This past February break, I visited Ireland for 7 days with parents to go see my sister who is currently studying abroad there. During our time we spent 5 days in Cork and 2 days in Dublin. This has been by far my favorite traveling experience and it was amazing to learn about a country so close to one I visit almost religiously, England. In our time there we faced a lot of bad weather, from hail storms to snow squalls to violent rainstorms, however that never stopped us from walking around the cities and hopping on busses to explore the country. Although I have to say we lost many umbrellas due to extreme wind, it was completely worth it!
During our time there we visited:
Local markets –I saw the most amazing foods and handcrafted goods!
University College of Cork– The local college my sister has been attending
Blarney Castle –Where I hung upside from the top and kissed a stone to get the gift of gab!
Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral
Elizabeth Fort in Cork
Cobh –Where I saw a street of colorful houses and the beautiful coastline
Trinity College –We got to see the book of kells!
This is just listing a few of the things we did, but each had a significant impact on my trip. I got to learn more about Ireland's history and Folklore and was able to immerse myself in the Celtic background of the country. I truly loved hearing stories to do with the castles we visited and the reasons they grew different types of plants (most were used as poisons or medicine). This experience was truly unmatched especially after not being able to travel for the past few years due to the pandemic. Hearing people's Irish accents, trying traditional foods, and taking time to learn a little Gaelic was truly exciting and I will take away what I have learned from this vibrant country and culture in the future.
Ever since I was young we have travelled to the United Kingdom/England to visit our family. From this I have experienced both American culture and British culture and I am able to see how our societies are different on a global perspective. In addition to that I am of Indian heritage which surrounds me with even more awareness on how communities throughout the world are different.
England
France
Mexico
Cyprus
Canada