Irish Eyes Smiling

      For me, travel is cathartic. A history nerd by nature, standing in a spot where others stood while influencing generations that followed, brings on a euphoric high.  I read once that the gas argon, that we take in with every breath, is the same as it was hundreds, thousands of years before; it doesn’t ever change or interact with other elements. With every breath we take, we literally breathe the same air our ancestors did.  What they took into their lungs and pushed out is taken into our bodies, providing life to us as well as it did them. We are all connected in this way. We are all part of each other. Learning about it was exciting enough, but it wasn’t until I was on top of a mountain near the area my family came from in Ireland and took a deep breath, that the thought really sank in. I felt both humbled and strong at the same time. It was a powerful feeling.  

     Traveling with my kids is my favorite thing of all. It’s loud, chaotic, and sometimes confusing, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are the ones I want to share with, not get away from. They are the ones I want to photograph in front of monuments and breathtaking scenery.  I did not get to travel much when I was younger. It was, however, something I constantly thought about.  While my friends were talking about Disney World or Six Flags, I imagined what it would feel like to look up through the center of the Eiffel Tower. I wanted my kids to know there was more to life than what was in their own backyards. I can not say I have 4, straight A, honor role students. Well not anymore anyway. They started out that way, then tanked when we moved this last time, but all of them have the ability to ease into a conversation about airlines, how to get through Customs, and the differences between a hotel, a B&B, and a Hostel.  I’m pretty proud of that.  I hope soon to add learning how to look for things when unable to speak the language to that list, as so far they have only been to places that spoke English.  

     For me, I am a visual learner. I enjoy seeing, feeling, and smelling as I learn.  The process leaves the experience in my head much longer than simple story telling.  Walking the roads of Fairies and Kings while hearing their tales is healing to me, and I remember them vividly.  My children remember them as well.  I will likely never be wealthy and leave money for them to split.  But I can leave them this, memories, experiences, adventure. Not just for themselves but with each other.  Hopefully forming a bond that I was never able to have of sibling closeness. And that has to be the richest of all gifts.