Where to Even BEGIN!

I really don't even know where to start. I can't really explain how amazing the last two weeks have been. I can't describe the places I've been. I can't portray in words the friendships I've made. I can't begin to tell you all of how my life has been since I've left Scotland. I can show you pictures, but I've got WAY too many to put on here or on Flickr so I think I'm going to just have to wait until I get home for that. I'll do my best here to simply tell you where I've been and put up a picture or two.

It all starts in Ireland.

I spent a day in Dublin tasting Jameson Whiskey, having a pint of Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse and just generally walking around the great city of Dublin. I felt like I had already been there before for some reason, so maybe that's where I am in my dreams. I've discovered that the more I travel the easier it is to find your way around new cities. It just becomes natural to remember which was is which and where the bus or train station is, which usually becomes your center point of focus since it's where you start your journey in each new place. I went to Belfast for a day and took a tour of Northern Ireland by going up to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and up to the north coast of Antrim where the Giant's Causeway is. THAT is an interesting place. Perfect 3D hexagons jutting from the ocean. Upon arriving back in Dublin that night I readied myself for the week-long tour of the Republic of Ireland that was to follow.

We spent 5 days in Ireland traveling the perimeter of the whole Republic. Day One was spent driving through central Ireland stopping at the Hill of Tara (seat of the high kings of old), Trim Castle, the John Locke Whiskey distillery, Knock (a popular place of pilgrimage) and our final destination of Westport where we spent the night with our pints of Guinness and traditional Irish music. Day two was the beginning of the GREAT scenery that followed in the days hence. It started with Clew Bay and on through the Connemara and the Valley of Doolough to Galway where we finished the night with traditional Irish dancing and a bit of clubbing at a place called Central Park. Day Three was through the Galway Bay to the Pol na Brone Dolmen and the Burren, which is basically just all limestone and is said to look like what the moon would look like. We stopped at a GORGEOUS beach for lunch, then we went to the Cliffs of Moher, which is REALLY a place to see. The water was turquoise and simply beautiful. We finished off in Doolin where we had more Irish music and I had a lovely chat with two couples from Glasgow who wanted me to call them when I got to Glasgow so they could walk me around. Day four was easily the most photogenic. We crossed the river Shannon before heading to Dingle via Kerry and it's beautiful countryside. We stopped on Slea Head for a view like THIS:

The whole day was basically that kind of view. We finished off in Killarney where we didn't really enjoy traditional Irish music but a cover rock band instead. Not exactly fitting, but fun nonetheless.

I spent my days trying to be cheap but ending up spending money on food and Guinness anyway, but it was in the company of those we met on our trip who, by the end of the week, seemed to be childhood mates. The quick bonding on the bus with the Canadians and Australians and Scots and fellow Americans made the week so much more invigorating and worthwhile. Traveling in Ireland was great not only because of the views but because of the people who we shared our views with. It was amazing being able to spend time with other people my age who LOVE to travel and who are simply making the most of the life that God has given them. Some do it for reasons other than that, but it all came down to getting out of our boxes and exploring some of the world around us. I will DEFINITELY go back to Ireland someday, and now I at least know some places that I'd like to go back to! If any of you want to go to Ireland for a true Irish experience, I'd just say go on the same tour that I went on, but if you don't want that, Doolin and the Dingle peninsula are the places to go. Small and surrounded by gorgeous hills and mountains and coastlines, these truly capture the heart of traditional Irish living. I LOVED it and unless you're weird, you would love it as well. Now that you've read about Ireland and if you think that was nice... just wait till I write about Scotland. It was the same trip, only different people (mainly Australians and New Zealanders) and views MUCH better than Ireland. I didn't think it was possible, but it happened. Yeah... wow... cheers...