Galway – Traveling with Laura

Ireland 2015: Day 14 – Galway to Dublin

July 15, 2015June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

The “going home day”. I’ll admit I’ve been thinking about home for several days now, wanting to be in familiar surroundings, but at the same time not wanting vacation to end. I woke up this morning to sun in Ireland, and felt a little sad to be leaving. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for two weeks. Things I did on my first couple of days feel like a distant memory already. But I’m also very ready to be home. I repacked my suitcase last night, which was no small feat. Zipping it closed this morning was a small miracle!

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Ireland 2015: Day 13 – Connemara

July 14, 2015June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

Well, the weather miraculously cleared up for one last day in Ireland. My plan today was to visit Connemara, an area west of Galway known for it’s more rugged beauty. Connemara is also one of the areas of Ireland which retains the Irish language; all road signs are in Irish only. I set off relatively early from Galway along the coastal route and stopped first at the Spiddal Craft Village. The village is several individual vendors set up in little shops around a small common area. I didn’t end up buying anything, but it was fun to browse the jewelry, artwork, and other local handcrafts.

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Ireland 2015: Day 12 – Doolin to Galway

July 13, 2015June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

Here are the things I miss about home today: sleeping in my own bed, knowing where everything is when I need it, buying, cooking, and eating my own food, and driving my own car on the right-hand side of the road. And here are the things I love about Ireland: the people, the history, the incredibly picturesque landscapes, and the music. I’m heading home in two days, and part of me wants to leave now and part of me wants to stay here (or at least take Ireland home with me!). There are some vacations where I want to soak everything in because I don’t know that I’ll ever be back (the Cotswolds is a recent example of that). There are other places I’ve traveled to where I absolutely know I will be back (I had that feeling on my first visit to Turks and Caicos and returned a year later). Ireland definitely falls into the latter category: I will definitely be back.

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