After several days in Ireland and seeing the amazing beauty of the countryside and a million tiny villages, Mark and I began talking about the “something” that was missing. Some aspect of our trip that we’d been expecting but hadn’t experienced yet. We both eventually realized it was our lack of connection with the people. We had set out on our journey to Europe wanting to meet people, learn what their daily lives are like, and make new friends. That was one of the reasons why we chose to stay at B&Bs, expecting to have long conversations with the owners and feeling like part of the family. However, when we checked into the B&Bs, we were given our keys and a warm welcome, and then we didn’t see the owners until breakfast the next morning! That’s probably what most people want, but we were disappointed. We didn’t go in little shops because we didn’t have room in our backpacks to put anything, and the people in the food shops and restaurants weren’t up to long conversations, understandably. So, we were driving back from a day visiting villages near Glendalough, when I decided to tell my guides what I wanted and ask for that experience. I told the Universe in my mind that I really wanted to create more opportunities to make connections with the people and have great conversations.
A few minutes later, we arrived in Glendalough and decided to stop by a cute store before going to our B&B, because I figured there would be people there we could strike up a conversation with. The shop was run by a welcoming, middle-aged lady named Fiona with shoulder-length blonde hair and a big smile. It started with one little question. Mark and I had decided to go to Scotland in two days and wondered if we should spend our last day in Ireland visiting the Dingle Peninsula on the opposite side of the country. I asked Fiona what she thought, and we ended up having a wonderful conversation with her for about twenty minutes! We talked about Ireland, her growing up and getting married in Glendalough, our wedding, the US, and so many other things. We had such a great time talking with her, and it was definitely one of the highlights of our Ireland trip. At the end of our convo, she gave us a brand new road atlas as a gift (very helpful!). We were so thankful! It reminded me of a computer game I used to play when I was younger, called King’s Quest. If I talked to different people and asked the right questions, I would get the tools I needed to continue my quest. When we received the atlas that would direct us to Dingle, I felt like I’d completed another great step on my own quest and was being rewarded 🙂
Everywhere we went, the memories we most treasure are the interactions and conversations we had with other people.
Okay, we have been gifted with an incredible rain storm, and since this is Florida, we don’t know how long it will last, so I’m going to sign off for today and enjoy it!
Much love,
Melanie Jade
