Most people don’t know this, I sure didn’t, but Ireland (although one country) is split into two. It’s not a civil war or anything. Well. Not really. You see, here in Ireland there are two kinds of Irish. There are the Northern Irish and then there are the rest of them. Most specifically there are the Belfast Irish who don’t even really consider themselves Irish- more of under the queens rule. They don’t really associate themselves with the rest of Ireland and the moment you drive into their county limits, you can feel the change in the air. Not just by the wider roads, or the people, or the armored cars driving around, but by the feel of the city. Like a buzz in the air that can go off at any time. That may be because Belfast is at war with itself. The tension between the Catholics and the Protestants is still thick as a knife with murders and bombs hitting the city like a page straight out of one of Shakespeare’s plays. The Montague’s and the Capulet’s are basically the Catholics and the Protestants. The city itself has a different vibe. There are certain streets that you should just not drive down for your general safety. Honestly if you find yourself on Shankill Road get off as fast as you can. Throw in the fact that we were driving our car with the southern Irish plates and we were basically asking to be bombed. Unlike the rest of Ireland that has such a laid back happy go lucky feel, Belfast feels as if the city is on lockdown with armored police cars patrolling the streets. Belfast also takes murals to a whole new level. They don’t graffiti last names or random letters on alley ways, no, their art is representing the war, the lives lost, the Catholics views, or the protestants, and no matter where you go you will know who’s part of town you are in. All this said, you’re probably thinking “Why on earth would I ever go there?”. Many southern Irish have never passed the northern border. In fact I learned that in doing so it was quite alarming to some that I would even make the trip. But the answer to why someone should even go is simple. Northern Ireland is beautiful. All wars and fighting aside, Belfast is a beautiful city, alive with people who despite the threat of bombs and uncertainty still get up every day and go to school and work. And outside of the city lay the most beautiful ocean coasts I’ve ever seen, rolling green hills to beautiful for even the most expensive cameras to capture, and people with survival stories worth writing books about. I spent the weekend in Belfast with the Faloons and Christina. We spent our days sightseeing and even after driving all day –Belfast is about a 4 hour drive from Limerick- I felt like I could continue seeing more. One sight we visited was The dark Hedges. A dark row of the most beautiful twisted trees i've ever seen. Lined perfectly down a road for all to see. The trees themselves were astounding always making me wonder how long they’ve been there and who planted them in the first place. What was cool to see was the lines of visitors that came to see the hedges. People from all over the world walked up and down the walkways all coming to look at the wonder of the dark hedges. One of my favorite things we visited was the Giants Causeway. Talk about natures wonders at its finest. The walk alone to the sight was beautiful, along cliffs of stone bordered by rushing waves from the Scottish sea. From where we were we could almost touch the Scottish shores. Almost. The rocks were beautiful. Almost as if some giant had taken the time and carved out perfect little circles into the walkway of stones. I chose to believe that story even though I was told the Causeway was really the result of an ancient volcanic eruption interlocking 40,000 basalt columns. They were everywhere almost looking like a giant beehive coating the floors. I could have stayed there all day. The sounds of the waves crashing into the stones and the stones themselves captivating you in a way that makes you forget about your troubles and wonder more about the simple things in life. One of my favorite things we did was drive along the coast. The weather in Ireland can be unpredictable. Sunny one second and lashing rain the next. But the Sunday drive we took along the coast was nothing but perfect. The skies were blue lined with the whitest clouds I’ve ever seen, the ocean bluer than the sky. Everywhere we drove the cutest little boating towns waited for us lined with people just going about their day. Coming from living inland my entire life, I never realized until this moment how much I love the sound of the water crashing along the shore. There’s something calming and terrifying about it at the same time. I could have driven along the coast all day with how beautiful it was. Even though I've been living in Ireland for almost a year now,t he magnificence of the country still hits me. I've never seen a place so beautiful in all my life. The fact that the greenery grows freely here and without having to irrigate astounds me! And everyday I am grateful that I took the chance and went on this journey to see new things, experience new ways of life. Because we weren't just born to pay bills and die. We should get out and see new things if we are lucky enough to do it. We were born to see the world, make changes, make a difference, learn as much as possible. I'm not saying you have to travel across the world like I have, just get out and take it one step at a time. Go for a walk down your street and see where that leads and who you meet. I think its best said by John Muir, "In Every walk with the world one receives far more than he seeks."
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February 2016
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