We aren't travellers by nature. The farthest I've ever been away from home was Washington D.C. I've only ever been out of the country once and it was to Victoria, Canada on a choir trip in high school. And that was before you needed a passport to go to Canada! We like our little corner of the world, and while we would like to see other parts of this planet, it's just never been a huge priority.
There are plenty of things that scare me to death about travelling too. For one, not knowing the language. Imagine having to go to the bathroom and not being able to ask for directions to the nearest toilet! The money thing is confusing as well. I'd hate to pay way too much for something just because I don't understand the exchange rate properly.
The thing that frightens me the most is leaving the boys. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind spending time away from them, but Ireland is a long way away. The thought that keeps me up late at night is "What if something should happen to us and we don't make it home to them?". I shudder to think...
I'm not about to let these fears keep me from seeing things I've always wanted to see though. Therefore, I continue to read my travel books about Ireland and London (cuz we're going to stop there for a couple days. You know, since we're there). I'm learning all I can about what we should expect when we get there. Talking to people who have been there has turned out to be a fabulous way to learn too!
The more we save, plan and talk about our trip the more excited I get. I've learned about several places I want to see when we get to Ireland. Our little spending money jar has become quite heavy. I'm planning to bring back an Irish Flute. *grin* I'm sure Eric is looking for ways to get beer home!
We chose to not take a big tour. We're going to rent a car and drive ourselves where ever we want. The freedom is extremely enticing to me. I can't wait to see Ireland through my camera lens! Imagine the possibilities! I'm all giddy just thinking about it! Not only do I get to shoot Ireland, but I get to road trip in a foreign country for TWO WEEKS with my amazing hubby as company. How cool is that?
So, if you've been to Ireland or London and have suggestions about what we should or shouldn't see, I'll gladly listen. In the mean time, I'm going to bury my nose in a book about Ireland.
AHH!! renting a car in UK or Ireland is the most terrifying and fun thing I did--both times. The first time I was alone in Edinburgh, and the rental place was DOWNTOWN. (eek!) AND it was a manual. So I sat in the car for like 10 minutes and panicked (how the hell do I shift? LOL) then decided I would take the easiest turn out of the parking lot (left) and go in a straight line until there was no more traffic, pull over and buy a map....and that's what I did. The second time when Tyson was with me, we rented it in London and I had to get out of THAT. (For the record, manual isn't that hard. The gears and pedals are in the same order, you're just shifting with the left hand)
ReplyDeleteThe really terrifying part is that their roads were made before cars and many of them are super narrow, with no shoulders and when you meet a truck going the other way it's hard not to scream and swerve into the rail on your side to avoid it. BUT for all the white knuckle driving, you really get to see much more of the country, and get to places that the train doesn't go. We saw several places that we wouldn't have without the car.
HA! Yeah, we're going to have "fun" with the driving there. There's a picture in one of my books that shows a car going one way, a tour bus coming the other way and a cliff. You can imagine the rest. He's basically warning the reader about driving on that road and how scary it can be.
ReplyDeleteJEALOUS. :)
ReplyDeleteRick Steves rules. :-D
ReplyDelete-Dina Komissarova