The last three years of my life have been an adventurous whirlwind and I couldn’t be happier. Growing up I was always intrigued with the world, with seeing what was out there. I remember always talking about other countries and saying that I would see all of them one day. Luckily my parents always said that I could.
If you would have told me how amazing this year would be for me in 2016, I would have never believed you. I have always talked about travel and seeing the world, but 2017 was my year to take action. I dove deep into the world of travel blogging, and I took advantage of some amazing travel deals. I was adventurous, impulsive, and welcoming to new opportunities, and I can definitely say it paid off. 2017 was a roller coaster to say the least… it was a year full of happiness, love, heartbreak, excitement, and challenges, but most of all it was a year that I truly found myself.
This park was the first one I visited in Dublin, and it was a great way to start off my trip! According to the Phoenix Park website, this park is 1752 acres and was established in the 17th century. The park is massive, and there are a lot of different attractions spread throughout, including the Dublin Zoo. A fun fact about the Dublin Zoo is that the lion used in the logos for MGM movies had been born at the zoo. His name was Roary. Ha! See what I did there? Totally joking, his name was Cairbre.
When in Ireland, I was on a tour with EF College Break and had so much fun. One of best things of being on a tour is learning about the history of the country, and hearing some stories and legends as well. On the ride to Glendalough, our tour leader Shane was telling us some of the backstory of St Kevin, the man who founded the Monastic Settlement in Glendalough. These stories stuck with me, and I even took notes so I could share them with you! Take note that these are by no means 100% factual. These are stories I was told while on a tour, and I just thought they were fun, interesting, and worth sharing.
While I can’t say with 100% certainty that any one part of Ireland was my favorite, Glendalough is definitely high on the list of my favorite experiences. This destination is about an hour drive from Dublin, and is famous for being home of a Monoastic Settlement that was founded in the 6th century. Another major attraction to Glendalough is the two lakes that can be found there, after all, the meaning behind Glendalough is “Valley of two lakes”.