The Home Stretch
Showing up in the beautiful, lively Cork brought back many phenomenal memories of the good times it brought us the last time we were there.
This trip was about living like a true Irish family, which is why we got connected with one of my favorite professors and mentor’s sister, Bree. She picked us up with her daughter, Josie. WE had delicious brekky, bummed around, and went home to Innishannon; a small village about 30 minutes outside the city center. There we met Owen, her husband and their three wild pups, whom we would cuddle for four days. Over this time, we visited a few small towns that we never would have seen if we didn’t have the amazing opportunity to stay with them. West Cork is hard to see without a car, and unless you’re a local, you don’t know where to go. We spent the days on beach walks and sightseeing. They also were filled with puppy cuddles and ice cream stops.
We were set to leave for Galway (yay!) in the morning and ended up missing our bus due to some traffic.. Wouldn’t have been bad, but it was cold and rainy. Mads and I carried our luggage into a nearby cafe to figure out switching our tickets and made friends with the barista. He helped us figure out the bus fiasco via phone and made us lattes, which were very nice. Soon after that, we said “screw it” and went to grab some margs and guac at a little Mexican restaurant in an alley; might as well enjoy the day! Our barista friend let us store our stuff at his shop, which was really sweet. Once we finally got to Galway later that day, the sun was starting to set and we had to take the Bus Eireann to our Air BnB in Salthill, a little town within Galway. We showed up at the address and dug around for the key under the rock where it was supposed to be--nothing. Tried to get into the backyard to see if that is what our host meant--nope. Knocked on the door and creepily looked in the windows to see if our host was there--no one. What the hell!? Thankfully, the neighbor lady just pulled into the driveway next door. This was our answer to a place to sleep! She got out and I asked her about the Air BnB and she replied: “That’s not a BnB; an older man has lived there for years.” All we could do was laugh and try to find more clarification. Turns out, there were two identical neighborhoods with slightly different addresses and the one we were supposed to be at was about a mile away. She offered us a ride, so we loaded into her car and she dropped us off at the RIGHT address in the RIGHT neighborhood. Again, an angel that was sent to us!
I was so happy to be back in Galway, but was also a bit anxious because it meant I had less than a week left in my travels. The weather turned from sunny and 75 to the dreary Irish weather that is normal, so we took advantage of walks into the city center when it wasn’t pouring out. There, we did what we do best; bop around different shops, relax and chat by the Sparch, and listened to any live music that was on in the pubs or outside. The eve of my birthday was supposed to be a chill night as we were headed to the Galway Horse Races the next day(!) and wanted to be well rested. That plan quickly unraveled as the city’s energy enticed us with bustling streets as many people were in town for the races. AS we strolled, we decided our (very unhealthy) dinner would start with gelato from Murphey’s followed by my favorite place to rip my intestines up: PIZZA NAPOLI!
Pure bliss, if you can’t tell by my face.
The pub that pulled us in that night was the one that pulled us in two years earlier: The King’s Head. We thought we’d check it out and found that the band was killer! We had to stay for a bit...it was too good to miss out on. People were in the festival mode, which made for lots of drinks flowing our way, namely Bulmers cider in liter bottles--yikes. The group of visitors we found ourselves tearing up the dance floor with was a group of 6 guys from Dublin, all age ranges. As it was August 2nd, the eve of my 23rd birthday, they were excited to have a more solid reason to party; and that we did. We all were dripping in sweat, cutting a rug right in front of the stage. To top the night off Maddi told the band it was my birthday; they misheard her because they announced a “Happy Birthday” message to Karen Who was turning 22? No, 23? WAIT, WHAT’S MY NAME? It was a good try anyway.
The next day brought lovely weather, and thank God because we had a big day ahead of us! After sleeping in, making lunch, and doing wedding planning for Mads, we got dolled up and put on our hats for the Galway Horse Races! If you haven’t picked up on it yet, this was a highlight for me and a huge bucket list cross-off activity. We headed to the city center and waited in line for the bus to take us to the race track. We both felt like celebrities because people were stopping to look and take pictures left and right of everyone all dressed up. The bus was hot as hell, but the crew on it was down for a good time. Some guy in the front yelled, out of nowhere: “Can I get a WHAT-WHAT?” to which the whole bus unquestionably responded with an excited: “WHAT-WHAT!”
The races were absolutely fantastic! The men and women were dressed to the nines and the hats were something to see. The actual racing was a true thrill. The anticipation of seeing the horses round the first corner, then the second, feeling the vibrations of their hooves working hard to find their place in first, followed by the exhilarating sound of the stampede of muscular and beautiful horses with their jockeys was quite honestly overwhelming. The crowd in the stands and the ones surrounding us by the gate lining the track had the energy of a grand concert. Cheering, yelling, and jumping was something both Mads and I got roped into. Honestly, it was hard not to. The feeling I felt at the races is hard to describe, because I am not a race fanatic by any measure. It was all the variables listed above that stirred extreme excitement in my heart, which led to tears of absolute joy. What a way to spend my 23rd! Oh, and of course I had a Guinness in my hand.
A few hours at the track surrounded by so much excitement was all I needed to make me happy. We went home to change and head to the city center to hear some music and enjoy Galway’s event energy. We found some good spots and started with a quaint pub with one live musician who could sing me to sleep every night. Live music is so fantastic and Ireland is full of it! During this time, Maddi and I were approached by two, obviously drunk, Australian men. What happened next was not something I asked for my birthday or welcomed: an unsolicited, truly unfortunate attempt at a strip tease from the surfer dude. I laughed, but don’t think for one second I let it go on for more than 10 seconds after I realized what was happening. We went to a new pub shortly after that.
The weekend was nice, but I couldn’t help thinking I only had two more days left in my absolute favorite place. We just hung out in town, people watched, browsed a few shops, and ate gelato. Saturday night was our last Hoorah! And we took advantage of the city’s energy once more, made some friends with a group of dudes out to celebrate and we danced the night away, per usual. That and stumbling upon the musician we had seen a few nights prior was the perfect end to a less than logistically perfect trip; one that was absolutely fantastic! The following Monday morning I got up early to catch the Bus Eireann to the bus station, though I had my worries that the bus would be late or not even show up. I had my fair share of these things happening over the past two months, so I had valid reason for worry. Sure enough. 6:45am, I sat waiting for the bus in the cold rain. After 10 minutes of waiting, I picked up my luggage and started off near a gas station to call a taxi, but then, another guardian angel appeared. A man on his way to work in town pulled over and asked if I’d like a ride to the station. I was pretty desperate and he was kind, so I hopped in and had a great conversation with him. Next thing I knew I was holding back tears while giving Colum one last hug as he met me to say goodbye.
The plane ride home was when I broke down and bawled into my arms on the tray table before I fell asleep. My emotions were intense and I wasn’t ready to come home to be greeted with my grandpa’s funeral and decide on the next journey for myself. It made me feel so much better when I woke up from my nap and the kind Irish couple next to me told me I missed lunch so they grabbed something for me. Another guardian angel!
The plane rides home and the 7 hour delay really was not a great travel end, but luckily I was on United and wine was free and one of my best friends from college was waiting to pick me up.
There it is; the end of my 2 month escapade! After reading through my journal and posting these blogs, a few things became very evident. Tears from every emotion, drinking cider, live music, and increasing my resilience while living out one of my dreams were some of the big markers of my summer abroad. The thing about traveling solo is that you are never alone. The people around you become a part of your story and usually are more than willing to lend you a hand when needed. Connections are made easily, so don’t be afraid to reach out! Travel is scary and hard, but it’s not impossible. It definitely isn’t any scarier than wandering city streets in the US. Whenever and wherever you have the opportunity to travel, do it! Immerse yourself in stunning sights and damn good food. Open your mind to the stories of others; we are all human after all.
I don’t intend to ever stop seeing weekend trips or free outdoor concerts as big adventures, and I for sure am not done seeing the world; it has shaped me as much as my family upbringing and formal education.
The amount of gratitude I have for Ireland, Europe, and the people I met it is immeasurable. As cheesy as it sounds, I was able to love spending time by myself again through re-identifying strengths and working on my weaknesses. A summer for growth, adventure, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. With all that, need I say that I will be back before I know it?