Goodbye 2014

I haven't posted a substantial blog post since this summer. As many of you guessed, I took a break from blogging when I started my job, moved to Vegas, and got used to not being in school.  I won't promise anything, but I do hope to get back into the blogging world.

For now, here is my annual recap for 2014.

Looking back on the year, 2014 was one of the best yet. A year of change, tons of travel adventures, new friends and acquaintances, a new home, and lots of memories.

In January, after a month home in the USA, I returned to London to start the lent term at LSE. Capstone was still going on, and while it was stressful, I was glad that I had two close guy friends in my group. I started to explore the parts of London I hadn't spent much time in as well as starting the job search process. 

In February, I hopped the pond to Princeton for the editing weekend for the Journal of Public and International Affairs. I got to see one of my closest friends as well as swing home for some snow during the week back in the States.  I checked out the Royal Photography Exhibit at Kensington Palace as well as taking a selfie with John Travolta. 

March was my birthday month. I kicked it off with finishing the dreaded capstone project followed by celebrations with the boys. I turned 24 with the majority of the MPA program present. The MPA Ball was held the weekend after, and we danced all night. 

April brought me home for a five week vacation. Much of that was spent applying to jobs and having interviews, but that work would soon pay off. 

I barely spent time in London during May. After finishing final papers,  I took off to Bulgaria, Sweden, Las Vegas for my job interview, did several day trips, and really enjoyed my time in Europe before I had to start studying for finals. 

June was my final month in London. I found out in the beginning of the month that I had gotten the job offer I had been waiting for. I would be moving to Las Vegas. I did a lot of fun things for my last month in the midst of finals. I was sad to leave London, but I was excited to start a new chapter of my life. 

July brought the start of a new life. I did a road trip across the country with my friend Nicola. I moved into my apartment in Summerlin, and I started working a job that I love! I missed graduation, but I still celebrated. 

And, if you do follow my blog regularly, you know I took a hiatus from July until now. I posted one or two small things. The short recap of August-December: Visited California three times, reunited with some friends from freshman year, stopped getting lost in Vegas, met some great friends, joined Junior League, and continued to wander. 

Stay tuned for new adventures in 2015!

Bulgaria Day Trip

While I was in Bulgaria, I got to take a day trip to the countryside! One of my favorite things to do is being able to observe the way people live throughout an entire country. And, at the same time, there are some real gems hidden across the Bulgarian county-side! 

The morning was an early one. I grabbed some breakfast at the hotel before the tour company picked me up. Luckily, the group was fairly small that day. Myself and three other women plus the tour guide. It got to be much more customizable due to the small group! 

About two hours post being picked up, we started up the curvy mountain roads to Rila Monastery. When I say curvy, I mean the type that caused me to get motion sickness. I ended up having to put my sunglasses on, closed my eyes, and then chugged a bottle of water. But, the drive was worth it!

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Built in the 10th century, Rila Monastery is known as largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.  At one time, there were more monks than there were rooms. However, today, there are only nine monks in residence. 

Oldest Part of the Monastery 

Say Cheese!

We toured as much as we were allowed to see. Inside the main building, there were numerous relics from the original building of the monastery.

While we were there, we also tried the "famous" bread made at the monastery. Sadly, I likened it to fried dough from a state fair. Still had to try it though!

Post viewing the monastery, we stopped at local "famous" restaurant. Known for their access to a fresh water stream from the mountain ranges, we all dined on the trout. 

Re-engergized, we headed to Melnik for our last stop of the day.  

Melnik used to be a huge city and served as a seat of the Ottoman Empire at one point.  It is roughly 15 km from the Greek border (no small trip, that day). Apart from the fact that only 450 people now live in the city, Melnik is famous for its wine. We got to tour a wine cellar, sample our way around the city, and see how people live in the town. It has to be one of my favorite memories of Bulgaria.

Wine Cellar

Sampling...Check!

Melnik

Old Ottoman Empire Building

It was an amazing day trip to the country-side. If you're in Bulgaria, make sure to get outside of Sofia! 

Sofia, Bulgaria

Last Sunday through Tuesday, I my last solo trip for a bit to Bulgaria. Not a country on most people's bucket list, but for me...it was. Having been a history major in college, I've been wanting to see Sofia for years, and I knew I needed to make it happen before departing in June. 

I took an early flight out of Heathrow airport. 

Can I just say how thankful I am to Starbucks for being open that early? 

Although, I could do without getting my name misspelled, for once.

I stayed at the Hilton in Sofia which ended up being fairly close to everything including being across the street from the National Palace of Culture. Around the building of the National Palace of Culture were numerous monuments and memorials remembering the time the country was under Communist rule. 

National Palace of Culture

Old Guard Post from the Communist Period 

Gas Masks

The majority of my first day in Bulgaria was spent exploring the city. I did get lost at one point.

Streets of Bulgaria

Taste of America

I eventually stumbled upon the government area and got to see where the Prime Minister resides, the National Bank, and many government buildings that were built during the Communist period.

Apart from the government corridor, I was also able to view the famous Russian Church as well as the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I wondered inside the Cathedral, and as it was built during the Ottoman Empire period, it reminded me of the Hagia Sophia (Turkey) in many ways. I could have looked at the frescos all day.

The Russian Church

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Finally, through my exploration and getting a tad lost, I discovered the old Roman ruins as well as what was an old public bath house.

Old Roman Ruins

Public Bath House

Stay tuned for the blog post recapping my day trip to the Bulgarian countryside!

Traveling Tales...

Greetings from Bulgaria! 

I'm on my third day of non-stop traveling for around 10 days. 

I'm going to be attempting to blog throughout these 10 days about what I get up to, so I can avoid tons of entries next week!

For now, follow my adventures on my Instagram account, @kewalpole!

Being a Tourist & Traveling

As I wrap up my last few months in London, I've got a lot of things to see and do...both in London and outside.

Over the next two weeks, I'm seeing three different plays/musicals. This week, I'm starting with Les Mis. Next week, I'm catching Miss Saigon which just opened back up on the West End as well as Handbagged.

For fun this weekend, I'm headed to Stockholm for a quick overnight trip.  The majority of my friends have their finals at the end of May/beginning of June whereas I don't. Mine besides the papers due this past week are in the middle of June, and I've already started studying. So, as a huge advocate of traveling by yourself, I'm excited to try out another country in Eastern Europe, take in the cultural sights, and just relax!

My friend, Alex, and I are taking a day trip to Burghley! It's heralded as England's Grandest Elizabethan House. Plus, it's been used in films such as Pride and Prejudice!

I'm headed to Bulgaria from May 18th-20th. It will be my last solo trip in Europe.

And, at the moment, my friend, Nicola, and I are researching a trip to either Slovenia or Croatia at the end of the month. Nicola and I interned at the Embassy together in the fall, and we traversed around Munich in November. There are a ton of day trips from either location, and Croatia stands to give us a chance to see three additional countries. Lots of planning as we narrow in on what we want to do!

If you have any tips regarding any of these places, leave a comment!