Here I go...

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I'm starting off by back filling my year of travel and simltaniuously blogging all my current traveling adventures (

currently in Dubai.)





It's not everyday you leave home for the first time.



Yesterday, one year ago, I left the small valley of Fish Hoek along with all my friends and family to explore the world on my own. At 18 years old, only four days after finishing high school, I knew that I was making the biggest move of my life. I have never looked back.



First destination: Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin, being cold and grey, is not my first choice on a map but my dad's entire family lives in Ireland. The last time I saw the Irish side of my family was eleven years ago. I had a short bob and wore a pink fluffy jacket - you can imagine my disgusts I felt knowing that this is how they remembered me.

I was not sold on Ireland during December of last year, but I am in love with it now that I have gone back after seeing more of the world. Ireland is home. It's safe and cosy. Yes, it's freezing but so are Cape Town's oceans.

It's funny how a place one finds dull can become so bright when there are people to love and be loved by. It's corny and all, but home is where there heart is and I think it's safe to say half my heart is still in that little island cuddling up to Europe.

In terms of exploring the country I did not do enough. I didn't see the nauseatingly steep cliffs or go to the Guinness Storehouse among many other things but I lived like a local. I explored what it was like to be Irish. To learn the names of the multiple bridges on the River Liffey. To take busses, instead of trains, for hours down to Waterford to save a couple Euros. I worked to earn those Euro's and had the satisfaction of mentally converting them into Rands and feeling like I could buy the world (which I definitely could not, but it felt good anyhow).



There's clearly a difference between visiting a place and living in it. To live there is to be comfortable and to visit it is to be adventurous.

I wanted to be adventures everywhere else, except little cosy Ireland.



Where next?

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Photos

Official.
I took as a good sign that the mother and baby sitting next to me were upgraded.