July 13-21, 2012
The word that comes to mind when looking back on our
adventures through Ireland is surreal. Honestly, it still has not hit me that
we were in Ireland. Brad and I had joked about me visiting him in Ireland for a
while but having it actually happen still has not occurred to me yet. Going to another country had never been
a top priority because in my mind, the United States of America is the greatest
place on Earth. But I hope that there is more world travel in my future because
Ireland was an absolutely amazing experience.
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| Some of the beautifully bright doors in Dublin! |
One
of my favorite things about Ireland was the colorful doors that lined every
street. Bright colors have always been part of my wardrobe and room décor so
seeing the doors all the time was so fun.
I also love the story behind it, when Queen Elizabeth died the Irish
were told to paint their doors black in reverence to the Queen. In true Irish
fashion, they rebelled and painted their doors bright colors. I really enjoyed
walking down the streets everywhere we went knowing that there was more of a
meaning behind all of the bright colors.
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| Me and Brad at the beach on Inishmore (Aran Islands) |
Looking
back on our trip, the only thing I wish we had done was spent more time in
Ireland. The Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle and the Aran Islands are just a
few of the amazing places we were able to travel to in such a short amount of
time. My favorite adventure we did was the trip to the Aran Islands. I was
dying to get up close to a horse in Ireland and finally, I was able to pet one
which just so happened to be my favorite kind. I definitely could have left
Ireland a happy girl at that point. The Aran Islands were breathtaking because
you had the perfect combination of beaches and mountains. It was gorgeous and I
definitely would love to go back there and stay for a night.
It still blows me away that so many places in Ireland are
older than the United States. I think that is really cool to think about. I
loved comparing our culture to theirs and meeting the people from Ireland was
so much fun. I was pretty bad at understanding some of what they were saying
but luckily Brad, our Ireland expert, was able to help out. Talking to the
locals was a fun experience because anyone can look at the gorgeous sites
Ireland has to offer, but actually talking to people made me appreciate the
country so much more and it allowed me to understand their culture a little
better.
I
really hope that I will be able to go back to Ireland someday. Between the
colorful doors, the picturesque places, the friendly people and oh yeah,
getting to see Brad, Ireland was an unforgettable place. This trip beyond
exceeded my expectations and I am so glad I was able to experience it all with
Brad and Emily!
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