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Interested in epic adventures? Travel tips and destinations?
Spotify playlists for hiking and book suggestions for the campfire after?
Welcome to the club.
Ultimate Guide to Colorado: The Outdoors, Dining & Entertainment
Visiting Colorado? Here’s your all-encompassing guide to hikes, campsites, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment.
Top 10 Fiction Novels You Should Read in 2021 by Alyssa Bratto
I’m not a writer, publisher, editor, or creator of anything that has to deal with literature or media. I just really enjoy reading…. I crave being transported to a world I know isn’t real but can still feel like it is…. Anytime there’s a mystery, untrustworthy narrator, or an ending you can’t see coming, I am all for it.
So here are my top picks for both lovers of fiction and those simply wishing they had someone to tell them what to try.
10 Amazing Novels that Saved my Lockdown(s) by Abi Prowse
Of all the novels I have read over the course of Europe’s numerous lockdowns, these books in particular gripped me the most, some even lingering in my memory more than a year later. Whether they left me sobbing or laughing, whether they were frustrating or heart-wrenching, each of these novels taught me something. Is that, after all, not exactly what books are for?
Read on to discover the 10 novels that saved my lockdown.
10 Travel & Outdoor Books You Should Read in 2021
For those interested in the great outdoors, breathtaking adventures, and thoughts about our planet and its conservation; this list includes classics as well as more recent books.
The Places That Made Me: Cullan McNamara
“The Places That Made Me is an interview series exploring the destinations around the world that people have most fallen in love with. Every week, we speak to a keen traveller or writer about the travel experiences that have made them the person they are today. Photographer and videographer Cullan found himself drawn in by the charming seafront town of Galway, Ireland. Find out why.”
Systemic Racism: Here's What it is and What to do About It
"Stop Killing Black People,” the handmade sign read on the back of the U-Haul. I was on the Ohio turnpike, coming back from a weekend with my girlfriend who I hadn’t seen in nearly two months, when the crudely made sign caught my attention. It appeared it was written hastily, a normal pen used to write a big message. Each letter was retraced until they were bold enough to be legible from a distance.
Sense of Self (feat. a Mid-Maamturks Hike) | Ep. 7 | Attempting Local Podcast
As the first semester winds down, I being to realize the importance of my life abroad, though I continue to struggle with emotional instability. A hike to the Mid-Maamturks is exactly what I need. Or... so I thought. I fight up the mountain with the NUI Galway Mountaineering Club, but the weather fights back.
Experience Halloween in Galway as well as some of the most rugged mountains in the West of Ireland.
(Click here to start listening! Podcast audio included in post.)
A Weekend in Valletta, Malta | Ep. 6 | Attempting Local Podcast
After a difficult couple of months adjusting to life in Ireland, my housemate Trevor and I escape to Malta. We tour the small, Mediterranean island for two days, just happening to arrive during the biggest party of the year: Notte Bianca. To add to the hype, Valletta, Malta's Capital, was a European Capital of Culture in 2018.
Join Trevor and me on our wild adventure through Valletta, and experience the city during its most exciting festival.
(Click here to start listening! Podcast audio included in post.)
An Englishman in Ireland | Ep. 5 | Attempting Local Podcast
An old friend visits from England. We tour Galway's pubs and hike the Cliffs of Moher; but most importantly, we enjoy much-needed conversations. Follow the journey of An Englishman in Ireland, and learn what great friends are made of.
(Click here to start listening! Podcast audio included in post.)
Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again | Ep. 4 | Attempting Local Podcast
Moving abroad can be tough. Really tough. Learn about the little differences in Ireland and the US that initially stood out and made the move difficult. Follow as I dive into a rabbit hole of uncertainty, and climb back out with me at the end of the episode.
(Click here to start listening! Podcast audio included in post.)
Welcome to Galway | Ep. 3 | Attempting Local Podcast
I immediately head to the pub upon arrival in Galway. A night out at The Quays Bar reminds me why I moved to Ireland:
'Irish music plays in the background, and glasses clink behind me as I write. The Quays is alive and well, thriving, beating in the heart of Galway City. It pumps its charisma through the veins of taps, pouring life into the pints. Laughter engulfs the air, mingling with the scent of aged wood.'
(Podcast audio included in post!)
Taking Flight | Ep. 2 | Attempting Local Podcast
After getting too drunk at my own going away party, I desperately attempt to fend off a hangover and repress my regrettable actions by kayaking the River Raisin. I can only offer broken goodbyes before I depart on my longest journey yet: a year abroad.
(Click here to start listening! Podcast audio included in post.)
Introduction | Ep. 1 | Attempting Local Podcast
Hello! And welcome to the new podcast about my book: Attempting Local: A Year Abroad in Galway, Ireland. Attempting Local follows my journey as I explore Ireland, surf the waves of the North Atlantic, hike the country's rugged mountains, and travel throughout Europe... all while striving toward a master's degree.
It’s an extremely honest account of how tough it can be to leave everything behind and move abroad, though it simultaneously demonstrates the beauty of a life of solo travel.
(Click here to start listening! Podcast audio included in post.)
Coronavirus Numbers & Notes | Bleak Stats and a Bold Prediction
Here’s an update on all the latest numbers concerning coronavirus. Going beyond stats, how does all this play on one's psyche? What are the current and lasting effects of coronavirus on the human experience? That’s what I aim to uncover.
Why America’s Coronavirus Response CAN'T Match South Korea’s | The Long Road Ahead
America’s coronavirus response cannot match South Korea’s. It’s simply too late. Read on to find out how South Korea has slowed the spread, why the US is failing, and how Trump’s backtracking dangerously threatens efforts to ‘flatten the curve.’
Do Everything You Want in 2020. Here's How.
For those looking to accomplish their goals in 2020 and stick to their New Year’s Resolutions; travel, improve your habits, and create more. Advice from the most ambitious year of my life.
Need a Place to Hike? Here are 8 Awesome Treks in Utah
Looking for an awesome hiking trail in Utah? Don't know where to start? Here are eight treks I'd recommend starting with, and they're located all over the state. Find the adventure that suits you with trail suggestions, pictures, trail distance, elevation gain, difficulty level, and more!
Need a Place to Hike? Here are 9 Awesome Treks in Colorado
Looking for an awesome hiking trail in Colorado? Don't know where to start? Here are nine treks I'd recommend starting with, and they're located all over the state. Find the adventure that suits you with trail suggestions, pictures, trail distance, elevation gain, difficulty level, and more!
It's Time to Re-Examine Our Travel Habits
Is this travel trend ethical? Why are people really going abroad? Is it simply to please the social media deities so many of us bow down to? Are we actually striving to understand another culture and its people? And do the ends justify the means in an age of global climate change? That’s what I’d like to find out.
Hiking in Ireland: What's it Really Like?
For those who are interested in hiking in Ireland, the recommended gear, the terrain, suggested hikes, and how to prep for the (unpredictable) weather; tips from an American abroad.
An outlet for my thoughts, creative endeavors, and a chance to share useful information about traveling & the outdoors.
Listen While You Read
- October 2021
- July 2021
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May 2021
- May 17, 2021 10 Amazing Novels that Saved my Lockdown(s) by Abi Prowse
- May 11, 2021 10 Travel & Outdoor Books You Should Read in 2021
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April 2021
- Apr 26, 2021 The Places That Made Me: Cullan McNamara
- June 2020
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May 2020
- May 22, 2020 A Weekend in Valletta, Malta | Ep. 6 | Attempting Local Podcast
- May 20, 2020 An Englishman in Ireland | Ep. 5 | Attempting Local Podcast
- May 13, 2020 Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again | Ep. 4 | Attempting Local Podcast
- May 12, 2020 Welcome to Galway | Ep. 3 | Attempting Local Podcast
- May 11, 2020 Taking Flight | Ep. 2 | Attempting Local Podcast
- May 10, 2020 Introduction | Ep. 1 | Attempting Local Podcast
- March 2020
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February 2020
- Feb 14, 2020 Do Everything You Want in 2020. Here's How.
- Feb 9, 2020 Need a Place to Hike? Here are 8 Awesome Treks in Utah
- January 2020
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June 2019
- Jun 23, 2019 It's Time to Re-Examine Our Travel Habits
- Jun 18, 2019 Hiking in Ireland: What's it Really Like?
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March 2019
- Mar 25, 2019 Trail Mix (Vol. 2) - Custom Spotify Hiking Playlist
- Mar 4, 2019 10 Travel & Outdoor Books You Should Read in 2019
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November 2018
- Nov 30, 2018 Why We Shouldn't ALWAYS Wear Headphones in Public
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October 2018
- Oct 19, 2018 Living in Ireland: Not What I Expected
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January 2018
- Jan 2, 2018 Starting the Year on a Kind Note
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December 2017
- Dec 28, 2017 Travel Journal #1: Ireland (Part Six - The End)
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November 2017
- Nov 20, 2017 If You're a Photographer, Listen to THIS Podcast....
- Nov 17, 2017 Travel Journal #1: Ireland (Part Five)
- Nov 7, 2017 Travel Journal #1: Ireland (Part Four)
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October 2017
- Oct 30, 2017 Travel Journal #1: Ireland (Part Three)
- Oct 23, 2017 Travel Journal #1: Ireland (Part Two)
- Oct 16, 2017 Travel Journal #1: Ireland (Part One)
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May 2017
- May 3, 2017 Why I Won't Have Regrets
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March 2017
- Mar 21, 2017 Trail Mix - Custom Spotify Hiking Playlist
- Mar 6, 2017 Solo Travel: Here's Why You Should Do It
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January 2017
- Jan 31, 2017 Suspend your Fears - Travel into the Unknown
- Jan 24, 2017 The Utility of University
- Jan 20, 2017 Packing List & Tips for Hiking & Dispersed Camping
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December 2016
- Dec 10, 2016 THE BOOTS & THE BEGINNING