“You don’t need money to be rich, open your doors, heart and mind. Invest in people, friendships and relationships and watch how much you gain back.” The longer I’m here in Ireland, the more I want to stay. The more I travel, the more I never want to stop. What I’ve learned the most since my time here is that you can never do these things alone. I mean, I could travel all over the world and I’m sure I would have a great time but when you travel with friends and have someone to share the experiences with you, that’s what makes the time, money, and experiences worth it.
I spent last weekend in England with a group of church friends from Ireland. We are basically the traveling melting pot of nationalities. Two Australians, one Spaniard, two Irish, and two Americans, so needless to say we stand out in other countries with our accents however we hardly notice each other’s anymore. We arrived in Manchester England early Friday morning and myself and the other American Natalie couldn’t stop talking about is the fact that we flew on a plane for less than an hour and we were already in a new Country. Yeah, everyone could totally tell we were American. We’re used to traveling for hours before we even get out of our states (Natalie is from California and of course everyone knows Texas is a long journey), so this easy traveling thing is something that still amazes us. Since it was only nine in the morning we decided that we needed to stop for breakfast. Our driver (a native Englishman) took us to what is one of the most popular breakfast spots in the area. Merrie England- a small coffee shop with a reputation for good breakfast. The place looked straight out of the fairy tale Snow White and it was here that I of course ordered a traditional English Scone. I was just going to eat it with butter (I thought that was normal) when I was told that the only way to eat a scone is with heavy whipped cream and jam. They were right, it was better. We traveled to England for a YSA convention so most of our weekend was planned out with activities and dinners. In this time I met a lot of new people from all over England, Scotland, Denmark, Portugal, and South Africa. We danced, competed in an archery tournament (because how could you not when you go to England), ate more Curry (This meal is surprisingly popular wherever I go) and danced some more. I made new friends and I strengthened bonds with the friends I traveled over with from Ireland. Any free chance we got we went exploring our surroundings. Instead of seeing the shops, pubs, and busy sights like most tourists do, we just walked wherever we wanted and did whatever we wanted. In doing this, we came across some really cool things. First we found an abandoned playground. It had a great view of the countryside and the equipment was still working (although I had to think back on when I got my last tetanus shot). Here we did something we haven’t done in a long time. We just played like kids and I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun on a teeter-totter! Just down the road from the abandoned playground we found a secret forest. The stone path inside was overgrown and even though the access was right off the main street, it seemed like not many people journeyed in there. This place was beautiful with tall over grown trees and since the seasons are changing it also had fall leaves flying all around us. I could have stayed there longer but seeing as it was secluded it probably isn’t the best place to be at night. No matter where I go in Europe, I can always find an old church of some type. Yes, they all look about the same with stone work and graveyard sights but I always can’t help but think about the history that these places have seen. The people that walked right where I was and how different and similar our lives may have been. One of my favorite sights to see was Victoria’s tower. All weekend we had seen it far off in the distance and as we definitely weren’t walking all the way out there we waited patiently and finally saw it on Sunday. Driving up a VERY steep hill in a small stick shift car was hilarious and scary enough ( seriously it felt like we were completely vertical at some points), but the sights were more than worth it. After living in Ireland for almost two months now, I’m still glad to say that the sight of seeing so much green and beauty around me hasn’t worn off like it seems to do for a lot of the locals. We were so high we could see the mist rising off the ground, the horses running down in their fields, and the city going on like it always does in the distance. And there we were on top of it all. What I learned most from this trip is how amazing people can be. In a world of so much negativity it is good to see that there are still good people out there. We had older couples taking us in and housing us all weekend where we otherwise would have spent bundles of cash on hotels or (as was the plan at one point especially when you’re traveling with guys) sleeping out in a random field with a fire (In the freezing cold temperatures I’m glad we didn’t go ahead with that plan). I can’t remember the couples names but I remember the conversations we had. We talked about everything from our travels, to the way things worked back home, to what we still wanted to see. My favorite night was when we were all together and playing different games with everyone in the group with an older couple that loved games so much they had a room full of them. I especially liked their quick wit and playful banter (their English humor is pretty blunt). At one point we were so tired from our weekend none of us could think of the answer and the old English gentlemen rolled his eyes and playfully said, “I’m playing with a bunch of idiots.” Needless to say we all cracked up after that. I liked that guy. I’ve laughed harder and more in this one weekend (and for those who know me I laugh all the time) than I can remember doing in a while. It was almost constant and it’s not like we were seeing these amazing tourist attractions or spending our life savings on clothes and souvenirs. We were just together, having fun, seeing the good things in life, and not having to spend much money at all. If I’ve learned anything in my time out it’s that you don’t need to wait until it’s a good time to see the world and experience new things. If you wait, you’ll never go. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. All you really have to do is get yourself there. If a group of young adults with limited budgets can do it, so can you. Making memories doesn’t cost a thing, meeting new people doesn’t cost a thing, and forming new friendships doesn’t cost a thing. But you will lose everything if you don’t try or go. You will miss out on more than you can comprehend. I can’t imagine not knowing the people I’ve met and not having the best friends I have now all because moving to a new place is a scary thing. I’m glad I took the leap and got myself here because the friends and experiences have been more than worth it. I think its best said as this: “You don’t need money to be rich, open your doors, heart and mind. Invest in people, friendships and relationships and watch how much you gain back.”
2 Comments
Laurel
10/24/2015 11:43:41 am
A trip to jolly old England should be on everyone's bucket list! What great memories you are racking up, but even better, what great friendships! So glad you are truly living in the moment and savoring all the opportunities.
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Dee
10/28/2015 04:00:57 pm
Maizie I love you! This made my heart happy and I totally wanted to explore that secret forest with you! Thank you for sharing!!! Keep loving life!!!
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