What Lies Ahead?

We are about a month away from leaving for Ireland. There are so many emotions that I am processing. While I am so excited to see everything that Ireland has to offer me, I am also very nervous about leaving everyone I know and love here in another country. I have never traveled this far without someone I knew coming along with me. But I am so excited! Every day brings the reality of leaving becomes ever more present and my head is just filling up with all of these possibilities. Packing for this trip has also been an experience because it is the longest trip I have ever been on. I have so many lists for what to and not to pack and how to pack light. While we are still a while out from leaving I always like to feel prepared.

I am very excited about the whole trip and I don’t know if I really have a certain place that I am excited to see the most. So far that has been the question that everyone keeps asking when I tell them that I am going to Ireland. Everywhere sounds so interesting to go and visit. I have looked at pictures of the places that we will be going and the scenery is just beautiful. This is going to be a great opportunity to learn about new cultures.

One thing that I am very excited about is learning Gaelic. My family is from Ireland and there are items that my grandfather has that have Gaelic written on them. One is a family crest with our last name spelled in Gaelic. I would love to know how the name sounds in Gaelic. I guess I am also excited about trying the food. Whenever my family goes on trips my father plans it around food so to try some that I may have never tried will be like traveling with my family.

I do have a wish/ goal, to maybe meet family relations that I have in Ireland. I do not know where exactly these members of my family life but I would like to try and find them. I am hoping that from this trip that I learn what it means to come from an Irish family.

I also think that this trip will give me the experience of talking to people, which is completely out of my comfort zone. This whole trip really is out of my comfort zone, but I am just jumping up and down about having this chance to see the world before graduating and before getting married.

So as we reach the time to depart I grow with anticipation and excitement to see the wonderful journeys that this group will embark on while traveling the countryside of Ireland.