’m not a huge whiskey fan but I got a whiskey cocktail and it was delicious. The whiskey company is located in Texas Hill Country and you can enjoy the view while you enjoy your whiskey. After, we got another drink at Desert Door in Driftwood. For dinner we got BBQ. Visiting Wimberly and Driftwood was a nice break from Austin. I have not taken many trips since 2019 and this little trip was what I needed.
Iceland in 2021
A lot went on in February. Texas had a snow apocalypse , it snowed basically everywhere in Texas. That is not normal at all. Austin got 6 inches of snow and it was 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 Celsius). It hadn’t snowed like that in Texas since the 80’s and it hadn’t been that cold since the 60’s. Many homes did not have water or electricity because Texas wasn’t prepared. I did not have running water for six days. I was fortunate enough to have electricity and have a place to stay that had water. My friend Corina let me stay at her place while I didn’t have water. I am very thankful to her. We watched tv, got coffee, and had amazing food. Me not having water helped me spend more time with my friend. The no water helped me have a long weekend sleepover. It ended being a good thing in the long run.
After 2020 and 2021 being difficult years. I booked a trip to Iceland in July. Originally, I was suppose to visit Italy. I have had this Italy trip planned with EF ultimate break (tour group) since February 2019. I was suppose to visit in September of 2020 but COVID. Then, I changed my trip for June 2021 back when I thought COVID would be over. Italy is still not open to tourists for the summer. I changed my trip to Iceland, when I saw it was open on EF’s website. Iceland tourists need to be vaccinated. I will be getting my second dose of the vaccine on April 16th. The trip is six days including travel time. I think it will be a good short safe trip. Iceland handled COVID really serious. Being vaccinated and going to country that took COVID serious makes me feel safe. I will still wear my mask and have plenty of hand sanitizer.
Not traveling for awhile has got me confused. Even back in 2018 when I didn’t travel a lot. I still traveled in Texas, saw my family, went to LA, and Scotland. In 2021, I don’t know how to prepare anymore. I feel like I don’t know how to dress anymore or pack. I need to look for my passport. I’m just having trouble getting started but the day I changed my trip to Iceland, I was ready to pack that day. I wanted to pack my convertor and portal battery charger because that’s how excited I am. I’m fortunate, that I get to get the vaccine and travel safety because I miss travel so much. I even have the days off already from work. It’s something I am really looking forward to. Some things I am looking forward to seeing in Iceland are the blue lagoon, black sand at Reynisfjara beach, beautiful waterfalls, and the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. I know the food is really expensive, so I am really going to try to budget when it comes to my meals. I’m going to drink the delicious drinkable tap water with my meals. I will have a beer or two when I am there but the majority of time I will be drinking tap water. I’m also going to the grocery store to make sandwiches. Not all my meals will be grocery store though. If you have any recommendations about Iceland please, let me know. Also, let me know if you have traveled internationally during COVID.
My 2021 Plans
The day before yesterday, February 8th was my 4 year anniversary of my blog. It’s unbelievable to me because I didn’t think I would make it this far. I wanted to make it this far and longer but it seemed so far away in 2017. Now it’s here and this blogged has help me so much. I can’t imagine my life without it even if 2020 was not a big blog year for me. In the beginning of 2020, I was writing often. That was one of my 2020 goals was to write once a week. Then the pandemic hit and I went through so many emotions, a lot my trips got canceled, and I lost my job. I felt like I had nothing to write about. Even today, my blog is always in the back of my mind but I do not know what to write. I have this attachment with my blog that I feel that I am letting it down. For my 4 year anniversary I wanted to write a 2021 plan for my blog and for my life. To help make me feel better and have something to look forward to. Here are my 2021 plans.
- Taking a Social Media Break: This break will help with my anxiety. Sometimes, I compare myself to others on social media and that makes my anxiety worse. I think once a week a month is a good break. Also, taking a break from social media will help me concentrate on other things. Like my blog or read books for my book club.
- Write More Often in my blog: 2020 was not a big writing year for me. It started strong but did not continue strong. I did not travel much not even in Texas. When I was going to start planning to travel in Texas, I lost my job and wanted to save money. Also, my emotions were all over the place in 2020. This year, I want to write more than 2020. I am going to start planning my posts ahead of time. This will keep me in track and make it easier to write.
- Try to be more active-Safety: Recently, I have been taking 30 minute walks everyday and it nice break from being inside. I also wanted to visit more outdoor restaurants or find hiking places in Texas. Being outside will help me see different scenery, exercise, and get vitamin D. This will also help with my emotions and put me in a better mood. One place I am vising soon is Family Business Brewery in Dripping Springs. They have no indoor dinning and it’s all outdoors. I cant wait for some good pizza and beer.
Christmas in Austin 2020 Edition
Hi everyone, I’m trying to write more but I haven’t gone to a lot places. Not as much as I use to. I really miss travel and can’t wait to get back to it when it’s safe. My first trip will be Italy and Amsterdam. This year has been a difficult year but I’m trying to make the best of it. I wanted to write another Christmas post about Austin because the holidays are my favorite. My first one was Christmas in Austin. Here are safe places to visit during the pandemic for the holidays:
- Gibson Bar: This bar goes all out for Christmas. They have cute Christmas decorations outside and inside the bar. They even have holiday drinks. They have a big outdoor area, where you can sit enjoy holiday drinks and sandwiches from the delicious food truck (Luke’s inside out). I got a hot toddy cocktail (bourbon, lemon, honey, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) and my friend got a spiked apple cider. Of course, we got food too.
- Edge Rooftop Bar: Have a beautiful view of downtown Austin while seeing snow fall. Well… fake snow. They do fake snow from 6pm to 10pm Wednesday – Saturday and reservations have to be made. It was fun to experience because there is no snow in Austin. My friend and I had beers, enjoyed downtown views of Austin, and pretended it was real snow.
- Peppermint Parkway: It’s 35 dollars per vehicle. You get to enjoy holiday lights while you drive in your car. I was not able to experience it but a friend of mine went. She had a good time and I loved seeing her Instagram pictures. Maybe in 2021 I can visit.
I know Christmas is about to come to an end but I wanted to share Christmas places you can visit in the future. It will be a lot more enjoyable when it’s safer. Also, the weather is nice in December in Austin. Christmas outside is perfect in Texas.
Places to visit in Austin during COVID-19
Hi everyone, I am so sorry I have not written in a while. I think my last blog post was in June. A lot has happen since then that has kept me from writing. I was having a hard time concentrating because 2020 has been a difficult year. I’m going to try to post more often. I really want to post once a week. Today, I wanted to write about places you can visit in Austin, TX during COVID-19. When I get the chance, I try to meet friends outside where we can maintain distance. These are the places we have gone:
Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden:
This place is located in South Austin. The majority of Cosmic is outside. Expect, when you need to order drinks. The food trucks outside do not serve drinks. The line is inside goes by really fast and they keep the doors open to let outside air in. Cosmic has three food trucks you can try. A Mexican food truck, BBQ food truck, and a wing food truck.
Loro:
Also, located in South Austin. Lora has an amazing Patio. I really like going at night because of lights they have outside. Last time I went, I got the brisket sandwich and corn fritters. It was delicious. My friend had the burger and potatoes and she liked her meal too. You do have to order food inside but I felt very safe.
Two Hands:
A new restaurant that just opened in Austin. Two hands started in New York and Austin is first location outside of New York to open. It’s located in South Congress and the patio is adorable. You can make reservations in advance. I ordered the lemon poppy seed waffle and it was not sweet at all. It was a really tasty waffle.
Travel for 2020
I have been MIA because I have not done much and its been difficult to concentrate. I did get a chance to visit my parents for Father’s day and I was able to explore Austin a bit for 4th of July. However, we still had to be very cautions and a lot places are still closed. For 4th of July weekend, most things were outdoors like grilling outside and eating at food trucks. We also did a lot takeout and cooking at home. Back with my parents we mostly stayed indoors and watched a lot movies.
These past few months got me thinking about things I can do in 2020. Things that are safe and that make me feel comfortable. Traveling in 2020 will be different. I mostly want to do things in Texas where I can drive or states near Texas. My plan is to complete more of my Texas Bucket list. So far I have seen Hamilton pool and Krause Springs. I‘m thinking about getting an Airbnb in Fredericksburg to see Enchanted Rock or visit some vineyards. I am even thinking about visiting Port Aransas to see another Texas Beach. Even Canyon Lake seems like a nice lake spot. The opportunities seem endless now that I am typing this. I have asked my sister and she is excited about all options. I am thinking about going to Fredericksburg next month because its closer to Austin. I want to get us a cute Airbnb that is near some vineyards. Most likely we will be walking around outside and watching a lot movies in the Airbnb. It will be a change in scenery and something we can look forward to.
My Favorite Travel Memories
Since travel has been put on hold, I wanted to share some of my favorite travel memories. Here are some of my favorite travel memories from over the years:
Ireland:
- Visiting a sheep farm-It was 5 euros to visit the sheep farm. We got to see the sheep being herding by the dogs, see beautiful Ireland scenery, and pet baby sheep. I also learned that sheep farmers are not making much money from selling wool. They actually make the majority of their money from tours. So visit a sheep farm in Ireland to help support them.
England:
- Visiting Oxford and Stonehenge: In Oxford I took a tour of the city and the University. I learned that Oxford University has different colleges. Including one that doesn’t have students called All Souls College. It reminded me of Hogwarts and the different houses. The campus is absolutely stunning. It had beautiful green grass and old buildings. So much history!
- Stonehenge was unreal. I felt like I was looking at a picture. I couldn’t believe I was actually looking at Stonehenge! When you get to Stonehenge, they give you a radio to listen to the history and to help prepare for the bus ride there.
France:
- Crossing our bucket list items in Paris- I was only in Paris for a short time. For a day and half. New Friends and I decided to cross off as many Paris items off our bucket list. We went to the top of the Eiffel tower, saw the love lock bridge, went to louver museum, ate crepes, and took a tour of The Notre dame cathedral. To end the night, we got hot chocolates, sat outside the cafe, and reminisce on our day. It was a lot fun and I got see a lot Paris in such a short time.
Germany:
- Neuschwanstein castle- It’s 2.5 hours from Munich. There are two ways to get the castle. A regular path way, which the majority of tourists take. Then the hiking one. I don’t know why I decided to follow my new friends to the hiking one, when I’m not a hiker. It was an interesting experience. The castle was beautiful. I felt like it was really ahead of it’s time.
Scotland:
- Exploring Edinburgh- I loved the feeling that Edinburgh gave me. I loved the architecture (the castles and the land was so pretty). Walking around Victoria street in Edinburgh was magical.
Spain:
- Traveling with friends-first time I traveled with friends. Before I met friends at my tour group. This time I went with friends already. It amazing to discover a new country together. We were able to try new food and meet locals together. I had have one friend that had been to Madrid, she helped us know what to order and how to navigate the public transportation.
Malaysia:
- Batu caves- It’s a Hindu temple mixed with limestone caves. It’s about 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur. The cave has has 272 steps to get to the top of the Batu caves. It was the first thing we did in Malaysia. It was so beautiful. We had just landed and got dressed and took a Grab (uber there) to the caves. After, we got coconuts and drank coconut water to hydrate. They also have monkeys at the caves. The monkeys were so cute but be careful because they take your food and drinks.
Thailand:
- Phuket Elephant Sanctuary- This place does so much for the elephants. They rescue them, so they can have a better life. These elephants were use to perform for money. Now they can walk freely and without abuse. The elephants look so happy there, I could see it in their eyes. Here you can feed the elephants and watch them walk freely in the land.
An Ireland Memory
One of my favorite memories is when I went to Ireland in March 2013. It was my first overseas trip and it was during St. Patrick’s day. I really think I was meant to go to Ireland. That is what I truly believe. I was 25 and I wanted to start traveling. I decided to travel with a tour group called EF Ultimate break back then it was called EF College Break. I heard of the tour group from a close friend of mine who traveled with them when she was in college. Let’s go back to September 2012. Back then, I was looking to travel. I was working full-time and could finally afford to pay for my own trip. I was looking at EF Ultimate Break’s website. They set your payments into monthly payments for your trip. The more advance you book your trip the less payments you will pay monthly. At first I wanted to travel in the end of December for New years. That was not an option because the monthly payments were not affordable for me. I could not travel in the summer due to summer classes for grad school and my friends wedding was in May. Back then I did not know when in May it was taking place. I decided on a trip for March for spring break. The monthly payments were more affordable and I was off from school. It would also give me more time to save vacation time for work. The only trips offered through EF in March were Ireland during St. Patrick’s day and Costa Rica. I decided on Ireland and never looked back.
I went solo on my Ireland trip. My trip was nine days and we would be traveling between cities in Ireland. The cities we were vising: Killarney, Cork, Dublin, and Galway. Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin. My flight was from San Antonio to Newark NJ and then to Shannon Ireland. I did not get any sleep on the fight. I just assumed we would get to the hotel after meeting in the Shannon airport. We did not go to the hotel. Instead, we ate breakfast first, then went to see the Cliff of Moher. They were beautiful and pictures can not give the view justice. After, we got snacks at a restaurant and I had my first Guinness in Ireland. Our first hotel was called Darby O Gills, it was cute and perfect for Ireland. I fell a sleep in the boat ride after the hotel. It was a great boat ride by Ross castle.
On St. Patrick’s Day Eve we went to a comedy show in Dublin, had green beer, and celebrated being in Ireland. I met a couple of friends on my tour group that wanted to see a Dublin Ghost Tour. The Ghost tour was a bus that stopped by haunted places in Dublin. It was pretty interested and I even won the Dracula book by guessing a haunted series theme song. The tour showed us an area where you can still see a ghost of a Catholic priest giving mass. I do not remember what day we went to the Guinness Factory or what day we to the St. Patrick’s Parade in Dublin. I think we went to the Guinness Factory before the comedy show. What I do remember is that the trip was amazing and it’s what started my travel bug. I have not been the same since.
On St. Patrick’s Day, I went to the parade with new friends but we did not stay long because it was freezing. I was so cold, I wanted to cry. We ended up seeking warmth in a Mexican restaurant where I lost my umbrella. The restaurant owners where from Mexico and it was nice to see Mexican culture in Dublin. After the restaurant we just walked around and explored Dublin while trying to find good WIFI. My tour group set up a pub run but we got lost and ended in a different bar with the same name. We ran into other girls that made the same mistake and we decided to make our own pub run. That night we went to pub to pub and just had a good time. We even met some locals that told us more about Ireland.
The last day we went to the Aran Islands from Galway. We had to get there by boat. It was was small but beautiful area. We met a local that told us that when he moved there, the phone company told him that it would take three weeks to set up his phone. It seemed like an isolated area but a cute community. Our tour group even left a dollar at the local pub. Tourists put money in the pub, so if they ever come back they can see it.
One of my favorite memories from the whole trip was visiting the sheep farms. Sheep farms do not make their money from selling wool anymore. So visiting sheep farms helps keep the sheep farm open because that is where they make their money. The sheep farm was so beautiful, the landscape was gorgeous. It was also amazing to see the dogs herd the sheep. Ireland is one my favorite places and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
Jaimie Jam's Adventures 