Yes, while this may sound extremely dramatic, I can honestly say it’s true! I travelled to Ireland in the fall of 2015 as a mother-daughter trip, and I came home from that 5-day trip with a different outlook on my life.
I had the opportunity to spend 2 days in Dublin, 2 days in Kilarney and 1 day making the trip to the Cliffs of Moher (by far the most breathtaking view)…
I have been very fortunate growing up to be able to go so many places; I have been all over the United States and Canada and I have had the opportunity to travel to places like Jamaica, Curacao and Dominican Republic (but as an all-inclusive, which doesn’t really count). Really none of the places I have travelled have offered much of a cultural difference, until Ireland. I was totally out of my element – the food was different (breakfast foods were definitely better though), they drive on the wrong side of the road, they speak a different language (but you only really hear it in the smaller towns), the landscapes are extremely beautiful and definitely unlike anything you would find in Canada. The people are all so genuinely happy, then again it’s probably because everywhere you go there is music playing… like come on, how can anyone not be happy in that atmosphere? I fell totally in love with the culture, the setting and the people.
Coming home from the trip, it made me realize how amazing it can be to experience other people’s culture. It’s like a whole other world you get to enter and be a part of for just a short time. It made me realize how amazing life is and what amazing opportunities I have been blessed with. It gave me an itch – the itch to experience anything life throws my way and to travel as many places as I possibly can and enjoy every minute of that world that is being shared with me. It’s truly an amazing feeling to be welcomed so freely into someone else’s world and I can’t wait to see where my next adventure takes me!