Being in Ireland feels a lot like stepping into a postcard. It's
absolutely amazing.
Of the four days we were in Ireland, I spent two in Dublin, one on a
tour of the west of Ireland, and one in Howth. Dublin and the west of
Ireland, especially the Burren area, were fantastic. They reminded me of
why I fell in love with Ireland in the first place and I would have been
more than happy to have just gone to those two places.
As usual, though, the best experience I had in Ireland was one that
wasn't entirely planned.
On our last day, I wanted to go on a hike in Howth. I had read and heard
from others on the ship that it was the most beautiful place they had
ever seen. However, I had a bit of a hard time convincing any of my
friends to go with me. So I decided to go alone.
That was probably the best decision that I made the whole time I was in
Ireland. The hike was peaceful and positively gorgeous. Every time I
rounded a corner on the path or came to the top of a hill, it got more
beautiful.
I walked from a little fishing town, up the side of a mountain, down a
cliff to the beach, through a bog, and back. Most of the walk was wildly
different from anything that I'd ever seen. I had never seen something
so picturesque. This made it all the more surprising when I came across
a place that made me homesick.
My favorite time of year back home is Fall, when all the leaves change
color and fall. I was a little bummed out that I was going to miss it
this year. This whole trip is sort of chasing summer and I thought I
would probably miss Fall altogether.
Imagine how wonderful it was to find myself in a forest that looked
similar to the ones that I grew up with. The sun was filtering through
small golden leaves as they fluttered to the ground. The air was cool
and it smelled just like fall back home.
I had never experienced homesickness before. It was kind of a
bittersweet feeling. Not for one second did I wish that I could go home,
but I missed it more sharply than I usually do.
Things just worked out so perfectly. I could never have planned that. I
could have chosen not to go to Howth at all and I would have missed out
on Fall entirely. If I had gone on one of the shorter hikes because I
was alone, I wouldn't have gone through that part of the forest. Or I
could have gone with a friend and I wouldn't have been able to wander
silently through the trees thinking of home.
Leave it to Ireland. I'm convinced that there can't be anywhere more
wonderful. What other place offers a little pocket of Fall to the
homesick traveler?
