Day Trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas

The Grand Canyon has always been one on my bucket list and I am so grateful and happy to be able to mark it off the list. It was everything I expected it to be, breathtaking, surreal and beautiful. When doing tours it is easy to fall for the first price you are given which is what I almost did but with a bit of research, I was able to find myself the cheapest tour and also which tour was best for me.  

So Which Tour to Do?

There are several different tours you can do including bus, helicopter, jeep etc. The tours can be quite expensive if you book through the concierge at the hotel, what I did was went on to Groupon and booked the tour and it saved me almost $200!! (just search Grand Canyon Tours on Groupon). I went with the bus tour which is the least expensive one but also a lovely tour to do as you get to see the Hoover Dam, Route 66 and experience a little bit of Arizona and the desert. The bus tour leaves very early in the morning at 6 am and you are not back until 9.30/10pm so if you are planning on doing this tour from Vegas I would suggest booking an extra day to fit it in.

Which Rim to Do?

When booking the tour there are two options to book from one is to see the South Rim and the other is to go and see the West Rim (I believe there is the North Rim also but I was not given that option when booking). Although the West Rim is closer to Vegas I decided to go with the South Rim because it is supposedly more picturesque. From what I saw about the West Rim the tour takes you to the famous glass bridge called the SkyWalk. Here you can walk out over the Grand Canyon which sounds ideal for the adrenalin junkies out there. But the main reason I decided against the West Rim was because you are not allowed to take your possessions out onto the bridge or take any photos as the property is owned by The Hualapai Indian tribe.

How Much Does it Cost?

The tour costs around $94 which includes pickup from your hotel and drop off back to your hotel, tea/coffee, and a lovely buffet lunch. On the way down we stopped twice once at a Mc Donalds (which I was extremely happy about) and the second time at the restaurant where we had lunch. The buffet had everything from soups to salads, pasta, fruit and ice cream. On the way back we only stopped once and we also got to see the Hoover Dam lit up at night which was so amazing!!

This is honestly the most beautiful place I have ever seen, the pictures do not do it justice!! It is definitely one of those places you just have to experience in real life, I would highly recommend doing the Grand Canyon if you are going to Vegas.

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon, what did you think??

Love,

Leah x

6 Month Update & 6 Things I Have Learned in New York | NYC Survival Guide

The 15th of April marked six months for me living here in New York. I can't believe a whole six months has passed already, time really does fly when you're having fun! Since moving to this crazy place I have learned so much already which I have decided to share with you guys.

1. You Will NEVER Have Enough Money!

No matter how much money you may think you have it is never enough in this city. It is probably the most expensive place I have lived and also visited. Whether it be going for dinner, drinks or paying rent I find myself constantly spending money every day. You cannot leave your house in New York and not spend anything, it is IMPOSSIBLE. My advice for anyone coming either to live or visit is to make sure you are financially ready.

2. You Have To Really Want It Here

New York is defiantly not for everyone and since moving here I can understand why. Everything is super expensive, you are living in a tiny cramped apartment with no garden or outdoor space like you may have been used to (especially coming from Ireland), there are people everywhere and there is no such thing as a good nights sleep without been woken up by alarms or cars beeping. Most people here work multiple jobs just to survive, living here will defiantly challenge you as a person but you will come out tougher than you ever thought you could be.

3. You Don't Know Who You Could Be Talking to!

This is one of my favourite things about New York and it is that everyone has a story. No matter who you talk to here whether it be the old man sitting at the bar or the person who sits down next to you on the subway, you can learn so much from having a conversation with these random strangers. After all, everyone moves to New York for a reason whether it be for a better life or to live their dream.

4. There's No One Like The Irish 

The Irish look after the Irish here. Sin é!

5. What Is A Kitchen And Why Is It Taking Up My Space?

Seriously I do not know why people insert kitchens here in New York. I can honestly say I have used mine maybe twice since I arrived. You will never cook here unless you are one of those people who finds cooking actually fun. Going back to why you will never have enough money living here is probably due to the fact that I eat out two to three times a day, but with thousands of restaurants to explore it would be a shame to cook at home, right?

6. Don't Take Everything To Heart!

If this city doesn't give you a thick skin I don't know what will. People here are rude, they will push and shove you until they get onto the subway, they speak their mind and sometimes they will make you feel like the smallest person on earth but you just can't take everything to personal here.

Despite all these lessons learned I have never felt more at home than here in New York City!

I hope this post helps you if you are having trouble making a decision on whether to move here because it is not everything you see in movies but saying that it is still my favourite place in the world and I wouldn't have it any other way <3

Love,

Leah

The Move to NEW YORK!! | NYC Survival Guide

For those who don't know, I have just moved back to New York and I couldn't be anymore EXCITED!! Exciting as it is, moving to New York was no joke, it is a very daunting and stressful experience (but well worth it in the end....Hopefully).

Before I moved I had wished that there was some sort of magic book that just told me everything I needed to know about moving and surviving in the Big Apple. So, I have decided to write about all my experiences (good and bad) here on my blog to help any of you out there thinking of doing the same as I have. Although these posts will be focused on my experience of moving to New York it also apply's to anyone thinking of doing the 1 Year grad programme  I hope that my tips and tricks will help and guide you not only if you are moving to New York but also if you are visiting as I will be posting lots of recommendations for the best bars, restaurants, places to shop and things to do here in the city.

Firstly, I have always wanted to live in New York it has being a dream of mine since I was younger. I think Sex in the City and Home Alone are to blame! I feel New York is a place that you will either love or hate, for me I adored it! When I got to move here last summer for a J1 I was so excited, it was the best thing I ever did, although I did find it hard being away from home at times. I highly encourage doing a J1 first to be extra sure if the place you are thinking of moving to is for you before doing the grad visa because a year is a long time and the visa doesn't come cheap.

Gaining Access

Okay so if you are like me and are not blessed with an American passport you need to gain access to work and live in the US. I got my visa through USIT which I found super helpful when I went to them with my J1 so I decided to go through them again. Really it is the safest and easiest way to get your visa. They are always there with any questions you may have and honestly made the whole process a lot less stressful. I went to the Dublin office this time around as I was studying there but you can go to any of them. There are offices in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork. If you are not able to get to any offices you can also do it all over the phone or by email as well.

I moved to New York on the graduate visa which is a visa that you can do once you finish your degree and allows you to work and live in America for the year. You have to work in the sector that you studied in, because of this I decided to wait until I had my masters degree as I did not want to work in New York with what I studied in my undergraduate. My undergraduate was in politics and sociology. I just recently completed my masters in Public Relations back in May which is what I will be working at over here. USIT allow you a full year from the date you graduate to move so for me I graduate in November 2016 so I had until November 2017 to move but decided to go as soon as I could as I couldn't wait to get back to this crazy place.

As soon as you apply and pay off everything you will get an appointment to go to the embassy for your interview. Most people usually freak out about this interview but really once you have all your correct documents that USIT say to bring as well as the correct photos you should be fine. You will find out then and there if your visa has been accepted and your passport will be taken away for about a week or two for the visa to be put in it so if you are going to be going on holidays or needing your passport remember that.

Before You Go...

It is extremely stressful the week before you leave especially if you are working straight up to when you go and haven't had the time to even think about moving like I was. I decided to make a list of everything I needed to get done before I left to make landing and adjusting as easy as I could for myself. The more you have sorted before you go the easier it will be for when you land because once you land you will have a million and one things to do (blog post coming on what to do when you land). Once I decided to do the grad visa I got myself straight over to the Facebook pages that are for j1ers in New york or graduates in New York. These pages are great especially if you are travelling on your own like I did. The Facebook page is where I found my two room mates and is a great place for making friends.

Be sure to weigh your luggage before you go as I did not and was A LOT over 22 kgs but luckily I had a lovely girl at the desk who put it through anyway.  I would also recommend getting the sim card that USIT provide, this way you can register the sim card to activate the day you land and you can contact home straight away after you land. You also can set up a direct debit so you never have to worry about topping up which is great.

I will have lots more posts coming now that I have FINALLY settled here in the city on how to survive this crazy place so stay tuned :)

Lots of Love, 

Leah x