Well, by now you all know from Jill's post: we're going to Ireland. It's a thing. It's happening (Lord willing). I mean, unless the border patrol is like, "No thanks. Go away."
Hmm, I feel like this post isn't going in the profound existential-crisis way of the Jill. So I'm just going to ignore all the doubts, questions, uncertainties, and all those messy things called feelings. I'll still be talking about Ireland, though. As you may or may not remember, I've been to Ireland before...for about five days during my Harlaxton semester. Whatever. It counts. So in honor of Throwback Thursday, in the spirit of looking forward to new adventures in the Emerald Isle, and just because I like making lists, here you have it: the top 5 things I love about Ireland.
#5 Friendly people
Okay, so I was only there for a few days, but all the people I met during that time were incredibly welcoming. An old man stopped me in the street to ask what time it was, and after hearing my American accent, he struck up a conversation. What brought me there? Was I liking it so far? What part of the States was I from? It was a nice encounter, and I do enjoy spontaneous conversation. This was not an anomaly. I don't think I met a single unfriendly person. People in Dublin were certainly helpful in giving directions to the police station after my friends and I found a lost credit card on the sidewalk and spent half the night trying to get it turned in at the right place. Ah, adventures in Ireland.
#4 The colors
Hmm, I feel like this post isn't going in the profound existential-crisis way of the Jill. So I'm just going to ignore all the doubts, questions, uncertainties, and all those messy things called feelings. I'll still be talking about Ireland, though. As you may or may not remember, I've been to Ireland before...for about five days during my Harlaxton semester. Whatever. It counts. So in honor of Throwback Thursday, in the spirit of looking forward to new adventures in the Emerald Isle, and just because I like making lists, here you have it: the top 5 things I love about Ireland.
#5 Friendly people
Okay, so I was only there for a few days, but all the people I met during that time were incredibly welcoming. An old man stopped me in the street to ask what time it was, and after hearing my American accent, he struck up a conversation. What brought me there? Was I liking it so far? What part of the States was I from? It was a nice encounter, and I do enjoy spontaneous conversation. This was not an anomaly. I don't think I met a single unfriendly person. People in Dublin were certainly helpful in giving directions to the police station after my friends and I found a lost credit card on the sidewalk and spent half the night trying to get it turned in at the right place. Ah, adventures in Ireland.
#4 The colors
Sure, they call it the Emerald Isle, but it's so much more than that! Ireland is full of colors, from the red building fronts in the Temple Bar area of Dublin, to the rainbow of international flags flying from hostels. From the persistent green of the landscape that endures through the winter, to the churning blues of the sea. From the formidable stony grays of ancient structures to the warm fire-lit glows of pub interiors. Ireland is brimming with vibrant color!
#3 The incredible landscape
You just won't believe it until you're right there in the middle of it. Even as a person who feels most alive in bustling cities, I found myself in awe of the rural beauty of Ireland. And much of Ireland is just that: very rural. There are places where you feel like the only person in the world. There are trickling streams, roaring waterfalls, craggy cliffs, and forests of crooked, winding trees. There's plenty of natural splendor to look at, and more importantly, plenty of places to frolic and climb on rocks!
#2 The music
In the words of August Rush, "The music is all around you. All you have to do is listen." And you won't listen very long before you hear music in Ireland. It's everywhere! You may or may not know this, but I love buskers and street performers. They completely make my day, and Dublin has plenty. One of Ireland's national symbols is the harp, and it's no rare thing to see harpists out on the sidewalk, playing beautiful tunes for the passersby. There are plenty of pubs with live music every night, and even some that host free jam sessions, where anyone can join in!
#1 The sense of magic
I don't know what it is about Ireland, but it gives you the sense that anything is possible, especially the extraordinary. Steeped in folklore of leprechauns and fairies, and teeming with surreal natural beauty, it lives up to its reputation as a truly magical place.
Okay, let's be real. This is me romanticizing Ireland because I'm moving there, so why not? I know it's not all going to be rainbows and sexy accents. I know that living in another country is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. But I figure, why not be optimistic about it? You all know how I love to have something to look forward to.
Now, something else to look forward to: the QUESTION OF THE WEEK! This is a feature I'm going to incorporate into my blogs each Thursday to make this thing a bit more conversational. I'll try to come up with a question that everyone can discuss in the comments section. This week's question is a hypothetical that Jill, Sara, and I have already discussed a bit, but we need a larger sample size. So here it goes:
You meet your true love, but you can only be with him under certain circumstances. You either go away with him and utterly disappear from your home and everyone you've ever known with no explanation OR you stay with your family/friends/life you've known but you can never see your true love again. If you choose your true love, you can, of course, start a new life and make new friends, but you will completely lose touch with everyone from your previous life and they'll never know why you left or where you went. Which would you choose?
Oh, and in honor of Ireland, here's the video of the week: Celtic Thunder performing Seven Drunken Nights. How could I forget to mention one of the best part of Irish music...drinking songs! Enjoy the craic!
--Anna Beth
I don't know what it is about Ireland, but it gives you the sense that anything is possible, especially the extraordinary. Steeped in folklore of leprechauns and fairies, and teeming with surreal natural beauty, it lives up to its reputation as a truly magical place.
Okay, let's be real. This is me romanticizing Ireland because I'm moving there, so why not? I know it's not all going to be rainbows and sexy accents. I know that living in another country is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. But I figure, why not be optimistic about it? You all know how I love to have something to look forward to.
Now, something else to look forward to: the QUESTION OF THE WEEK! This is a feature I'm going to incorporate into my blogs each Thursday to make this thing a bit more conversational. I'll try to come up with a question that everyone can discuss in the comments section. This week's question is a hypothetical that Jill, Sara, and I have already discussed a bit, but we need a larger sample size. So here it goes:
You meet your true love, but you can only be with him under certain circumstances. You either go away with him and utterly disappear from your home and everyone you've ever known with no explanation OR you stay with your family/friends/life you've known but you can never see your true love again. If you choose your true love, you can, of course, start a new life and make new friends, but you will completely lose touch with everyone from your previous life and they'll never know why you left or where you went. Which would you choose?
Oh, and in honor of Ireland, here's the video of the week: Celtic Thunder performing Seven Drunken Nights. How could I forget to mention one of the best part of Irish music...drinking songs! Enjoy the craic!
--Anna Beth
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