February: Wicklow, Giants Causeway, Connemara and General Shenanigans

For anyone who was looking forward to my weekly updates on here, I'm sorry that I've been neglectful of this blog! I've had plenty of boring days in between my exciting days in which I could've written on here, but I was probably day dreaming or catching up on my American TV shows or planning my next adventure. Or sleeping.

As for the coolest things that happened in February, here's a quick summary:

Wicklow National Park: Also known as the place where Holly and Gerry meet in the movie P.S. I Love You. Our luck with the weather had changed that day when the sun decided to appear for most of the time we were discovering this beautiful park. There is nothing else on earth like seeing the sun shine on those hills and valleys. For all the rain I complain about here, I was thankful for it that day when I realized it helps make this land so amazingly green and lush. As for the part of the tour when we saw the spot in the movie where the characters meet, well, that was kind of a let down. However, I got to see the beauty of the surroundings without trying to relive a scene in a movie. I made the experience my own.

Giants Causeway: This magnificent place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland. Great basalt columns were naturally formed on the northern coast millions of years ago by volcanic activity and the results are breathtaking. We stopped at a few other sites that day including a pretty harbor, a neat rope bridge and a spot from which you can "see" Scotland across the bay, but I'll just show the photos from the main attraction of the day. It was truly a blessed, fantastic sight.  

 

Connemara: Connemara is located on the west coast of the island, just south of Galway. It's a mountainous region near the ocean so there are a lot of opportunities for hiking, surfing and other extreme sports and activities. I went on a three-day trip at an adventure center where I had arguably the most fun I had had in a very long time! There were rock walls, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts in the forests and my favorite activity of the weekend, trudging blind-folded through a muddy bog. At the end we got to dive into giant mud ponds the size of swimming pools. Oh how I love a good trek through a bog. We then washed off in the river which was colder than any water I've felt. It was run-off stream from the mountains, and I laid in it, letting the water rinse the mud off of my wetsuit and out of my hair and fingernails. I could feel my heart beating all over. It could've numbed my body, but I was instead exhilarated. I felt so close to the earth and to myself in that moment. Unfortunately, I was so busy with muddy activities that I had no way of carting my camera around or taking pictures. For once, I was very content with that.

As for the rest of the month, it was filled with getting to know the rest of Dublin, figuring out where my favorite pubs and clubs were and trying not to spend loads of money on them. Unfortunately, I did not find a ruggedly handsome Irish man to sing and play guitar for me on Valentine's Day, but I did spend it with some cool new friends and some chocolate. Here are some lovely miscellaneous from the past month. 

My first month was a blast! In the next post I'll be summarizing March, which was even better than February. Thanks again to whoever is reading, especially my Mom and Dad because they mean the world to me. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for them. More photos can be found here!

- Ali