A Grand Maternal Tour of Ireland

It was never a question of if my mom would visit me, but rather a question of when. We planned for her to meet me in Dublin the second week of February, just about 3 and a half months into my adventure here. Over the course of a week, we were inseparable, constantly collaborating on the next move of our journey, wandering about Ireland, and sharing scones.

Prior to this week I thought that I had seen a fair amount of Ireland, with my little 2-3 day trips. I would ramble off a number of places I have been on this vast island, listing cities accessible by bus or train. But with my mom we experienced an entirely new aspect of Ireland. Thanks to the rental of an automobile, we journeyed near and far, far and wide, covering ground south and north of Dublin and in the far north west. Dublin, Golden, Kilkenny, Enniscorthy, Glendalough, New Grange, Slane, Skerries, Derry, Derrybeg, Slieve League, Donegal, and Bellek, are places we spent at least an hour in. These places were a combination of bustling cities to quaint rural communities and everything in between. We saw historical sites, vast green pastures, cascading blue seas, sheep dotting the countryside, charming brick buildings and impressive institutions.

There were so many subtle treasures discovered on our journey. Beginning with the simplicity of the “Welcome to Golden” sign in Tipperary country, It felt like a connection to the far away Golden, Colorado, in Golden, Ireland. Then there was experiencing a wave of nausea 30 meters in the air at the top of a round tower in Kilkenny. The round tower is among the last that humans can climb to the very top of. We spent a glorious night in Enniscorthy with new-found family friends who have gone to great efforts to ensure I feel at home in a faraway place. We were transported 5,200 years in the past with the ancient temple at New Grange. Even the simple directions of google maps provided us with entertainment as we turned down a road only large enough for one car to drive on surrounded by sheep in vast green fields with short rocky walls for as far as the eye can see.

The intention for the time with my mom was also to adventure to the city of light; Paris.We dreamed of eating Macaroons, drinking wine at a sidewalk cafe and ripping off pieces of baguettes and cheeses with the Eiffel tower in the background. But that dream remained imagined as our flight was canceled, with no way to reconcile traveling to mainland Europe with our time constraint. We will never know why the flight was canceled, why we weren’t destined to meander the French streets together in 2020. Though it inspired us to see more of Ireland; the next day we were in the Northwest corner of the island, in rural Donegal.

We did our best to bring Paris to us. At Lidl (the discount grocery store) we purchased baguettes, French cheese and wine and enjoyed a little picnic on the coffee table of our Airbnb which had a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean. We meandered, though within a car as it was aggressively windy. We still saw impressive and unique sights surrounded by the sea. The Slieve League cliffs tower over the ocean 600 meters above the water. We divulged in a few too many glasses of fermented grape juice – these activities consistent with what we probably would have pursued in France.

Aside from all that we saw and did, I cherished the quality time with my mom. She remains a beacon in my life, continuously supporting me through my most vulnerable moments and celebrating my accomplishments. Though there are many humans who impact me, my mother’s influence has left a particular mark on me. She is fiercely independent, dynamic, vivacious and truly a force to be reckoned with. When raising my sister and me, my mom cultivated an environment that constantly encouraged me to pursue my dreams, reinforced with the notion that I am capable of whatever I set my mind to.

The decision to pursue what I am doing by living abroad without much plan may appear to be an isolated singular decision chosen autonomously. Though that I think is just an illusion. I am here doing what I am doing because of a lineage of strong women who perhaps would have wanted to live the way I am living now, but because of the constraints of the time were unable. I was raised in such a way that nurtured my adventurous spirit, pushing the bounds of what is possible. When considering our intentions and purpose we cannot forget that we are products of the linage we descend from.