When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
— Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things
The day started with another early morning trek to the Molly Malone statue to meet our tour guide and the rest of the crew. Irish Day Tours seems to be a bit smaller of a company than Paddywagon, so it was fairly simple to locate our white tour bus with the blue swirl on the side.
Read MoreWe arrived at the Molly Malone statue in downtown Dublin around 7:30 a.m, early for our 8 a.m. pick up time for the tour. It was a little overcast that day, and Mary had warned me that it can get windy and chilly on the cliffs, so I'd packed both my raincoat and my jean jacket. As we were standing and waiting, a fellow American overheard us talking and approached us, asking where we were from. When we told her Kentucky, she exclaimed, "Really? I'm from Louisville!" (I honestly don't understand how the world is so small.) It was her birthday, and we ended up sitting behind her on the bus and sharing stories of traveling and a mutual love for Please and Thank You cookies.
Read MoreThis is Ryan, my fiancé. Two weeks ago, he proposed. It was perfect (well, not really, but we'll get to that). This story starts three years ago.
Read MoreThis is Hannah, my fiancée. You may know her as a modern-day pirate as seen in the photo, or more likely as the author of this site (seeing how it's named after her and all) and you probably read her recent post about our engagement. If not, you should read that first, because it's better than mine and more original. You can read it here.
Read MoreThis was our last day of the first "leg" of our trip, when we would finally have a chance to have a proper look around our base city. Despite having lived in Oxford for four months last spring, I'm sad to say that I spent more time studying than being a tourist. But this did mean that there were so many choices for things to do! I decided to mix nostalgia and adventure by revisiting some favorite sites from my time there and seeing some new ones as well.
Read MoreStratford-upon-Avon was another easy ride by train from Oxford, and it was by far one of my favorite cities we visited. While I was studying at Oxford, Shakespeare was my research emphasis, and I've always had a liking for the bard, so the city in which he spent his childhood and adolescence, as well as where he raised a family, was a must-see.
Read MoreThe journey from Oxford to Bath is short and enjoyable through the train service that links the two cities. Upon arrival, Mary and I were energized from our free hot breakfast at the hotel. I loved Bath the last time I went, and I could see even more of its appeal in the summer, with the shops bustling and quirky displays of art and street performers out.
Read MoreWe arrived at Brighton at around 10:30 a.m, greeted by the salty smell of the sea and the wind whipping our faces. It was in the 70's and perfect: sky bright blue, water beautifully aquamarine, tourists not yet outside. We took our time walking along the Brighton Pier as the workers were dashing about in preparation for its opening, appreciating how much the sea made this day feel like an actual vacation. Then, we made our way down to the pebbled beach, walking along the line of cute shops and restaurants, reaching the skeletal remains of the old pier washed out to sea.
Read MoreHello, all! It's been awhile! My best friend Mary and I just arrived back from our last stop, NYC, on Friday, and I'm excited to share our three week journey across the pond and back with you. Since there is a lot to cover, these entries will be posted throughout this week and next week, so keep checking in to find the newest installment! Let's get started with our first stop along the journey: Boston, MA.
Read MoreThis week, I've decided to take a personality test so that you all can learn a little more about me and maybe even about yourselves! (If you would rather learn more about my dogs than me, check out last week's blog post where I took a personality test for them.)
I've taken Myers-Briggs (INFJ) and Enneagram (Type 1, with Type 5 close behind), but the IPIP-NEO is completely new to me. Let's see how it goes!
Read MoreI'm a relatively weird person who is best friends with her dogs and also loves researching personality types, so it was only a matter of time until I found this personality test made specifically for dogs. It's called the Canine Behavior Type Index and, akin to Myers-Briggs, it gives your dog a cool name like Adventurer, Dreamer, Companion, Deputy, etc. based on their personality type. Let's do this.
Read MoreNot gonna lie, my dogs probably get treated better than anyone else in my life. I'm not mad about it. Here are five signs your relationship with your dog is as dysfunctional as mine
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