Cheers To Travel

At the end of six weeks, I’m raising a pint of Guinness to commemorate a splendid summer in Ireland.

Cheers to new places- both in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. I couldn’t have imagined the delight of being in the middle of Grand Place in Brussels with a chocolate-soaked Belgian waffle, walking alongside beautiful Loch Lomond in Scotland and clapping along to traditional Irish music in Killarney.

The view from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland

Cheers to a great internship- one that allowed me to adjust to a new work environment and learn as much as I could about production, interview techniques and Dublin City FM’s many programs.  To the staff for poking fun at my accent and still trusting me to read the news on-air.

Cheers to realizing self competency- sometimes buses were missed, wrong streets were wandered down and map routes were rendered useless.  There is value in getting lost and figuring out what to do next.

Cheers to a broadened comfort zone- be it mountain climbing, attempting a conversation in another language or trying a new dish, study abroad is a haven for adventure.

The view from Carrauntoohil, County Kerry

Cheers to new friends- nights of cooking pasta and microwave eggs in the kitchen must have molded a special bond between my roommates and I.  New friends were everywhere to be found- in hostels, in our study abroad group, in pubs around town.  The world is truly full of amazing people.

Cheers to habit forming- finding my favorite (cheap) lunch café, my daily walk to work, jogs along the Grand Canal and the bakery I stumbled upon after walking the wrong way all made Dublin feel more like home.

Cheers to getting to know and love a city- Dublin was enticing in the beginning and now feels like an old friend.  It’s a remarkable combination of history, modernity, lust for life in the moment and depth of heart. I’ll always want to return to the city that became mine for six weeks.

Sunset on the River Liffey

Cheers to travel- for opening my eyes and providing me a plethora of new experiences, triumphs, pitfalls, lessons and joys.  For what I hope is only the beginning of a lifelong love affair with exploring all that the world has to offer.