HEAVEN ON EARTH

Well, this is Nicole speaking (well, writing) and I must be dreaming. I was a little worried that I had made up Ireland's glory in my head...after all, it was two years ago and maybe I just invented it as an escape in my mind and I didn't love it as much as I express 24/7? Well, I am ashamed that I ever thought that way. This land is everything and more than what I remember! The second our taxi driver came and I got to listen to U2 on the bus rides through sheep covered hills of green, I started crying. REAL TEARS. I could not possibly be happier than I am at this moment. Well after our first day in Glencollumkille (Glen Chlom Kille) I was again proven wrong. BEST DAY EVER. We woke up early in the morning and Frank, the hostel owner, drove us into town down the winding roads overlooking sea cliffs and sheep. We stopped at a convenience store (literally the only thing open in the town...possibly one of the only places to get food in the town) and got pb&j supplies (cheap, easy, and delicious-also we thought it was funny that the "american style" peanut butter features a panda bear. Ireland is clearly confused).  From the store, we set on our merry way and trekked up to the top of these cliffs. It was the most beautiful day and we were in the most beautiful area I have ever seen in my life and we were just in the fields, SURROUNDED by sheep, and would see shepherds just taking herds of sheep for walks down the road, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We explored and explored and walked and walked. We were in no hurry, so when we would get tired, we would all lie down on top of one another and talk about our picturesque future lives and girl talk and what not. Then we would start feeling overwhelmed with more joy than our weak bodies can handle as we looked around and realized where we were. HEAVEN! We got to the top and explored around the tower, took a nap, ate some oranges, explored, frolicked, lied down again, and then made our way back down (a little faster than the way up because we were going to buy some chocolate at the store the SECOND we got down there..when in Ireland! C'est la Vie). After we got back to our hostel, we took a lovely nap. Then we woke up and used the "left over, anything you can find is free" cupboard to make a pretty delicious, and 100% free meal  from people scraps of pasta and garlic and a dash of olive oil (also my bag of carrots from the day before-that everyone teased me for buying-were very handy). We then got really cozy and walked over towards Silver Strand beach for a sunset walkabout. We walked up on the cliffs (apparently no one cares if you hop fences in Glencollumkille. That's real) and it was the most beautiful sight we have ever beheld! Absolutely magical. We danced our hearts out in the sheep fields on the cliffs and then made our way back towards the beach. Well, we had to check one thing off the list, and a secluded, gorgeous beach, in the middle of NOWHERE Ireland seemed like the best place for it, so one thing led to another and we were running down the beach. And it was a "full moon." Beautiful, liberating. Anyways...we got back to our cozy hostel, fireplace cracklin', and wrote in our journals and went to bed! What a lovely, relaxing, perfect day. I LOVE IRELAND. I'll never forget it. I feel so grateful to be here and everyday, I think it can't get better. And everyday, I am slapped in the face with experiences and awe and proven wrong.