Dublin Vacation
“This suspense is terrible, I hope it will last.” - Oscar Wilde
Ireland has been a blast, mainly because I have been doing it like a vacation and had some favorite people along for the first week!
Dublin has so much to offer; we walked all over the city and jumped into a few excursions. Tours, Pubs, Guinness, great meals, and repeat!
It was so good to be with family and reconnect after such a long stint away. I've never been away from my entire family for so long. I'm genuinely grateful that I have always had my family around me; most of my family lives in the same city. I am very fortunate and miss that closeness.
I am on my own again now but with a renewed sense of energy. I left Dublin and headed south to Cork for a few days. Keeping with the vacation vibes, I signed up for a day tour. I enjoyed the one in Dublin and thought it might also be a way to meet some people. I had a great time and got some suggestions for the rest of my time in Ireland. I also finally had that Irish coffee I've been meaning to drink!
The downside of Ireland is that it is pretty expensive. I am not getting much relief this summer. I leave Ireland to go to Amsterdam for a couple of weeks, and then it's back to London to meet more of my family members. (Did I mention how fortunate I am)? After London, it's Scotland (or France?) for a few more weeks, and then I get to meet up with some fantastic ladies for a proper girls' trip to Greece! The fun keeps coming, but I must retreat and recover expenses after Greece. I plan to go to Southeast Asia, but I may hang out in Eastern Europe first. I need to leave the Schengen area because my 90-day visa will expire. Bulgaria and Romania are European nations that are not Schengen (like Ireland and the UK). Of course, I'm always open to suggestions. Please leave any in the comments or message me on Instagram!
My days have been very unstructured, and I think I need to change that for my peace of mind. I am walking miles every day, but it's the first time I haven't had a workout routine in years, and I think getting back to that would benefit my mental health. I'm learning to balance spontaneity with some structure and planning. As I mentioned, my summer is pretty set, but I think after my adventures in Greece, I need to move slower, stay in places longer, and create a loose schedule.
I find myself contemplating my value. Do I have value if I'm not contributing? My spiritual beliefs and my cultural beliefs are at odds here. Taking so much time away from life as I've known it is not without challenges. I think about going home, but then I also believe that this might be the part that will have meaning later. As soon as I become comfortable with my surroundings, I find a new challenge waiting. I can push onward, sit still or retreat. Right now, I'm a little stuck in sitting still, but writing this to all of you is good motivation to move forward!
XO,
Bon