The Big 3-0

Mar 12

A bronze statue of a woman is illuminated by warm city lights at night, with a red umbrella partially covering the scene and a pub glowing in the background. — “In Dublin’s Fair City, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone.”

When I was in High School, a friend of mine went to Europe with her family and brought back a penny whistle, which she played traditional celtic tunes on everyday. It must have awakened the ancestors I didn’t know I had, because ever since then I felt drawn towards Ireland and her culture.

It would be almost two decades before I learned about my family’s history, and I wish I had learned sooner so I could have planned this trip better. Nevertheless, I was set on getting there. So after one year in Germany, I hopped over to the Island with my bike for my 30th birthday.

In case you’re wondering, riding a bike, on the left side of the road, into a roundabout, is terrifying.