Stepping Outside of Dublin: Meath and Westmeath

As I prepare for my third trip to Ireland this coming March, I've spent a lot of time researching things to do during the week of my stay. What I came to realize is that I had experienced a lot of the "popular" tourist attractions that Ireland has to offer, and what I missed most about being there were things that are actually quite mundane, not extraordinary things, which is really why I love them. 

On my first trip I was 18 and we worked our way around the country with Dublin as our starting and ending destination. We traveled south to Kinsale and Cork, west to Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, north into Belfast and finished back in Dublin after a scenic drive through Wicklow. I had properly poured a pint, blind tasted whiskey, received the gift of gab, looked out for Fungi, and explored the Giant's Causeway all in ten days time.

My second journey to the Emerald Isle was two years later. I was 20 and on my own to embark on four months of studying abroad. This is a time when the farthest I traveled in Ireland was just a few hours outside of Dublin. This is when I truly fell in love with the city. 

As a study abroad student, I had some really great experiences thanks to two different programs. First, I took a class called "Exploring Ireland", which was a course that required you to attend three of four available trips to different places in or just outside of Dublin . You also had to keep a journal including pictures, and that was it. Free trips to different places, write about them, turn it in to Tadgh (the head of Archaeology who was our tour guide/professor). The second program was one that was done through the international office and was only open to study abroad students. It was a program where you put down a deposit of 5 euro to go on a trip on a certain day and when you showed up to the bus, you got the fiver back and went off. Another free trip. They allowed me to see things that I normally wouldn't have. I'm going to try to make this a sort of series and I'll start today with Meath and Westmeath...

Kells

I'm sure that if you've ever been to or heard about Trinity College Dublin, you've heard about the Book of Kells. An ancient illuminated manuscript done on calf vellum by monasteries and took over three centuries to produce, the Book of Kells (also known as the Book of Columba), now housed and displayed in the Library of Trinity, gets it's name from it's previous home in the Abbey of Kells. 

While Kells is no longer the home to the Book, it is still interested to tread the ground where it lived for many centuries and survived through countless Viking plunderings thanks to it's round tower. *I just want you guys to know that I was OBSESSED with seeing a round tower on the first trip and I didn't.* **It's not that cool, just sayin'.**

Additionally, Kells is home to five high crosses; four in the yard of the Church of St. Columba (see above where I mentioned Book of Kells = Book of Columba) and one in front of the town hall. Basically they are intricately carved crosses and, like the Book of Kells, are interesting in that they combine Celtic knot work with Christian iconography. 

This is my favorite image from Kells of the round tower and a high cross.

Loughcrew

Alright, so first let me explain this one. As this was an archaeology class, this trip was quite normal, but if you're creeped out by ancient burial grounds, you'll want to skip this one. Loughcrew is one of four main passage tombs in Ireland (Newgrange is one of these as well, I'll get to that in another post).

Loughcrew is a megalithic passage tomb that is aligned with the sunrise of the Equinox, meaning on the mornings of the two days of the year that the Equinox happens, the entire passage will be filled with light. This is an amazing feat that in 3500 BC, without modern day technologies, builders could calculate such a thing. 

If that isn't enough to get you there, then the views might be. On our journey uphill, I quite frankly thought I would never make it; the hill was steep and muddy from the rains (and I was not in shape). But the views of County Meath were amazing, and really show that patchwork Ireland that I love. 

Fore

Fobhar, the Irish for Fore, means "the town of the water-springs". Fore Abbey was founded in 630 by St. Feichin, who was said to have induced the water to flow from the ground and thus Fore is named for the saint. Today, the abbey stands in ruins, but at it's height was home to 300 Benedictine monks. Having been burned 12 times in 400 years, it still stands and is still a beautiful site to encounter with it's intricately carved arches and humbling vastness. 

On the long way out from the Abbey back to the road there is a Fairy, or Wishing Tree. What appears to be a tree with discarded clothing, ribbons and litter-like items, is actually a very sweet tradition of giving thanks to the spirits for fulfilling a wish. A sock tied on a branch may be thanks for healing a broken foot, a bib could be thanks from a parent for a spirit's help. I've seen other that are perhaps prettier, but the sentiment is beautiful here in Fore as well as in other places.

Somehow this turned into a history lesson, but I guess if you're into that sort of thing then you'll have enjoyed this. My next post for this series will be more...entertaining, you'll see what I mean. 

Until next time, 

-J

Year of Me Choice #2: Do What You Want and Don't Feel Bad

To recap: I'm working towards life improvement by making intentional and thoughtful choices each and every day...then I'm going to tell you about them! 

It has been soooo long since I've contributed to the blog (J is probably pissed, but she's been holding it down with all sorts of interesting things so it's all good). The only excuse that I can come up with is that there truly has been an incredible amount of change happening in my life this summer, and I'm still trying to keep up! Now all I need to do is remember to take the time to share it with you...

Choice #2: Do What You Want and Don't Feel Bad, is actually more like Choice #2-200, because I  used this summer to make tons of life decisions that needed to be made, and then I stuck with them.

All my life I've been a worrier. I will make a choice, then agonize over it for hours, days, or months even. I'll drive my friends crazy with my constant debating about what to do and what's right! I took some time to think about why I do this, and I've come to the conclusion that I value what other people think too much (key words being "too much"). There's nothing wrong with asking for opinions of course, but in the end I never wanted to have the final say in my own decisions. 

This is what I have been desperately working on from about June until now. Doing what I truly want to do, and not feeling bad about what other people want me to do, or what they think I should do instead. I'm not even close to being perfect at doing this, because it's hard to change 15 years of worrying into 3 months of not giving a f--k. I am trying though, and I think I've made significant progress.

Since I've been away from the blog I've made many decisions (some significant, some not so much):

 1. Spent a ridiculous amount of money to get my hair highlighted (because getitng my hair done makes me feel good, and that's OK)

2. Stuck to a healthy eating cleanse (No sugar, no starches) for about 2 months. I got a lot of backlash for this one, but I did it for me and my health and I would do it again...and I probably will in the next few months

3. Ditched my healthy eating routine (occasionally, once the cleanse was over) to eat whatever the hell I wanted. I totally savored some delicious pancakes, chili fries, and a chocolate milkshake and as I sit here today thinking about it...I don't feel the least bit bad. I do go to Zumba after all :)

4. Reached out to a friend who I'd lost touch with. Some of my other friends didn't want to contact her and that's FINE, but I did and I'm glad I did. I don't know where the relationship will go in the future, but for right now we're in a good place

5. Went for a somewhat alternative job outside of my field. I got the job, and accepted within a 24 hour period. I then got another job offer for a job within my field, which I turned down in 30 seconds. This one was hard, and I did spend a lot of time asking people what they thought. I spent a few weeks wondering if I had made the right choice. It's day 3 of my new job right now, so we'll see...

6. Went shopping for clothes...a lot. If I wanted something, I got it. J and I both agreed I had a shopping addiction going on there for awhile, but even as I look at my bank account (which is running incredibly, incredibly low) I don't regret it. I will make more money and I am now on a much more responsible budget

Hopefully this has inspired you to do something you've been truly wanting to accomplish, even if it means feeling judgement from other people. I'm going to keep working on it too, and I won't feel the least bit bad about that.

H :)


“How would your life be different if…You stopped allowing other people to dilute or poison your day with their words or opinions? Let today be the day…You stand strong in the truth of your beauty and journey through your day without attachment to the validation of others" -Steve Maraboli

 

'Cause They Say Home is Where Your Heart is Set in Stone: Going Home

When you really think about it, going home is a really vague idea. It isn't necessarily the act of leaving a place and going to a physical house, although it can be. More often it can be going to be where your family is, and sometimes it just means to your hometown or your home state. And sometimes it means returning to the place you love, or the person; sometimes it's just an emotional home. It really ultimately comes down to you alone.

For me, I have many different "homes". The house that I lived in from the time I was born until just a few months ago, where I saw my family change from a family of six to two girls after tragedy, to three with a new marriage and to four with my sister's birth, back to three after divorce and now to just my mother and my sister after I moved out. That is my home as I will always know it, it's my place I can always go back to.

I've lived in only three cities in my life: my hometown, my college town, and the city where I studied abroad. Royal Oak, East Lansing, and Dublin. Three apartments, three dorms, one house. All homes in some way. All memories and fondness when thinking about them. They were all a place I referred to at the end of the night when I said "I'm going home" and the place where I laid my head at night for months or years of my life. These are physical and emotional places I called home.

My home today is an apartment just one mile away from my mom's house. Just this week I was at her house and told her I was going to go home. That's the first time in the three months that I haven't lived with her, that I've said "home" instead of "my apartment". The next day I changed my address on my driver's license to my actual address, at my apartment, where I now go home to.

Actually feeling at home is weird. Feeling like this place is your own, feeling comfortable to be there at all times, feeling welcomed and wanted by a space. It takes time, and it's weird when a new place becomes your home and you're forever connected to that place. Any house can be a house to a person, a shelter and a place to live your life, but a house becoming a home is completely different. That emotional security of a place or a person or of a group, that makes somewhere/something your home.

Why am I writing this? Months ago I wrote out goals for myself at 23, and one of those goals was to leave the country within the next year. Well I have plans to "go home" at the end of my 23. The arrangements have been discussed and the goals for ticket buying have been set in place. I'm going home, to a place that I have called home and that I emotionally feel is one of my homes, home to Dublin to spend the last of my 23rd year and to start my 24th in. I am over the moon with the possibilities this trip has in store, and staying with my friend will make it all the more enjoyable. I'll keep you updated on this as it develops into physical results.

I've been all about song lyrics for my titles lately, here's the song that inspired this one (I used to play this on my drive home from college). Also, two days in a row of posts! Unheard of for Slow Runners Club.

"Home" -Gabrielle Aplin

Until next time,

-J

If You've Got Beauty, Beauty: Summer Music and Beauty Faves

...one day, we will get better at blogging. One day.

Alright, so I wrote the post I wanted to give to you guys. I did, I really did. But then I didn't have the pictures in it and I thought "I'll update it tomorrow with the pictures" but I never did. It's still sitting there, in my drafts, waiting to be posted. I'll post it one day, but honestly I still don't have those pictures on the computer and I don't know when I will.

But anyway, I thought that since summer was coming to a close, I'd do a summer music and beauty favorites for you. (I know there's two weeks left of August, but shh....)

Music
I have two music favorites of the summer, and both I found via YouTube. The first I heard about through PopSugar Girl's Guide around the end of June I believe, Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" has been my most-played song of the summer by far. It was the first thing I played when I bought my new car and I listened to it on repeat for every car ride to work in July.

"All About That Bass" - Meghan Trainor

This is a song that is getting both praised and criticized for it's commentary on body size. Some say that it's sending mixed messages with lyrics like "Every inch of you is perfect/ From the bottom to the top" and "I'm bringing booty back/ Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that". I'm very much of the opinion that this song is about empowerment for the girls that you don't always see in music videos, as well as loving yourself because "If you've got beauty beauty, just raise 'em up". I've have friends who love this song who don't have "a little more booty to hold at night", so don't think about the song too much, it is just a song after all.

Next, thanks to YouTube, is my newest song of the summer: "Happy Little Pill" by Troye Sivan. Troye is a South African YouTuber/actor/singer who lives in Australia. I have less to say about this song since I've only recently fallen in love with it but it's been getting a lot of promotion from famous YouTuber friends of Troye's like Zoe Sugg (Zoella), the Holy Trinity (Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, and Hannah Hart) and Tyler Oakley. Regardless of your YouTube feelings, you should check it out. (It's also really great if you speed it up a little.)

"Happy Little Pill" - Troye Sivan

Beauty

Alright, so my beauty favorites may also be in relation to YouTube, but only in the slightest. My first being one that I'm a little late to game on, Urban Decay's Naked Palette. No I'm not talking about the Naked 2 or the ever so beautiful rose gold Naked 3, I'm talking about the original Naked Palette, which I believe came out in 2012 if I'm not wrong. This palette has been widely talked about, I know that, and I know that I previously had thought to myself "what's all the hype about?" and "why would I spend $50+ on eyeshadow?" The hype about it is well deserved, and that money is well-spent. 

Urban Decay's Naked Palette 

Urban Decay's Naked Palette

While I think high-end cosmetics come in gorgeous packaging, I'm not one to typically shell out a ton of money for a few products. At $54, with its velvet case, this product falls into that category of make-up where I don't enjoy going. Yes, it is expensive, but if you need to justify your purchase (like I did), remember that it comes with 12 shadows, which brings us down to $4.50 per shadow, quite an average price...(I'm trying to help you here) and you get 54 Ulta-mate Rewards Points or whatever, so yay? 

Anyway, how I came upon this is thanks to my friend who had come over to do her make-up before heading out with my roommate for the night. She left her unattended Naked Palette on my bathroom vanity and I, of course, needed to use it. The results being that I had fallen in love with a palette of expensive eye shadow that I looked damn good in. Pro tip: always go through your make-up loving friend's bags when they leave them unattended. H even commented on how great my eyes looked that night, my boyfriend cared a whole lot less about my newfound love, which I just ended up purchasing my own of on Sunday.

Second on my list is my skin care favorite, Argan Oil. I stumbled upon this in my bathroom, it was a sample (full 2 oz. bottle) that my mom had gotten from work. I did a little research and saw that the benefits were amazing when using this on your face, body and hair. The one that I use is John Masters Organics 100% Argan Oil, which sells for around $35-40 for 2 oz., and it's amazing. 

I use it mainly two ways, applied either as a sort of serum underneath my moisturizer at night or as a make-up remover (most commonly). I've used it also as tanning oil (I burnt and a dog licked some of it off, but you should also add sunscreen to the mix obviously), in my hair after I've showered or when it gets a little fried, as just a serum without anything else on particulary dry days, and even to help prevent scarring on a recent burn. Using it at least five times a week for five months, I've only just used up half of it (a little goes a long way).

I should probably end here, four is enough favorites for now, right? I will, as always, try to write another post soon. H is in Chicago, so maybe she'll have something to blog home about. Any summertime favorites of your own?

Until then,

-J