Yep, I'm Special!

Today I am faced with a hard, hard challenge. An even harder challenge than planning the perfect family vacation.... The task that faces me, and stares me down is a complicated one in more ways than I can fathom. I have to write a bio about myself for our travel site. 

You would think, yamming about how amazing you are and letting the world know that you are the best for whatever their needs would be cake walk. But you're wrong. There is a huge obstacle facing you in a challenge like this because as you begin to type you start realizing that all your short comings are not short or meek they're these skyscraper size hurdles that you can never conquer and all those people who said you'd never amount to anything are right! Oh the humanity! Ok, so maybe not so intense but it is a big unforgiving mirror being shown to you. 

Your focus goes from everything you accomplished in your life to every opportunity that seems to have passed you by like a bullet train. Not to mention somewhere in the back of your mind is the fact that eventually after you finally get the emotional strength to pull yourself together and write what you think is the most jaw dropping bio written on a person ever, your boss is going to attack your personal Pulitzer prize winner with a weed whacker. 

But to hell with feeling like a nobody, and to hell with worrying if you're not good enough. I'm going to put on my big girl panties, suck down my body weight in caffeine, munch on some chocolate, blast my favorite tunes, and write a bio that's worthy of having my name attached to it. I am the self proclaimed Queen of Halloween and Paranormal vacations. I got to write a review (that is now highly respected) about a hotel I once dreamed of. Those are just a couple things that I have already accomplished and I have only been in the travel business for six months, image what goals I'll reach after a year or even a decade. The Augustine might be my dream now, but the whispers I hear calling out to me will be answered, and I'll be taking so many people on beer excursions through Prague that it won't be a fantasy, it will feel as at home to me, as Italy feels to Harold. Perhaps you should take a look in the unforgiving mirror, push past everything, and write your own stellar biography, make yourself your own inspiration. 

Harry Potter day is here!

Today is Harry Potter day, the final installment of the great series will hit movie theaters at midnight, and the masses will be out and ready to see if the Chosen One will be capable of taking down the Dark Lord. I love Harry Potter, it's a huge feat for me to love reading a book series, seeing as I have crippling dyslexia. I spend my drive into the office today wondering how I would make a blog about the boy who lived and relate it to work, how is a fantasy series going to tie into culinary tourism? Well hold onto your wizard caps my little muggles I think I have some good ways to spin this. 


I'll start with the suggestion Harold made to me when I brought up my concept for this blog.... 

TADA BUTTERBEER!


There's been quite the debate on several websites on which recipe is the best. As a future brewery tour specialist I thought it was odd that there is no Butterbeer recipe I have found that has actual beer in it (just as a funny side note, I have to keep back spacing because every time I write "beer" I end up writing "bear", goodness I'm a goober sometimes). There is only one JKR approved Butterbeer recipe and it belongs to Universal and only sold at their very own Harry Potter land. Luckily I'm pretty good at fishing around and I found the assumed recipe Universal uses at it's park. 


1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 package Spiced Alpine Instant Apple Cider
8 oz Water
8 oz Cream Soda
Buttershots Schnapps
Dissolve 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar into 8oz hot water. Add one half of 0.74oz Apple Cider package to mixture. Let cool.
Put 1/4 cup of Cider mixture in glass. Add 8oz Cream Soda. Add Buttershots Schnapps to taste.
May reduce 8oz water and Soda to fit into 8oz glass.


Now I'll talk about the travel part of today's blog. London. Gorgeous, inviting, wonderful London. If you haven't caught the drift, I LOVE London. I went there at the end of a very long tour of Europe when I was eighteen, and as homesick as I was, I was just captivated by it's rich fun culture. It is where I truly became a wide eyed traveler. I stood in Trafalgar Square looking around with a gaping mouth staring at the exciting city around me. If you have a chance to visit London, do so. If you need someone to help you book a glorious vacation to see this magnificent city... Call me at Epicopia Culinary Journeys, I'll get you fixed up!


Happy Harry Potter Day Everyone!

When I grow up I want to be a Brewery Guide.

I mean look at the lodging alone.

I was given a list of the top six hotel locations in the world that specialize in breweries. Now I would never take something the wise and brilliant Harold Partain gave me lightly, but I must admit on this day I was a tad sleepy.

It only took a second, a blink of an eye for me to wake up and stare at the first hotel in awe, in total amazement of it's fascinating beauty. The Augustine, the majestic structure that haunts my dreams, I loved it the moment my eyes saw it. It's got this fantastic gothic design with a clean and homey interior. It brings together the feel of a mystical castle, and a hip new culture only Prague can bring to your life.