Just Some Thoughts...

For Spring Break, a few of us went to Dublin, Ireland. Let me start off by saying that Ireland was amazing. It has been my favorite place so far. It was beautiful and green, and the people were extremely friendly. Also, everyone there knew English, which made everything so much easier. We were in Ireland for 5 days, and, amazingly, it did not rain once while we were there, which was unexpected. We were almost disappointed, because we had expected some Irish rain. However, the weather was beautiful, so we were not too disappointed.

The people all seemed to be very laid back and friendly. Everyone was just up for having a good time. One night we had dinner at a pub, and there was some live music. The music they were playing was traditional Irish music, so two older couples got up and started doing some traditional Irish dances. It was honestly one of the greatest things I think I have ever seen. I hope I am still able to do complicated dances like that when I am their age.

Our first night in Dublin, we went to a folklore show at the Brazen Head, which is the oldest pub in Dublin. Hearing all the folklore, superstitions, and stories of Ireland made the trip seem almost more magical. I had not realized how deep the superstitions ran in Ireland, even today. They say they do not believe in faeries anymore, but they man telling us the stories mentioned that people today still will not mess with areas of land known as “faerie forts”. Many people will not even step foot in them. In another example he gave us, the Irish government had to spend a lot of money to redirect a road they were building that would have gone through a fairy tree, due to the number of people who protested it.

We also visited the Guinness Factory while in Dublin. I am not much of a beer drinker, so I feel the experience was somewhat lost on me, but my Dad and fiancé both love Guinness, so I felt I had to go for them (and get them souvenir glasses). We also went to a dinner show that had live Irish music and Irish dancers. I cannot say I was really impressed with the dancers, but the music and the food were both great. I had some of the best soup of my life that night. I have now learned a couple Irish songs that I can somewhat clap along to, so I consider that an accomplishment.

We also went on three day trips while in Ireland. We visited the Giant’s Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Blarney Castle. The Giant’s Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher were breathtaking. The same day we went to Giant’s Causeway, our tour bus stopped at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge on the coast. It was so clear that day that we could actually see Scotland in the distance. I had not realized that Scotland was that close. When we went to the Cliffs of Moher, it was nice enough that we were able to take a boat ride out to the Cliffs to see them from the bottom. It was so cool, and I am so glad we got the chance to do that. Of course when we went to Blarney Castle we kissed the Blarney stone, which is supposed to give you the gift of eloquence, so that you can talk yourself out of any situation. Personally, however, I have not noticed much of an improvement in my speaking skills.

I would love to go back to Ireland again in the future. I felt so at peace there, everything was so green, and I loved seeing the sheep all along the roads. My family is part Irish, so it was great to see the country that some of my ancestors lived in. The people were just so friendly; I always felt completely welcome. Dublin was also probably one of the cities that I felt safest in on this trip. It also helped that Irish accents are my favorite. Our tour guides were great and very funny, and I learned a lot about Ireland during each tour. I would definitely recommend Ireland as a place to visit.