Life Update | 2019

Hello All!

It's been a moment, to say the least. 

There's so much I have to catch you all up on.

Last time you heard from me, unless you know me in real life or follow me on social media, I was just getting back from Mykonos, Greece with Travis. 

Since then, I've had two different jobs, I bought a new (to me) vehicle, I've driven to Pittsburgh, went to my first ever Badgers football game, relaxed in a cabin for Travis' Birthday, spent a proper weekend in Milwaukee, went to Edinburgh, Scotland for my Birthday and to top it all off we bought a house!

Early last year my coworkers and I were told that the business was closing and we would no longer have jobs. I did not stick it out til the end like many of my coworkers, and I got a job at a local golf course near my house. 

As it was only a seasonal job, I found employment in Stevens Point, working with my cousin and friend from college who soon turned into one of my closest friends.

I bought a Volkswagen Tiguan for hauling and bad weather, and it's just the cutest little SUV.

Right after, Travis and I drove to Pittsburgh to see his favorite football team ever, the Steelers. I found a nice restaurant for dinner and the next morning we headed to Heinz field. It was so cool! And no knocks on Lambeau, but I think I liked it better. No bleacher seats, you could see the Lombardi trophies right there (without having to buy a ticket to see them) and everyone was so nice and helpful.
The morning before the game was the terrible terrorist attack on the synagogue in Pittsburgh and there was a moment of silence for those who lost their lives and those that were injured.
The Steelers won the game and overall, it was a great time. We drove home right after the game, and it down poured the entire time. I drove there, so that meant Travis had to drive home (sorry, but thems the rules).

I got tickets from a coworker for the first Badger football game of the season and it was so much fun! We couldn't find parking right away so we almost missed kick off, but Camp Randall is a monument in Madison and the college kids made it an event. That makes me sound 80 years old, but it is what it is.

Travis' Birthday in 2017, we booked a cabin in south western Wisconsin and it was so cozy and quaint, we've decided that was going to be our tradition for his day. For his 29th, we booked the newest cabin on the property and it wasn't as quaint as the first cabin but it had amazing views and still was relaxing. This year, we're going to be at the same place in a different cabin again!

Travis turned me into a proper Milwaukee Bucks fan and got great tickets for a game this season. We had dinner at a french restaurant called Fauntleroy. It was chic and modern and the food was fabulous! The next day we searched for breakfast places and most had an hour to two hour waiting line and Travis was not having it, so we found a cute Italian place called 'Onesto'. We had a delicious brunch with mimosas, I definitely want to go back! For a bit of culture, we made a trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum, of course. There was no featured exhibit outside of the main area this time so we went straight in. After a few hours, we made our way to Fiserv Forum and soaked in all of its beautiful glory. We went to the upper level with the balcony and had a few pre-game drinks. Our seats were 2nd row so we had amazing views (you can see us on TV too!). After a Bucks win, we headed back home.

This past May, Travis and I visited Europe for our second time and this time was to the United Kingdom. We've wanted to visit Scotland for a long time and why not do it now? Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the city is filled with so much history and beauty. I'm not going to go into too much detail here as I'll save it for another post : )
Just know, it's so green, so cozy, and yet so vast.

Starting in January of 2019, Travis and I discussed the possibilities of buying a house. He got pre-approved, we found a few houses we liked, met our Realtor, and it was all a process from there. We saw about 8 different houses, which I know doesn't seem like a lot, but after a little while it seemed like we would never find one as all the ones we really liked, had an accepted offer put on as soon as we put one out there. There was a house that immediately caught Travis' eye and it already had an accepted offer on it. About a month later, the sale fell through and we rushed to go see it. It wasn't like we had thought so we passed and looked elsewhere. After about a week, Travis couldn't stop thinking about it and asked our Realtor if we could see it again. Our Realtor seemed a little iffy on us putting an offer on it, but we did and the offer was accepted!
I am currently writing this from the kitchen of that house. Pictures and more details to come!



So far, it has been a whirlwind of a year and it's only half over!
We're in for a lot of hard work and stress with the house, but also a lot of excitement and happiness. As I post this, I'm realizing I don't take enough photos, or edit enough photos; something to work on!

Stay tuned for what comes next!


Myia

First Time Travels | Greece 2018

Edit: I never actually posted this, and being almost a year later, why the heck not now, right?


Hey Everybody!

If you haven't seen my latest post, please do so here!
Travis had taken me to Mykonos for my Birthday/Christmas gift (amazing man he is) and it was the best Birthday ever!

Ever since I knew him, we talked about eventually going to Greece, whether it be for our future honeymoon or one of our big trips we would take later on in life.

Well check it the heck off of my bucket list!

We had heard that around Christmas/New Year's that trips to southern Europe were being sold fairly 'cheap' or at least cheaper than they usually were so we kept an eye on it for a few weeks. We definitely got a good deal on it. 

We booked through Orbitz and combined the airfare and the hotel so we got an even better deal. Basically, the airfare was discounted and most of the cost was the hotel. 

We haven't flown much before (this was Travis' first time ever!) so we weren't sure about which airlines to fly. We had heard good and bad things about many, but we definitely knew which ones to stay away from. 

On the way there, we flew Iberia since we were flying to Spain, Italy, and Greece. On the way home we flew British Airways, and American Airlines.  

Travel Tip:
 Iberia Airlines was very punctual and all the flights were on time. The long haul flight was pretty clean, the food was decent and the movie choice was great. They do speak mostly Spanish, but are also very fluent in English.

American Airlines was probably the least comfortable flight. The service seemed rushed and they didn't seem very friendly but, they do work for an airline.
British Airways had the best safety instructions by far. You can see the video they showed here.
They weren't as punctual as Iberia but they were second best.

Yes, food and everything is more expensive at the airport because of convenience and well, it's the dang airport, but I can't be the only person who gets some sort of satisfaction from buying something from the airport.

Travel Tip:
I don't mind buying a $5 bottle of water in the airport to have with me for the flight, honestly. The plane always dries my skin out and I like having it almost as a security blanket because I know I wont get thirsty. Or, if you're the type of person who is more eco friendly, you can just bring a water bottle to fill once you're past security for the flight. Much cheaper.

One thing that I found the weirdest was when we flew into Rome, we didn't have to go through security.....at all. Not when we arrived, not when we checked in, never. I guess coming from the United States, you kind of expect it everywhere, but it was strange to say the least. We kind of figured that once you arrive to a different country, it basically started all over again. We went through security in Madrid, but nowhere else on our way to Mykonos.

The last thing I will say about the flying and traveling is, the next time Travis and I want to fly to Europe, or have a 8+ hour flight, we're taking one direct flight (or one as direct as we can) and we're flying first class or as close to it as we can get. More leg room, room to actually recline and sleep, no worrying about waking up the people next to you to go to the bathroom, etc. Sure, it'll be double the price, but TOTALLY worth it. (Uncle Jill, no wonder you and A1 do it, definitely worth it for a vacation)

We plan on doing a lot more traveling throughout our life together so stay tuned for more!

I'd love to hear travel tips for us beginners and other musings from your travels as well, including which flights are best and which to stay away from!

xoxo
Myia