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Solo Adventures: The pros and cons

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I have been trying to embark on some more solos adventures, not outside of town, but walking to new places. Experiencing nature by yourself is so power. I enjoy just being in nature alone with my thoughts. This sunset pictured above was so beautiful, I walk down the street form where we are staying, round the corner, and sit on the wall next ton the water and watch. Sometimes I bring my headphones and listen to my music, sometimes I just listen to life instead. However, taking walk too far can prove to be a bit scary. You might be thinking to yourself, Margaret what did you encounter, a kidnapper? A robber? A stranger? No, I encountered a dog. This was a stray dog who looked extremely hungry, his mouth hanging open and drooling. I made the executive decision to turn around and begin walking at a steady pace back to my house. I crossed the street even. I thought I was getting away, but I turned back around and he was crossing the street as well. I almost started to run, and as I ran I l...
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A Tattoo Adventure, The Smiths and Joyce

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  Life update for you all: I got my first (technically) real tattoo. I have gotten a stick and poke tattoo before, and believe it or not I thought the real tattoo hurt even more. How did I decide to get a tattoo you might ask? Well, me and my friends decided to go to a sop right by where we were staying. Excitedly running to the shop, we realized it was closed that day. Still on our adrenaline rush from deciding to get tattoos, we spontaneously hopped on a bus to Cork. We walked into a tattoo shop and they thankfully had room for me and my two friends to get tattoos. I was the first up to get my tattoo. I was in so much pain I didn't know what to do with myself. Thankfully "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable" by The Smiths came on, my favorite song, and that was the only thing that got me through those 40 minutes. My tattoo is pictured above, a post stamp with the Cliffs of Moher on it. After we all got tattoos we ran to grab tacos (best tacos of my life y'all) before hop...
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Finding peace

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  Pictured above is The Cliffs of Moher! It was beautiful and serene, a lovely sight to see. The group visited this site on our trip to West Ireland. We were lucky enough to travel all around the west with our lovely tour guide Tony, who led us in singing song and telling stories. The west has the most beautiful blue water, stunning beaches, and adventures awaiting around each corner. I believe our trip to the west was the best part of studying abroad so far. When reflecting on my recent travels, and how I have grown since I stepped off the plane almost four weeks ago, I think I have changed quite a bit. I have started focusing on life, the earth, and being outdoors. I used to spend a lot of time on social media, and a lot of time overthinking and now I feel like I have cut down on both of those things a good bit! I wrote a poem about how happy I have become since being here, and how grateful I am for this experience, but also how I have changed for the better. I truly think being ...
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Waiting for my Guinness..

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I just returned from an incredible journey to the West of Ireland. What didn't our group see? We visited Galway, Killarney, Dingle, castles, parks, monuments, mountains, and more. One of the highlights of this trip for me was hearing more traditional Irish music. I have been to pubs where there has been live music played by Irish musicians that played pop song covers, but I have not had the chance to hear true traditional old Irish music being played.  Two night in a row when we were staying in Killarney, I went out to pubs. Both nights included a portion of time spent at Patty Sheehans- The Killarney Grand. The first night we heard an amazing, lively brother duo play, and the second night we heard a women play.  After some pub hopping, we found ourselves at a place in the quieter part of Killarney, where we ordered our drinks of choice (Guinness of course.) However, as we approached the bar to place our order, the bartender seemed to be in another world, writing in his notebo...
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Can I get a dorm lamb?

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Guys, I think I had the best Monday of my life. I started it off with a traditional Irish breakfast, and a delicious cup of coffee. Then me and my group hopped on a bus, singing Disney songs and karaoke with our amazing tour guide Tony, who stopped at multiple beaches and destinations, eager to show us all around the great west of Ireland. The highlight of my day you might ask? Refer to the picture above, of me holding the sweetest baby lamb. The group stopped at a farm where you pay 2.50 Euro for a bucket of food. Then you can feed goats, sheep, pigs, lambs, alpacas, and other animals. It was an incredible experience, although I did get kicked by the goats… Also, the nature of the west of Ireland is simply breathtaking. It was truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen, I almost felt like I was getting a spell cast on me by fairies! Like the Yeates poem, Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild  With a faery, hand in hand,  For the world's more full of weeping than you...
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A poetry reading by a waterfall

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  Today I had the opportunity to do a poetry reading by a beautiful waterfall near Killarney. I read “In Gallarus Oratory” by Seamus Heaney. You can still feel the community pack This place: it’s like going into a turfstack, A core of old dark walled up with stone A yard thick. When you’re in it alone, You might have dropped, a reduced creature, To the heart of the globe. No worshipper Would leap up to his God off this floor. Founded there like heroes in a barrow, They sought themselves in the eye of their King Under the black weight of their own breathing. And how he smiled on them as out they came, The sea a censer and the grass a flame. This poem is truly special, and although I did not get the opportunity to experience the oratory itself, I think the thymes in the poem can apply to the beautiful experience of being at the waterfall.  Heaney seems to use nature as a theme, the grass and sea acting as an alter for what seems to be a sacred experience. I myself felt that bein...
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Showing my British cousin around Ireland!

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This past weekend, I had the opportunity to show my cousin Alex around Dungarvan Ireland! Dungarvan is currently where I am staying as I study abroad. We met in Dublin for the day, then we journeyed back down the country to Dungarvan. I took him to some local pubs, he met my friends, and we had a fantastic time. The next morning we decided to meet early, as he had a bus to catch at 14:00. Although I was showing him round, we embarked on an adventure that even I have not gone on yet while I have been staying here. We rented bikes, and cycled down the coast on the trails. I was truly overcome by the beauty of the trails. We saw everything from the coast (Pictured behind us), to tunnels, to greenery. We ended up biking about 30 miles, which was a little hard towards the end, especially with a hangover!  I was super grateful to be able to connect with my cousin this way. We had really never gotten the chance to spend that much time together before. We had a lot of good conversations, b...
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