I have never been a hiking person, but being in Ireland has changed my perspective on hiking.
Going back to our first group event in Ireland, when we visited the EPIC Museum, one of the first things we learned about was the Hill of Tara and the Stone of Destiny through a model in the museum. This week, we were able to see the Hill of Tara in person and get a better view of all the individual pieces of the hill. We also got to touch the Stone of Destiny! We learned that the Scottish ruined it because they believed that they were the owners of the real Stone of Destiny. Therefore, the stone had protections around it.
After we visited the Hill of Tara, we went to the Loughcrew Passage Tomb, Trim Castle, and the Hill of Uisneach. It was a lot of walking that I was not expecting, but all the views of stories were able to make it worth it. My favorite part was seeing the beautiful statue during our trip to the Hill of Uisneach. Unfortunately, due to time restrictions, we could not get a full tour of the hill of Uisneach, but what we saw was beautiful and worth every step of the hike.
After our weekend trip on Saturday, we had a day off on Sunday, during which I did some shopping. It was a delightful surprise to find joy in selecting gifts for my loved ones. I started with a long list, and as I made these purchases, I found myself looking for things for myself, too. I searched the city for the first thing on my list. Scarfs! I picked out a few color options for my mom and my grandma. In Chinese culture, red means good fortune, making it a trendy choice for many elderly to wear. With that in mind, I went around the city looking for two red scarves for my grandmothers. I was still determining what they liked, so I consulted my mom about each option, and we concluded that these would be the best choices!
They do not read my blogs, so they have no idea what I got them, and I’m so excited to give it to them when I return to the States! The anticipation of their surprise and joy adds an extra layer of excitement to my return. Something that my mom didn’t know when I was consulting her for recommendations for both of my grandmothers is that I was secretly picking one out for her as well! I always knew she wanted a light beige scarf because all her other ones are darker or brighter, but she doesn’t have light-toned ones. At the same store where I got my grandmother’s scarves, I found this beige-pink scarf that reminded me of ice cream. It was the perfect match for her!
During our hike on Monday, our tour guide was highly enthusiastic and brought a dog! One of the trip’s highlights was when the dog met another dog and started chasing each other. Even though they can be trained, sometimes dogs will just be dogs and have fun with one another! Watching the dog run around with us made the hike much more enjoyable and made me forget the spiky plants we walked through for a split second.
During the hike, there were times when I felt like I wished I had never done this hike because it was a rough hike. However, in the end, it was all worthwhile with all the beautiful views we could see throughout the hike. The sense of accomplishment after completing the longest hike I’ve ever done was truly satisfying. It was the longest hike I’ve ever done, but at the end of the day, it was worthwhile, as well as our last event with Professor Wilck and his family. I am so happy to have met them on this trip.
More shopping is to be done in the upcoming week! Get ready to pack up and go back to Bucknell!