Dublin Ireland

Just got back from a week in Dublin with Tomoe, Kristin, and Todd.

First impressions were not good- our first day was filled with pouring rain, howling wind, and a damp chill we could never shake.   Truly miserable weather was followed by equally miserable food– our first “meal” consisted of lukewarm baked beans from a can and barely toasted white bread.

Luckily, we got the worst out of the way and the trip improved steadily from there.

One big challenge, however, was money.  I must admit that I’ve grown spoiled from frequent travels in Asia.  You get so much bang for the buck in Asia… whereas Europe is extra pricey now thanks to the weak dollar.  All four of us shared a small room in a hostel- and this created a bit of tension for a few days until we adjusted to communal living.  In the end I think the experience brought us all closer.

The second day in Dublin was considerably nicer than the first.  We took it easy and strolled around the city… then met several members of the Effortless English Club (my business) at a restaurant at night.  This was definitely the highlight of the trip.  I’ve been blessed with absolutely fantastic members–  positive, enthusiastic, friendly.

We talked a long time while eating then went to a pub and talked some more.

This is one of the great joys of travel–  making friendships.  When I first started traveling, I did it solo and rarely made friends during the journey.  At that time, I was more interested in personally challening myself and with using travel as a means to stimulate deep introspection.

Recently, however, my focus has turned towards community.  I find that I learn much more when I have a personal connection to a country and culture–  and I also value the longterm relationships that I’ve made.  As a hobopoet, its only appropriate to have an international community of friends.

The most stunning part of the trip was a day excursion into County Wicklow– countryside marked by tall, steep bare hills that plunge into lake filled valleys.  Its the Ireland of movies, and indeed, many movies have been filmed in Wicklow.

Of course, no trip to Dublin can finish without an obligatory visit to the Guinness Storehouse.  We dutifully walked across town and toured the Guinness facility. And of course, we sampled Guinness stout during the course of the tour.

I’m not much of a beer drinker (to put it mildly)- but Guinness is one of the few beers I actually like..  so it was a pleasant tour even for me.  My beer drinking buddies, Kristin & Todd, thoroughly enjoyed the tour…  and also love Dublin’s pub scene in general.

So that’s it.

Though this was only a short trip, and was mostly for “business”… it still provided an amazing mental break from “normal” life in San Francisco.  That’s one of the things I like most about independent travel– its the ultimate pattern break.

Independent travel, without fail, scrambles your routines.  Mental and physical routines are totally trashed– which has the very positive effect of opening the mind to new ideas.

This pattern breaking process is one of the things that makes independent travel such a powerful learning catalyst.