Last Stop: Ireland

Oh Ireland, you are as I imagined: a misty, green wonderland of pubs flowing Guinness, live music spilling into the streets. Lovely beyond words, it was unexpected Ireland that has become my last stop on almost eleven months of travel. 

Dahlia, my Israeli friend recently moved to Dublin for work, and invited me to stop by before heading home. And here I find myself, in a relatively quick jaunt to Ireland before heading home tomorrow. 

After an adrenaline adventure of driving a manual car on the left side of the road while navigating from an offline google map in the gathering dusk, I made it to my reunion with Dahlia only a half hour late. Catching each other up over fresh herb tea, we enjoyed our friendships that can span borders, time and my lack of Facebook. 

The next day I strolled Dublin as Dahlia worked before heading out to the southwest corner of the island to Kerry County and the famous Ring of Kerry. With the long summer days, we arrived in the kick off town of Killarney at 10 pm with a few minutes of daylight to discover a ridiculously cute B&B within walking distance of the pub lined central streets. Calling it an early night, we geared up for the next days drive around the notoriously narrow and windy Ring of Kerry. 

The 180 km drive around the Kerry peninsula is Ireland in all it's splendid glory. Pastures of roaming sheep and black Kerry cows, dramatic plunging cliff, misty islands and an all together romanticism conjuring images of women turning into seals. We took two days exploring the quintessential Irish towns dotting the ring, crossing by ferry to Valentia Island, and walking along bays of dramatic shades of green landscapes. 

Scene: Tetrapod Trackway on Valentia Island in Ireland. 

Woman in purple coat: "So, like have you seen one of the tetrapods?"

Me: "Um, the actual animal?"

Her: "Yeah."

Me: "No."

Her: "So that long (5 minute walk) walk was for NOTHING!"

As we are looking at 385 million year old tracks of the first known evidence of vertebrates crawling from sea to land. Wow. 

Another momentous occasion was drinking my very first Guinness, and then second, third and so on in the pubs of Kenmare. Dahlia and I had a proper night of long toasts to friendship, love and life as we made friend with locals and travelers alike. 

Carriage ride!

My, I admire this girl. She is just fabulous, intelligent and kind. 

Returning to Dublin yesterday, we headed out for a night of dancing in Dublin with a few of Dahlia's friends until the wee morning hours. 

Trinity College. 

Today was a Dublin tour, park lounging and the World Cup finals. Right now, I am watching Sex and the City with Dahlia and her lovely Irish roommate Elaine, how American and single lady fabulous is that. 

Tomorrow, I will board a plane for the United States. Like the Wallflowers lyrics, "Man, I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same." Reflections are coming in waves, of my time walking with aloha. Wonderfully though, in this moment, I am living in the present and happy.