After eight years of an avid case of the travel bug, Ireland is still my immediate response when I'm asked of my favorite country. Hauntingly beautiful is the only way to describe the sheer beauty of these lands. The rolling, lush hills are of such vibrant and varied shades of green, that here is where I first discovered the incredibly abundant beauty found amidst the countryside. I've often questioned that of all the places I have been, why is that Ireland has stuck out among them? With a considerable amount of years to mull over this (having gone at the age of 16), I've reached the conclusion that above all, it is the people I met here and the interactions I had with them that made this trip such an unforgettable experience. You can be vacationing in the most beautiful of places, but if you are missing the simple element of warm, welcoming interaction, you will be missing out on one of the greatest aspects of traveling as well. While I love nothing more than arriving at a destination I have never gone, I do believe the single greatest pleasure from traveling arises from creating new connections and enjoying the kindness of strangers amidst a spark of adventure and exploration.
Above all, this trip to the British Isles and Ireland served as an exceptional turning point into my adult life. Having experienced the immense freedoms that came along with this trip, and catching my first glimpse of a Western culture so entirely disparate than that of America, is what I believe sparked my insatiable desire to see the world. I consider my extraordinary time in Ireland to be a great blessing as it provided me with the motivation to work hard at a pivotal age to ensure that I would continue to have the freedom to travel at my leisure. Admittedly, this has resulted in spending a decent chunk of earnings nearly every year to embark upon my next excursion. However, I truly believe travel is worth every last, hard-earned dollar. After all, life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.
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