thetravelingpapaw

[thetravelingpapaw]

Vlog

Had to post on youtube because my file was too big for tumblr.

I was going to do a voiceover but that went terribly wrong thanks to my dog Finn.

[thetravelingpapaw]

Overall Favorite Parts of Ireland

I had a lot of fun exploring Ireland. Even though the trip wasn't exactly what I expected, I still had a good time and will always remember the experiences I had in Ireland.

I really enjoyed being in Dublin and walking all over the city. The first day in Ireland sticks out to me because everyone was just starting to know each other and we got to walk around the city center. A group of us ended up eating at Bankers Bar and got to joke around and have a fun evening. I also got to see the Dublin Castle and walk through the huge garden that they have on the premises. Walking around and seeing the history of Ireland was interesting because there are so many different stories and exhibits of historical events throughout the city.

As I have mentioned previously, I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed being at the tops of cliffs and climbing around. I loved Giant's Causeway because we got to walk trails and could explore. I got to walk on huge rocks near the water, see little aquatic ecosystems near the water, and climb on tons of rock structures.

I thought that the Fourknocks Tomb was super interesting and left me with a lot of questions about how professionals find and uncover historical sites like that. It was so cool to me that so much information about the past could be gathered from an old tomb in the middle of a farmer's property in Ireland.

I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and having fun while we saw Ireland together. I think that the trip would have been a lot different if I had not had the awesome and supportive friends that were on this trip with me. People often make a trip a lot better or a lot worse. I was fortunate enough to have people surrounding me that made this trip pretty amazing.

[thetravelingpapaw]

Fourknocks Tomb and Tobernalt Holy Well

I would say that my two favorite class excursions were the Fourknocks Tomb and the Tobernalt Holy Well.

The Fourknocks site is a passage tomb that was built around 5,000 years ago. My group got to walk around the site, climb on top of the dome exterior, and go inside the tomb. Inside the tomb the walls are made of stacked stone, and there are three segments of the walls that are thought to be other chambers (possibly tombs). There are carvings in some of the rocks within the tomb.

I think that it is so interesting that we can find a tomb from 5,000 years ago and then explore it to lead to questions and answers about how people lived in different time periods. There are many different opinions about what the Fourknocks passage tomb was actually used for, or whether it had many uses throughout its lifetime. There were fragments of 65 burials and pieces of pottery and jewelry within the chamber. I find it fascinating to learn about the different reasons the Fourknocks tomb would have been used. Being able to learn about different cultures and groups of people can lead to a better understanding of current traditions and people.

The Tobernalt Holy Well was the most serene and relaxing places I have ever visited. This religious site has alters for prayer and offerings, graves that are visited by loved ones, offering trees, and a well that has spring water. Leaving a piece of fabric (or other items) on the trees in the area is believed to encourage healing and give solace. The water from the well has been used for its healing properties.

I enjoyed walking around the paths and feeling how much the site meant to so many people. Standing still, closing my eyes, and feeling the breeze flow around me was healing in a different way than I have experienced before. I felt relaxed and lighter than I had before walking through the Holy Well site. Being in such a calming place helped calm the anxiety and overwhelming sadness that I had been feeling that day.

[thetravelingpapaw]

Beautiful Views In Ireland

I never really thought of myself as a nature person before this trip. I never felt like I had a connection with water or plants, but this trip changed my viewpoint on how I see myself connecting with nature.

The past few years of my life have caused a lot of stress and I have had to deal with a lot of emotions rolling around in my head. I couldn't find a coping mechanism that worked to relieve the anxiety that I was constantly feeling. I didn't think that anything would work to take the weight that was pressing down on my shoulders.

I started to see some mental and physical changes throughout this trip. I wasn't overthinking every single part of my day and I could breathe easier. I think the changes were partially due to walking an average of three miles everyday for two weeks. Being outside for longer than thirty minutes a day, walking and hiking, seeing nature, and breathing fresh air changed me in a positive way.

I felt calmer than I have in a long time. I found peace climbing to the top of a cliff and sitting at the edge. Listening to the wind around me and watching the waves roll beneath my feet. Being able to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and allow the ocean to carry away my worries was therapeutic to say the least.

I fell in love with the places we went where I could feel nature surrounding me. I didn't think that I would ever enjoy walking up a rocky hill to see the ocean off the top of a cliff. And I never expected to love walking through grass to stand in the middle of a circle and close my eyes as the wind blows right in my face. I typically hate the rain... But this trip taught me that sometimes, a little rain just makes the sun shine brighter in the end.

[thetravelingpapaw]

Facing My Fears And Reaching My Goals:

My fears for this trip consisted of getting lost in the city and not making friends within the group. I am happy to say that I made friends on this trip and created lots of funny memories that will stay with me forever. Like when Cora and I copied a mural of a fisherman catching a huge fish... and Cora proceeded to fall right after we got the picture and we laughed so hard I cried. I knew McKenzie, Sarah, and Cora before coming on this trip but I also made some good friends within the group. Mallory and Chase were both in my class and we all spent a lot of time hanging out and joking around with each other. I had a really good time getting to know new people on this trip and catching up with everyone at the end of the day. I looked forward to having dinner as a class and getting to hear from everyone about the day.

As for the fear of getting lost in the city... We all got off the bus wayyy before we were supposed to. This resulted in all of us having to walk around, trying to find the building with our rooms, in the pouring rain. I will admit that during the hour walk in the cold rain, I was not very happy about being soaked to the bone. But talking about it now makes me laugh because of course we would get lost when it's raining. And of course Cora would have a great time, find a snail, and give him a little flower hat. It was definitely an experience that I won't forget anytime soon.

I had quite a few goals for this trip that I wanted to reach. In my previous blog post I talked about wanting to try coffee, find a bakery/sweet shop, and visit a library. I completed all of these small goals throughout the trip and was happy with the result. I did try some coffee, I still hate the bitterness of it and will not drink it. But Mallory told me to try a Chai Latte since it's Chai tea instead of coffee, and I actually love it. I like iced and hot lattes. No, it's not coffee, but it looks pretty and actually tastes good. I ate a lot of sweets on this trip. I had the absolute best pistachio donut ever, really rich bubble waffle ice cream, and tons of other baked goods like carrot cake and macrons. As a class, we also got to visit Trinity College and see The Long Room Library and Book of Kells. I really enjoyed it because I loved seeing such old books and reading the exhibits that they had out.

[thetravelingpapaw]

Differences in Privilege

I expected there to be quite a few differences societally and culturally in Ireland since I am used to living in a small town in Kentucky. There are lots of differences that are specific to the comparison of city to country living, but some differences that I have noticed are also more focused on American culture.

One of the most obvious privileges to me was personal space in public areas. Like I have mentioned, I am from a small town that doesn't really have any large crowds of people. The only time there's really ever a large crowd is prom or graduation ceremonies, so I was not used to there being so many people everywhere. There is no personal space when walking around the city of Dublin, and everyone here treats it as normal to only have a few inches of a personal space bubble. In America, even when I go to a bigger city like Lexington, I am used to having space when walking around and shopping.

Another privilege that I saw in Dublin was public transportation. I do not personally live in a city large enough to use buses. Even when I am at school in Richmond (which is a bigger city for me), the bus system is small compared to what I have encountered in Dublin. Dublin's bus and train transportation is convenient, pretty simple to use, inexpensive, and gets you where you want to go. I understand why public transportation is so important in large cities when there are so many people and visitors.

A more selective privilege that I am used to having is a large selection of menstrual products that are easily available to me. As anyone with a period knows, having to go through everything is already enough of an experience that the last thing you want to worry about is not being able to get your necessary products. In one store, the pads and tampons were behind the counter and you had to ask the cashier for a specific item. Which is embarrassing to have to ask an employee for. A different store was more like what we are used to in the U.S., the pads/tampons were in the normal aisles of the store. However, there was a limited selection. This can become a problem if someone has sensitivities, preferences, or even something as simple as really heavy flow.

Privileges always go both ways, there are positives and negatives that effect different people in different ways. The huge crowds were uncomfortable to me because I never encounter those in my every day life, but they don't seem to be as big of a deal to the local people of Dublin. Seeing how limited and inaccessible period products were showed me how many options and liberties I have when shopping in the feminine hygiene aisle. Using public transportation was scary for me at first, but I could understand how it made sense to use these systems to get around the city.

[thetravelingpapaw]

Pre-Departure Blog #1

Countdown to Ireland...

Less than 24 hours until I'm in Ireland. Like, The Ireland.

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. I have been super anxious about traveling abroad. Trying to decide what to bring, and what might be a little too much. Is three bottles of the same sunscreen too much for a two-week trip, or is it just being prepared??

I enjoy traveling and seeing new places. Even though I am not new to flying in an airplane or vacationing, my anxiety always ramps up before I travel. I know that I will have a great time once I get there, but it's the getting there part that is always the hardest for me.

I have always wanted to travel the world, but that is kind of difficult while going to college. So, I knew that I wanted to look into studying abroad while I was applying to universities.

Last semester I heard about the Enchanted Women of Ireland course from Dr. Day and I immediately knew that I wanted to go on the trip. I was fortunate enough to find scholarships to help me pay for the trip, and now I am looking forward to exploring Ireland.

I am going into this course/trip expecting to have fun and learn lots of interesting things. I have had Dr. Day as a professor before and I really love her attitude and teaching style. I know that I learn a lot from class discussions, and I expect to make lots of memories over the next two weeks.

My Goals For Ireland:

Visit at least one library. Books are my favorite past time and are probably going to take up a lot of my future. I love to read, and libraries always offer me a place of solitude that I need. I am an introvert so I frequently need to recharge my social battery after (or sometimes in the middle of) a long day. I want to go to at least one library and just spend some time walking around, enjoying the books.

Try coffee... and hopefully like it. The only coffee I've ever had in the United States was some sort of caramel something something and it tasted terrible. I want the caffeine that coffee has in it, but it's always so bitter that I can't drink it. I guess I'll always have tea, but I would like the option of coffee every now and then.

Find a bakery or pastry shop. I am a big foodie, and sweets are probably my favorite. I want to try new baked goods and relax in the mornings or afternoons with something tasty.

My Fears For Ireland:

I'm nervous to meet the other people that I will be traveling with. I already have a few friends from my school which will help my nerves, but I can sometimes get anxious with large groups of people. I just hope that we can all get along and have fun together.

Having an allergic reaction. This one is not logical at all because I'm only allergic to cats, and not to the extent that I would die or anything. But I had a dream last week that I got stung by a bee (which btw I am not allergic to) and then swelled up like the blue girl from Willy Wonka, so that is now a fear in the back of my head.

Getting lost in the city. I don't plan on going places by myself, but I have been known to be directionally challenged. So there is a chance that I could get lost if I have to navigate, and I really don't feel like having to freak out and then find my way back to the group. Fingers crossed I don't get lost.

My Personality Quirks:

As I mentioned before, I am an introvert so dealing with people and having to interact a lot is mentally and physically draining for me. This means that I can sometimes get grouchy or just withdrawal from the conversation. This doesn't mean that I'm mad at anyone, just tired on the inside.

I am not a morning person. I have been told by all of my family members and friends that I am like a gremlin when I first wake up. Sooo probably shouldn't expect sunshine and smiles from me until I have had the time to properly wake up.

I can't wait to see Ireland and make memories!