Catching Up!

To finish the last post… I eventually made it to Europe!! 5 states and 3 countries in 2 days… gosh. It was a LOT of traveling and begging to get onto planes. BUT. It made being in Europe that much sweeter.

On the phone with Delta for hours trying to find a flight out of JFK... 1 AM

The line to find out where everyone's luggage was... thousands of people were stuck in JFK that night!... 3 AM

5 planes, a taxi, buses, trains, a hike, and 2 broken suites later... we made it.

Early the next morning Chelsea, Julia, and I took off for Dublin, Ireland!! We went to our B&B first and oh my… it was a DREAM! This was the best vacation of my life and the B&B definitely played a part. Gorgeous house owned by this sweet lady, awesome bedroom with a view, wifi, and a fabulous breakfast. We loved coming home to it every night. The first day we just walked around for awhile and found an amazing cemetery.

Our B&B! Loved it.

It was just fun seeing what the town was like and how different it was from the U.S. Everything is so old!! 

Day 2—Cliffs of Moher

This was the day I was most excited for!! The Cliffs of Insanity!! Or Moher… either one. First we took a bus tour out there to the west coast. Words cannot describe the serene beauty of the Irish countryside. Driving to the cliffs was the most gorgeous ride of my life! I could not get over how many shades of green existed that I had just never seen. 

The Cliffs of Insanity...

The cliffs…  the most incredible things my eyes have ever beheld!! It takes your breath away! Us girls were just soakin it in. I don’t even know what else to say about the cliffs other than WOWWWW.

Day 3—Ring of Kerry

We took a train down to southern Ireland and then a bus tour around the coast. It was the next most beautiful thing I’d ever seen! Just rolling green countryside everywhere, all day. It was unbelievable! Part of it was actually classified as rainforest because of how many types of trees and mosses there were. We didn’t get to leave the bus enough since the tour was so extensive just to see everything but it was amazing.

Watched a sheep herder and his dogs... fantastic.

Day 4—Glendalough and Kilkenny

As if Ireland could get more beautiful… our third and final tour may have outdone them all. Glendalough is a national park and the most gorgeous place on the face of the planet I’m pretty sure.  We got to get out and walk around for a couple hours and it was the most green, peaceful, beautiful path I’ve ever walked on. It came out to a lake that floored me. Is this place really real?!? It can’t be!!! We got to see where Braveheart, P.S. I Love You, and other movies were filmed. Oh!! And before we even got to Glendalough, we stopped in Kilkenny and went to some awesome caves!!! Kilkenny was the greatest little town and I got to see my first castle up close! First of MANY. 

Glendalough!

Still unbelievable...

Day 5— Touring Dublin

Our final day in Ireland was spent in the city we came home to every night—Dublin. Instantly fell in love! The atmosphere was fantastic! Markets, people filling the streets, live music everywhere, we were in heaven. We had dinner at this great pub… fabulous Irish stew… and we found out later that Johnny Depp had rented the whole place out like an hour later! Julia and I found what we’d been looking for—our Claddagh rings! 

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Downtown Dublin

That night we went on a music pub crawl. There were two musicians who played us music and took us from pub to pub to see different venues. I loved hearing them!! It was so fun and just a great night. I think all the pubs were mad though that none of us drink alcohol… haha we were there for the music. And they did not disappoint! 

Discoveries

1.       Irish ppl have the best accents in the world.

2.       Dubliners are SUPER friendly!! Love them.

3.       Guinness is a real big deal in Dublin. I think they worship it even.

4.       Howareya = hi

5.       There are no th’s in Irish accents. Thumb = tumb, three = tree, Thursday = Tursday

 So we flew back to Wales, crashed for a couple hours and moved into our house!!! First, downtown Cardiff is GORGEOUS!! Wow… picts to come I know we’ll be all over it soon. Second, It took A LOT of deep cleaning to make our house livable but now we love it and it’s our own little place. Ireland was definitely a vacation ((BEST ONE EVER)) but this will be work. We’ll be out of the house by 7 AM at the LATEST every day for the next six weeks and MAYBE home for dinner. We’ll see enough places in ONE DAY that people would take a whole week to do! Tomorrow… Stonehenge! However… today I’m sick. Feeling awful so let’s hope that changes!!

So far I’ve LOVED this experience. I feel SO BLESSED to be here. I know that the Lord is looking out for me and He’s helped me to feel His love when I’m feeling lonely; especially on the nightmare of a trip over here! Even when I feel anxious about the next 6 weeks in a foreign country I just remember that I have a great family, amazing people who love me, and the gospel of Jesus Christ! What could possibly go THAT wrong?!? Miss everyone!!

[[Go to mormon.org to learn why I don't drink alcohol and how I know that there's a God in heaven who watches over me! Or just shoot me an email!]]