JULY 2015:
Hold on to your butts, because my trip to Ireland was one for the books!
Hold on to your butts, because my trip to Ireland was one for the books!
Ireland swept me off my feet before I even had a chance to lose my passport.
I traveled with my best friend Alexa, and together we did a full-on tour of the Emerald Isle—complete with pub crawls that had us belting out countless Irish drinking songs (some in tune, most not), dancing with locals who had better moves than us, and laughing our way through charming towns and rainy hillsides. We stood in awe at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher, and I completely fell in love with Galway and Kerry. Honestly, those two places made me want to pack up my life and move to Ireland forever. The green, dreamy scenery felt like stepping straight into a fairytale.
And then came the nerd-out moment of the century—we went full fangirl on a Game of Thrones filming locations tour, where we actually met the real direwolf. Yep, real fluff, real legend. But the moment that stole my heart? Visiting the very park where C.S. Lewis found inspiration for The Chronicles of Narnia. It was the most magical, beautiful place I’ve ever walked through—like Narnia was just a wardrobe away.
Then… chaos.
It all started with excitement in the air as we headed to the airport, gearing up for my trip back to my home in France. But then, BAM—chaos hit. Somewhere between security and the gate, my passport decided to take a little solo adventure. And to make things worse? My French visa was tucked inside those precious pages. Cue the full-blown panic.
So now, I’m stuck, sending my friend ahead to France—alone, no less—armed with instructions and my keys while I stayed behind to figure out how to fix this mess. And let’s be real, she doesn’t even speak French. Great.
Enter: the Irish taxi driver who deserves his own saint title. The guy immediately caught on to my distress, turned off his meter, and went full-on hero mode. He stuck with me as we retraced my steps across the airport and beyond, hitting every possible spot my passport could’ve been left. Every stop felt like a mix of hope and heartbreak.
Hours passed, and this man—bless him—never gave up on helping me. Finally, we went to the last store. Asked if they had a passport and by some miracle, they had my passport! I’m not sure if I cried or just babbled incoherently out of relief, but either way, I was so grateful I probably scared him.
And he didn’t stop there. He made sure I got to a hotel safely, and when I checked in, I was hit with yet another act of kindness—they upgraded me to a suite! Like, what?! I guess the universe decided to throw me a bone after all that chaos.
Meanwhile, I was a ball of anxiety, waiting to hear if my friend had made it to France okay. When I finally got the text that she was safe, it felt like a mountain had been lifted off my chest.
Here’s the thing: I’ve been to some incredible places, but the kindness I experienced in Ireland is unmatched. From a taxi driver who went above and beyond to hotel staff that treated me like royalty when I probably looked like I’d been through a tornado, the people there are next-level generous.
This whole ordeal could’ve been a nightmare, but instead, it turned into a story I’ll never forget. Ireland, you’ve got a forever fan in me.
So yeah—travel plans don’t always go smoothly, but sometimes the hiccups remind you just how awesome people can be. Cheers to Ireland and its big-hearted people! 💚🍀
Thank you!
