About two months ago or so, I saw snow in my Brazilian friend's Instagram story. Surprised that there was snow in Brazil, I asked her if that was so. She responded saying she was in Budapest, and that I should come! In just a few days the decision was made, and I booked my fights. Very spontaneous, very unexpected, but very much an adventure!!
Yesterday, 15th May, I traveled to a city and country I had never been to. I had an evening plane, so it meant that I still had much of that day to get ready. I am a terrible packer. I take forever for some reason. I make a list, and it just takes me so long to get through everything. But this time I feel as though I've packed light enough (for me anyway). I only have a small carry-on suitcase (although Ryanair's new rules mean I put it in the hold before I board), my backpack, and camera bag (with the camera in it of course). I packed the day before and got most of it done that day, reducing last minute stress, and knowing I could add the last few bits in the morning (early morning flights make me stay up late as I am packing all the last-minute things very late. You know when you keep remembering things, even things not on your list?) Anyway, this time I felt a lot more relaxed. Kind of how I feel when going to visit my sister in Glasgow for the weekend. This is almost a week yet I managed to fit everything in a case I would usually take on a weekend trip. Yay me! I'm proud of myself haha!
I've been to the airport many times on my own. I've traveled on a long-haul flight on my own (on the way to Atlanta when I was going to Mexico). So I'm pretty much used to it by now. But yesterday on the plane I wasn't alone the whole time. A young woman from Armagh sitting next to me (9 years older than me), who I later found out was also a Sarah (with a "h"), started talking to me. And so our 3 hour flight became a lot shorter and more interesting as we discussed topics from our lives, to current affairs (such as Harry and Meghan's wedding this Saturday, or Brexit). She was such a lovely person, and it was nice to talk to someone on a plane for a change!
We landed about 3 minutes late (no fanfare on Ryanair's part), and my friend came to meet me at the airport. We took a taxi to my hostel, Wombats City Hostel, and when we got there, the guys at the reception entertained us while I checked in (jokes were promised, but we never heard one. There was a lot of humour though!) Getting into the room was hard as it was dark, and two girls were already asleep. Trying not to disturb them, I set my things down, brushed my teeth, put my PJs on, and tried to make my bed in the dark with only the torch on my phone (today I had a nap, and realised that the sheets were bigger than they seemed last night so they did actually fit the mattress! Also, I latr relaised there's a light beside my bed, under a shelf.) That part was actually the easy part of the night, because what was coming was a night of very little sleep.
There are six beds in the room, a bathroom and lockers. Six beds, only three of us. I was hoping that the other three, who were definitely already there, would try to be as quiet as me when coming in. But boy, was I wrong. I think I may have gotten a bit of sleep, but it wasn't long before they came back, speaking at full capacity, and drunk. This went on for a long time as they all showered, their conversations completely understandable from the bathroom with the door closed. One went to bed, started calling out another. I knew all their names by now. And so it went on. One started crying, another sounding as though she were with her (two are on the same bunk, and the third closer to me) rather than in her own bunk, trying to calm her. This conversation was harder to understand as at this point they were trying to whisper, and one of them was whinging after all. Sounded like she did something she regretted. Who knows. Anyway, I must have fell asleep at some point as the next thing I remember was the snoring.
Oh the snoring. There were two culprits as I later realised, and the one further away from me was the worst of the two. I didn't sleep for almost two hours, from 4 something to about 6. And on top of that not one, but two other girls (who were asleep when I arrived) left around that time. At first I was convinced it was the girl below me, but then the top bunk in the bed beside me was empty. I only saw/heard one person move. This morning both were empty. This wouldn't have been too bad if there was no snoring. I don't mind them having to leave, she/they (don't know if I was actully awake for when both left) was/were trying to be as quiet as they could.
On top of all that, it was very hot. So basically, if you take that horrible night away, the trip has been good so far! This morning, after giving myself extra time in bed due to being very sleep deprived, I met my friend's mum (was gonna type "my mum's friend", which would have been apt too). Before, I had a much needed shower, all-you-can-eat breakfast (1000 Ft.), and just after 10am I set off to meet her. We walked to the castle, and visited the National Gallery. Lots of beautiful paintings there. We then went to meet my friend for lunch around 1pm, and ate in a place called "Good Bar! or "Good Burger" or something. Afterwards, we walked back to my friend's place/my hostel, and I decided I needed a nap. I was also planning on visiting the surrounding area a bit more after.
I am in Budapest right now, of all places. And because of some disrespectful girls making too much noise (and a lot of snoring) I had to have a nap. An afternoon I could have spent visiting the city some more, but as I was so tired I needed some rest! I am still exhausted, and wandering around would be too much for me, so I'm waiting until it's time to meet my friend and her mum. Anyway, an earlier night tonight and (hopefully) better sleep will help me get back to my more energised self! I just hope I can sleep well without disruptions this time! Luckily tomorrow I will be going to my friend's apartment for the rest of my time here! And now it's started raining, so I better get ready to meet the others, and maybe put on a pair of jeans!
Wish me luck for tonight,
Sarah xxx
Photos coming soon!
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Sunday, 22 April 2018
Musical Theatre Celebration! | Performances
To celebrate American College Dublin’s 25th anniversary, Ireland’s premiere musical theatre degree students will showcase the works of Broadway’s legendary song writing partnerships – Rogers and Hammerstein, and Kander and Ebb. This musical performance, produced by Deirdre Masterson, directed and choreographed by Mary MacDonagh and under the musical direction of David Wray, will also include special guest performances from leading West End Irish stars Aileen Donohoe, Eoin Cannon and Morgan Crowley.
A special performance of the recently commissioned release of Phil Coulter’s “Scorn Not His Simplicity” will be performed by Irish Soprano Deirdre Masterson and students of The Elaine Johnson Wold College for the Performing Arts.
The college is proud to have topped the Irish iTune charts recently raising much needed funds for Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams project on International Down Syndrome Day, March 21st.
A special discounted rate is available for friends of The National Concert Hall, concessions, student discount scheme and group bookings. A musical treat for all the family, it really does promise to be a night of ‘Musical Celebration’.
Tickets available to purchase here.
A special performance of the recently commissioned release of Phil Coulter’s “Scorn Not His Simplicity” will be performed by Irish Soprano Deirdre Masterson and students of The Elaine Johnson Wold College for the Performing Arts.
The college is proud to have topped the Irish iTune charts recently raising much needed funds for Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams project on International Down Syndrome Day, March 21st.
A special discounted rate is available for friends of The National Concert Hall, concessions, student discount scheme and group bookings. A musical treat for all the family, it really does promise to be a night of ‘Musical Celebration’.
Tickets available to purchase here.
Sunday, 25 February 2018
I Don't Blog Enough! | A Little Update
I started this blog in 2013 after my trip to London for the West End Stage summer school. I intended to then write about my experience, and never did. Over time my blog became more than just about musical theatre, and I wrote about the adventures I've gotten up to, beauty, DIY, and baking. I like the direction both my blog and YouTube channel have gone, and enjoy having the freedom to write or talk about the things I love. But I have always been pretty bad at continuously posting here on my blog.
My channel was also the same for a long time. On average, I uploaded 10.2 videos a year (this is what came up when I calculated the average the mathematical way- I guess having to do maths in school does come in handy sometimes), this is excluding the first year, as I started in June, so it wasn't a full year (there were 4 videos in case you're wondering). Without mathematically calculating the average, I posted 11-12 videos most years, and 6 the year I did my leaving cert. And that may seem okay, almost a video per month most years, but I really didn't upload as often as I do now.
Okay, so I was pretty bad last summer, somehow not finding the time to edit the videos filmed between June and August. I started off 2017 posting a video every second week. Then by the Easter holidays, it went downhill. I filmed my first full-on vlog in March, and it took me a long time to edit, as there was a lot more footage than I thought there would be! I filmed a collab during the holidays, and could have edited and uploaded it within that week or two, but I wanted to upload the vlog first. So those two videos ended up going up in May, and after that, I think about two videos ended up going up shortly after filming. The rest somehow took all summer to edit, and I still have vlogs from Itlay and August to go up.
In December I tried my hand at Vlogmas, in a way I knew would (hopefully) be possible to do. I decided to upload a total of 12 videos, entitling it "12 Videos of Vlogmas". Although one or two videos didn't go up the day I intended them to (I had a whole schedule, and pretty much stuck to it- Mon, Wed, and Fri uploads, including other days in the run up to Christmas Day), I did really well, and am very proud of how fast I edited and uploaded videos! Including a multitrack video, which in previous years took much longer to get up (it may not have been a capella, but there was still a lot involved). So, in total, 23 videos went up on my channel in 2017. This year, so far, I have been doing okay, although I'm not sure if I'll have a video up today. I know last year my plan of uploading every fortnight didn't workout so well in the end, so this year my limit is at least one video per month. This is much more feasible, but also I can still try to upload two or three times a month if I wish. Up til now, I have uploaded either two weeks consecutively, or every second week. As I said, today I may not have a video up (I did write a little song yesterday, but I'm not sure if I have time to film and upload today, I may do it next week). But I have still uploaded at least once this past month, so I am sticking to my plan!
As for blogging, I want to try and do more too, maybe once a month or so, even it's accompanying a video, just something to try and get a routine going. 2018 will be the year I am more consistent and productive on both YouTube and here. What made me think of my blog, was that Carrie Hop Fletcher recently started blogging again, so I thought it was time I started doing more too!
So that's all I wanted to write about today, not the most interesting blog, but it's what came out from my typing! Hope to be back on here again soon!
-Sarah xxx
P.S.: I also published an old draft I found about my trip to Italy that I forgot to share, so I guess this month I have definitely exceeded my limit of at least one post! Two in one is definitely a good start! Check it out here: Adventure | I'm going to Italy!
My channel was also the same for a long time. On average, I uploaded 10.2 videos a year (this is what came up when I calculated the average the mathematical way- I guess having to do maths in school does come in handy sometimes), this is excluding the first year, as I started in June, so it wasn't a full year (there were 4 videos in case you're wondering). Without mathematically calculating the average, I posted 11-12 videos most years, and 6 the year I did my leaving cert. And that may seem okay, almost a video per month most years, but I really didn't upload as often as I do now.
Okay, so I was pretty bad last summer, somehow not finding the time to edit the videos filmed between June and August. I started off 2017 posting a video every second week. Then by the Easter holidays, it went downhill. I filmed my first full-on vlog in March, and it took me a long time to edit, as there was a lot more footage than I thought there would be! I filmed a collab during the holidays, and could have edited and uploaded it within that week or two, but I wanted to upload the vlog first. So those two videos ended up going up in May, and after that, I think about two videos ended up going up shortly after filming. The rest somehow took all summer to edit, and I still have vlogs from Itlay and August to go up.
In December I tried my hand at Vlogmas, in a way I knew would (hopefully) be possible to do. I decided to upload a total of 12 videos, entitling it "12 Videos of Vlogmas". Although one or two videos didn't go up the day I intended them to (I had a whole schedule, and pretty much stuck to it- Mon, Wed, and Fri uploads, including other days in the run up to Christmas Day), I did really well, and am very proud of how fast I edited and uploaded videos! Including a multitrack video, which in previous years took much longer to get up (it may not have been a capella, but there was still a lot involved). So, in total, 23 videos went up on my channel in 2017. This year, so far, I have been doing okay, although I'm not sure if I'll have a video up today. I know last year my plan of uploading every fortnight didn't workout so well in the end, so this year my limit is at least one video per month. This is much more feasible, but also I can still try to upload two or three times a month if I wish. Up til now, I have uploaded either two weeks consecutively, or every second week. As I said, today I may not have a video up (I did write a little song yesterday, but I'm not sure if I have time to film and upload today, I may do it next week). But I have still uploaded at least once this past month, so I am sticking to my plan!
As for blogging, I want to try and do more too, maybe once a month or so, even it's accompanying a video, just something to try and get a routine going. 2018 will be the year I am more consistent and productive on both YouTube and here. What made me think of my blog, was that Carrie Hop Fletcher recently started blogging again, so I thought it was time I started doing more too!
So that's all I wanted to write about today, not the most interesting blog, but it's what came out from my typing! Hope to be back on here again soon!
-Sarah xxx
P.S.: I also published an old draft I found about my trip to Italy that I forgot to share, so I guess this month I have definitely exceeded my limit of at least one post! Two in one is definitely a good start! Check it out here: Adventure | I'm going to Italy!
Adventure | I'm Going to Italy! (I forgot to post this during the summer)
Below is a post I found in my drafts, I know there was a reson I hadn't clicked on "publish" just yet, but I can't remember why! So here it is, very out of context, but I might as well post it as it's already done- would be a waste to leave it sitting in my drafts! Also, there will be vlogs of this trip coming, I just need to find the time to finish editing them all!
Later this month I am going to the 2017 Operation Smile ISLC (International Student Leadership Conference) in Rome, Italy. I am so excited! I have never been to Italy, and it has always been my dream to go (I love the food), so I can't wait to get on the plane and get there!
This will be my third ISLC, and 5th Operation Smile leadership conference in general. Last year I wrote a few blog posts about my trip to San Diego, not as much as I had wanted, but I did write a few. So this year I will try to write a few more, even if it is every few days. I will also be vlogging while i'm there, which I did do a bit in SD, but it wasn't a proper vlog, and I have yet to actually finish editing and upload it (I've been busy...).
If you have already read some of my blog posts in the past, you will know that I have written quite a few about Operation Smile. That's because it's a charity that is close to my heart, as I was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate myself. This blog started out to be just about musical theatre, but now it has become more than that. It is where I write about my adventures, travels, and lifestyle, with topics such as baking, beauty, and of course, Operation Smile. I have found myself doing the same on my YouTube channel, making more and more diverse content than before. There is just more than one thing I want to talk about, not just musical theatre and making singing videos Which, of course, I love, but there is so much I want to write/talk about here and on YouTube!
Anyway, back to Italy- I am honestly just counting down the days at this point. Of course I don't just want to race through the coming weeks, as I am going to Belgium/France to visit family and friends, and also I don't want the summer to go by too quickly. But I am super excited! While there, we will have a day of visiting the famous parts of the city, and I will be staying on three more days to make the most of it even more, as well as possibly visiting another city nearby. I can't wait to taste the food, and experience the culture, and meet new people at the conference! Many of those I met last year are not going, but there are a few, and it'll be nice to meet some new faces too.
I hope you will join me on my journey, both here, and on YouTube through my vlogs.
Until next time,
Sarah xxx
Later this month I am going to the 2017 Operation Smile ISLC (International Student Leadership Conference) in Rome, Italy. I am so excited! I have never been to Italy, and it has always been my dream to go (I love the food), so I can't wait to get on the plane and get there!
This will be my third ISLC, and 5th Operation Smile leadership conference in general. Last year I wrote a few blog posts about my trip to San Diego, not as much as I had wanted, but I did write a few. So this year I will try to write a few more, even if it is every few days. I will also be vlogging while i'm there, which I did do a bit in SD, but it wasn't a proper vlog, and I have yet to actually finish editing and upload it (I've been busy...).
If you have already read some of my blog posts in the past, you will know that I have written quite a few about Operation Smile. That's because it's a charity that is close to my heart, as I was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate myself. This blog started out to be just about musical theatre, but now it has become more than that. It is where I write about my adventures, travels, and lifestyle, with topics such as baking, beauty, and of course, Operation Smile. I have found myself doing the same on my YouTube channel, making more and more diverse content than before. There is just more than one thing I want to talk about, not just musical theatre and making singing videos Which, of course, I love, but there is so much I want to write/talk about here and on YouTube!
Anyway, back to Italy- I am honestly just counting down the days at this point. Of course I don't just want to race through the coming weeks, as I am going to Belgium/France to visit family and friends, and also I don't want the summer to go by too quickly. But I am super excited! While there, we will have a day of visiting the famous parts of the city, and I will be staying on three more days to make the most of it even more, as well as possibly visiting another city nearby. I can't wait to taste the food, and experience the culture, and meet new people at the conference! Many of those I met last year are not going, but there are a few, and it'll be nice to meet some new faces too.
I hope you will join me on my journey, both here, and on YouTube through my vlogs.
Until next time,
Sarah xxx
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