Ireland 2017

This summer I was {lucky} enough to go to Ireland! I was so excited to travel to another country for the first time, but was also nervous for the 8 hour plane ride over the Atlantic. I went with my family so we kept each other company on the long journey. I had the most unbelievable time while I was there! We went to so many historic and beautiful places that I hope to go back and visit again some day. Ireland is filled with some of the most hospitable/friendly people I have ever met. All of the locals were willing to help us find our way around or lend a hand with the currency exchange. I'm pretty sure I could write a book on my time in Ireland but to keep this blog post somewhat short, I picked out 5 of my favorite things I did/saw during my time abroad!

1. Galway, Ireland, in general, was one of my favorite cities that we went to. Their little downtown area was filled with shops and outdoor pubs. The city was bustling with people and had this energy that made me so happy. Galway also had this beautiful green area in the middle of their city called Eyre Square. Locals were laying out in the sun, playing music and enjoying each other's company. I would love to go back to Galway again!!

Eyre Square

2. The Gardens at Kylemore Abbey were breathtaking. Kylemore Abbey has so much history, considering it was built in 1920. The castle on the grounds had the most stunning architecture I have ever seen. While we were there, they were actually remodeling it. The gardens were filled with every flower and plant you could possibly imagine. One of my favorite pictures I took is where you can see the gardens and also the mountains in the background (pictures below). It was a peaceful place to just sit on one of the benches there and take in the beauty. 

3. We went on a jaunting horse ride through Killarney. Killarney is a beautiful city that has their own national park! The weather was perfect that day and even had a slight chill in the air. We rode through Killarney National Park and saw some pretty amazing views. Castles are a regular thing that you see everywhere in Ireland and there were a few in their national park. This was one of my favorite things we did because we got to see the beauty of this city and the nature surrounding us and simply relax.

4. Kissing the Blarney Stone was another highlight of this trip! That's one thing that I feel like everyone has to do when they go to Ireland! You have to wait in a long line and walk up a tight, enclosed stairway to get to the top, but it was worth it. They say that once you kiss it you get the "gift of the gab," so you will be good at communicating and talking to people. 

5. Lastly, the food! I had to try the famous fish and chips combo when I was there and it was delicious! Also, the traditional Irish breakfast was one that I wish we had in America. I thought it was funny that they served potatoes with literally EVERY meal! I thought people were kidding when they said the Irish liked their potatoes, but they weren't. I'm not complaining though, because I love potatoes, myself. Another treat that I enjoyed was this ice cream cone called the "99 cone." I got at least 4 of these when I was in Ireland. It is basically an ice cream cone with a chocolate flake in it. I also wish we had these here in the U.S. 

All in all, everything we did in Ireland was amazing, I just picked 5 of my favorites! I would definitely recommend that you put this place and these things to do on your bucket list! I enjoyed every minute in this beautiful country and I hope to be able to go back very soon :)