Feeling adventurous.

"Serious photographers...," I heard my two professors say as we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher. After that point, I only half listened because I am not a 'serious photographer', I am more of a novice. The gist of their speech was to warn us about the dangers of veering off the path up on the cliffs. The appealing part of climbing over the barrier is the amazing photo op it provides. Behind the barrier, on the safe side, I captured a wonderful snapshot that shows how huge these cliffs are.

Even with my lovely picture, I was not satisfied. Maybe it was because I was told not to, or maybe I just felt like living on the edge, I mean, this was a once in a lifetime chance. I wanted the experience. As we walked up the path, we were greeted with a few warning signs:

Passing the signs made me a little uneasy, as did people in our group talking about recent deaths from people crossing the barrier. We kept climbing and eventually came to a part of the barrier where people were crossing over to the dangerous side. 

I hesitated. I'm not a graceful person. One wrong move and I'm history. But, when in Rome...

I climbed over, and I am so happy I did. It was even more breathtaking than I thought. Don't get me wrong, many people cross over the barrier, but not as many as are on the safe track. Those obeying the rules herded like cattle up the path while we chose forbidden ground to tread more freely. The wind was running, trying to get to the roaring ocean quickly.

It was freeing, in a way. It felt good to do something unexpected. While this whole trip has been an adventure, this felt like a mini yet super amazing adventure. And the pictures from the other side were fabulous! I got a beautiful portrait of Autumn on the cliff.

For me, the takeaway was this: Sometimes, you should break the rules. When you have a once in lifetime opportunity, don't let anything hold you back. There should be no barriers. Enjoy all experiences and make the most out of them.

*Respond to something

The Grand Hotel in Tralee

While in Tralee, our group stayed at The Grand Hotel on Denny Street. I must tell you how amazing this hotel was.

The interior of the hotel is so beautiful. The lobby has a high end feel, adorned with leather chairs, a huge mirror seated on a wood carved counter. On the ceiling hangs a beautiful chandelier, all adding to the atmosphere. The staff is so pleasant and welcoming, always greeting you with a smile. 

The food was also amazing. For breakfast, you get a traditional breakfast of sausage, bacon, and eggs. There is also a bar with yogurt, cereal, fruits, nuts, and bread. Dinner was exceptional. I had salmon and trout the two nights we were there and both were nothing short of delicious. After dinner, we all headed out and enjoyed the town, and eventually retired for the night.

There is a hidden treasure at The Grand Hotel. If you get the chance to stay up as late as we were, you just might get to experience this gem. 

As I was laying in my bed, trying to write a blog, I heard something outside my door. It sounded as if there were people walking up and down my hall. Now, the weird thing about this was that the lights in the hallway are motion sensor, and they never turned on. I texted a girl from a different hall to see if she heard something: she did. We both got a little nervous. The walking wasn't going away any time soon so I tried to embrace it (easier said than done!) 

A few minutes passed and my friend texted me saying it sounded like something crashed in her hallway. I didn't hear that but I then heard a scraping sound outside my room for about 5 minutes. Once again, no lights turning on. A girl said she was coming up the hall to my room. A minute later there was a knock at my door. 

"Mariah?" I asked. No reply. I got louder.

"MARIAH?!" I screamed. Nothing. 

About another minute later, there was another knock. This time, the light outside turned on. There was motion. When I called out Mariah's name, she answered. 

"How long have you been out here?" I questioned, trying to logically explain the first knock.

"I just got here," she said.

My heart started pounding. Who was at my door the first time? Should I have answered?

Not much more happened that night, and we all fell into a deep slumber, only to be woken up by cell phone alarms buzzing, reminding us to get out of bed.

While some people might be uneasy about things that go bump in the night, it didn't take away from my stay at The Grand, it added so much to it. I enjoyed every part of the hotel so much that having an unexplained encounter, it just makes me want to go back for more. 

To anyone traveling to Tralee, I highly recommend The Grand Hotel. You will have such an amazing stay and you might even get a little more than expected!

*Review

The Dingle Peninsula.

Yesterday, I visited this beautiful, picturesque scene on the Dingle Peninsula. While venturing from Sneem was rough on us (some more than others), it was nice to be able to go check out an entire peninsula, stopping for some amazing photo ops, like above.

Part of our journey was to the part of the peninsula where you can see the Blasket Islands, which are so beautiful. When we got off the bus, everyone took out their cameras and phones to grab pictures but, after I few minutes, I had to take a seat and just absorb what I was looking at. Hills of green standing in the middle of the ocean, waves rushing to shore, bouncing off rocks, there was so much to take in. While I got some great shots, none of them captured the true beauty that is experiencing such sights with your own eyes. Which got me thinking, do we spend too much time looking through a lens or a phone? Should put down the camera and take out a pen and paper to capture experiences in a differnt, older, fashion?

Just food for thought. 

*ask a question

A farewell to Sneem

Early this morning, we boarded a bus and left Sneem. It seemed to be a hard move for everyone. We were just getting comfortable in the town and familiar with the people and suddenly, that was all gone.

When I first arrived in Sneem, one of the first things I did was explore the hotel. The bar had an outside patio and I could see through the glass doors that the view outside was magnificent. I went outside and snapped this picture:

Needless to say, I was completely blown away. The beauty in this town was boundless. Everywhere you walked, you came across a scene like this. After taking this picture, a few of us continued our exploration a little farther and ventured closer to the water. We ended up opposite the hotel on a stone structure that had a staircase leading to the water. There, I took this picture:

I was utterly mesmerized by this place. Everywhere I looked, it was like a picture. I never wanted to leave. In fact, I still want to go back even though I am already sitting in my hotel room in Tralee (which is also beautiful.)

So last night, I walked this path again, trying to take in the beauty one last time. And it was bittersweet. The wind danced around me one last time, at a much slower pace. The water crawled toward the shore, lagging with the wind. The sun rolled out from behind a few clouds, breathing life into my favorite spot. 

It's hard to say what attracted me the most to Sneem. As you can see, it is full of beautiful landscape, but it's full of so much more. The people in the town treat you like family. The food is nothing short of delicious, and the pubs were always welcoming to newcomers. In a sense, it felt like home. I was comfortable there.

I do not know if I will have the fortune of returning to Sneem one day, although I very much hope that I do. But, I will tell you this. If you ever get the chance to go to Ireland, pick Sneem as a destination. It may not be one of the tourist hot spots, but I promise you that it will be a piece of paradise that will stay with you forever. 

For now, I must say goodbye to the wonderful town and all the people who live there. And thank you for an amazing first impression of Ireland. 

*Reflection/Suggest an idea

By the Sea

Yesterday, we got the opportunity to spend some time at Derrynane at a beach in the Ring of Kerry. Although the weather was not ideal (the sun was hiding and the wind was blowing), but the trip was lovely anyway. 

I kicked off my shoes and began exploring the land. As I began walking, the sand hugged my toes, seeming to hold onto my skin for dear life. The wind was howling while the waves crashed on the shore. As I continued my journey, the sand grows cold and the waves creep closer and closer. Both the water and the air were crisp, yet the scene was picturesque. 

I was more than happy, I was at ease. I don't have many experiences with quiet beaches. In fact, all the beaches I have been to are overly crowded with sunbathers and loud children. This was a pleasant change. It gave me the opportunity to just enjoy the sound of the ocean. I think the universal theme of my trip thus far has been to just step back. There is so much to take in and experience when you visit a foreign country and we find this exotic beauty and we think that it is because our towns and states have nothing to offer when the reality could be that we are too consumed with the buzz of our everyday lives we don't recognize the beauty that is right in front of us.

The animals of Sneem

Since arriving in Sneem, I have come across my fair share of animals. From Red, the hotel dog, to the bunny I fell in love with at Blueberry Hills farm, there has been an animal interaction every single day.

It's quite different from seeing animals in the United States. Usually, if you come across a dog, it is attached to a leash or a stray. In Sneem, the dogs are as free as the people, going into town with their owners and waiting patiently outside the market, or following us around town to get us to play with them. The animals are full of energy and if I'm being completely honest, I want to take one home with me.

So, I thought I would share with you guys the animals I have met so far.

I met this little guy on my very first day in Sneem. We were walking around the town and found him in somebody's front yard. He was very eager to get his picture taken and I fell in love with that face. 

Meet Red, everybody! He is basically the hotel mascot and has been basking in the sun the past two days. Red is very friendly but be careful not to interrupt his sun bathing, or he will get sassy (Ask Juliette!)

Photo credit: Elspeth Peterson

While this is a SUPER FLATTERING picture of me, it captures my excitement perfectly. This bunny is the cutest rabbit ever. It is a baby and lives at Blueberry Hills Farm in Sneem with a colony of rabbits along with many other animals.

This is the owl, Marley. He also lives at Blueberry Hills. When he soars over the farm, it is breathtaking and he always comes back down to the posts. He was swooping and soaring, as if he was trying to avoid getting his picture taken.

Another roaming dog from the town of Sneem. This girl followed us down by the church, running in front of us to lead us to a small pond type body of water. From there, she grabbed a stick from the water and started playing catch with us! (Elspeth had the best throw) 

I wish that animals could be freer over here like they are in Sneem. It is so refreshing to come across animals walking down the street, free of leashes, interacting with the people in the town. 

Taking time to smell the roses.

Yesterday was our first official day in Sneem, which allowed us to go out and explore what the town has to offer. A group of us decided to walk through the more natural sites in the town over the shopping.

My favorite place that we visited was called the Garden of the Senses. Upon walking in you are greeted with the lovely sign:

It was a beautiful place to walk around and sit and think, and I was inspired by the sign encouraging me to enjoy the scenery. So, after snapping a few pictures, I sat in a tunnel made of trees and reflected on the sheer beauty surrounding me, not only in this garden, but in all of Ireland.


The entire garden was tranquil. While walking on the path made by pebbles, you can hear the rocks getting trampled by the shoes of the intruders. Flowers and branches sway in the wind, which was making sure to brush the hair away from my face so I could take in all the natural beauty. Over head, birds are singing while flying from tree to tree. The leaves begin to rustle, obeying the dancing winds.  The trees help to shelter walkers from the sun. A bench stands below a canopy of green, right beside the entrance to the tunnel.

Inside the tunnel sits chairs made from the trunks of trees past. Wanderers are welcomed to sit among the greenery while the birds continue their song from above. The wind slowly creeps into the canopy, greeting us with a cool touch. It is tranquility. It was perfect to stop and smell the metaphorical roses (or in this case, trees!) I think this is important because back home, I am constantly on the go and absorb in my phone or other distraction so it has been nice to be without a phone with a data plan. It has shown me that when I return home I need to shut off the wires and enjoy my surroundings.

*Reflection