About Me: How my Travel Blog Came to Life

Do you have a desire to see the world? Are you looking for travel recommendations? Are you planning to move away from home?

Hello and welcome to Saor! I started this blog to share all things travel, so if you are looking for some travel recommendations, guides, and top tips, then Saor might be the place for you. ‘Saor’ means ‘Free’ in Gaeilge, which is Ireland’s native language. I choose this name because I have never felt more free than when I am travelling and I am hoping through this blog that I can share some helpful travel advice so that you can achieve that freedom too. This blog will mainly focus on travel but we will also cover some lifestyle bits & bobs, finances, and lots more in between.

If you’re wondering who I am, my name is Aoife and I am from a wee town in Donegal, Ireland. Currently, I am working as a journalist with one of Ireland’s largest media publishers. And my journey to creating this blog began in May of this year. I had just completed my final year of college, I was about to start a 3-month internship and I had no idea what was next for me. I spent an amazing month in America in August and after arriving home I quickly realised that I had a strong desire to see more of the world.

Since I was a child I adored travel, this was handed down to me from my parents, our family had a drive like no other to see the world and discover new places. So, before I was even old enough to travel on my own, I had already seen so many amazing places across the globe. Due to Covid, we were stopped in our tracks but after a lot of waiting and a cancelled trip to Dubai later, in May 2021, I headed off to America to spend 3 months in the sunshine state AKA Florida. After returning from my summer in the states, I knew once I had finished college that I would pack my bags and head off to see more of the world.

So, here I am, finished college and having every opportunity to continue my travels. After spending a month in Chicago this summer, I returned to Ireland and had plans to start travelling. While planning where I wanted to go, I got contacted regarding a job application I had completed months prior. This was for a job I always dreamed of having, so I did the interview not knowing exactly what I wanted. Although this was a company that I had always hoped to work for, I didn’t know what I wanted more: the job or to travel?

Flash forward a few weeks and I got offered the job. On one hand I knew I wanted to go see the world but on the other I was driven in my career, so it left me in a predicament. After a lot of thinking, I rejected the job offer, having no idea if I was making the right decision. Shortly after that, my boyfriend and I decided to pack our bags and move to Spain to kick start our travels, with no plan, no accommodation, and no job. Low and behold, we landed on our feet and have now been living in Valencia for 3 months, having also travelled the North of Spain and visiting Morocco during our time here. 

The moral of my story is that it is scary. Being a fresh graduate or just a person in your twenties, we all seem to dread the same question; “So what’s your plan now?” But why do we dread this question? Because we don’t know? We aren’t supposed to know. At this age we all seem to feel pressured, whether it’s from society, from our parents, from our partners, from our friends, or from ourselves, but what this pressure can lead to is unhappiness. We often rush into a job after college, we prioritise making money over happiness and before we know it our twenties will be gone before us and we didn’t fulfil our ultimate goals. I am not saying we all should travel, that would be ridiculous because that isn’t everyone’s goal. But what we all should be is fulfilled in where we are and what we are doing.

However, if travelling is something you are longing to do, then follow along on my journey and hopefully you will pick up some useful tips and tricks along the way. Saor is a light-hearted platform that is aimed at giving people an insight into some of our beautiful countries worldwide and hopefully inspire you to kickstart your desire to travel too.