You Can Call Me “The Hawk Huntress”

My trip to Ireland and the U.K. taught me a few things: first, I hate running through airports. Second, I need a hawk.

I’m not kidding guys. I think I would look really majestic striding through the world with a hawk on my arm.

I have proof:

Tyler and I went hawking in Killarney, Ireland, and it was absolutely incredible. The whole trip, really, was incredible.

It was a long trip (14 days total), so I’m just going to give you the highlights.

Seeing April! (I haven’t seen her in 9 months since she lives in Paris)

April and I horseback riding on the beach in Ireland (A lifelong dream!)

One of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen: (Derrynane beach)

The view from our cottage in Ballinskelligs

Getting to see everything with Tyler’s parents and sister

The view from the top of the Bray’s Head Loop Walk on Valentia Island (Completely unexpected. I like my cliffs unfenced!)

This picture, because the view was beautiful, and I forced Tyler to take a picture even though we couldn’t see

A fairy circle

Tintern Abbey in Wales

This snail friend

The surf at the Bedruthian Steps in Cornwall

Polperro (Cornwall, the setting for many of my favorite books)

Finally seeing Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (the setting for much of Adelaide)

Things I learned:

1. Irish porridge really is the best
2. I can get tired of potatoes (The turning point was when they brought me fries with my lasagna)
3. Tyler doesn’t get tired of potatoes
4. I can’t actually be on a beach without wading in (and getting my jeans wet EVERY TIME no matter how much I rolled them up)
5. I love Dingle, Ireland and I want to live there
6. I don’t like cliffs that are fenced in
7. I love asking for a pot of tea and not getting weird looks
8. I am a hawk whisperer
9. I need a hawk
10. Why don’t I have a hawk yet
11. Internet connection doesn’t work as well in Cornwall as it did in Ireland… Don’t just “trust your phone”
12. I don’t like falling near cliffs (It wasn’t dangerous, just on some steps nearby, but still, it’s not a great feeling when your legs go out from under you, and all you can think is: CLIFFS. DEATH. AM I DEAD)
13. Cliffs make Tyler nervous (now)
14. What we would consider a small shoulder is a two-way road in Ireland and the U.K
15. I really love Tintern Abbey (I felt like I was in Redwall, did anyone else read those books? So good!)
16. I love Oxford but want to be there when Tolkien and Lewis were there
17. Oxford is busier than I remember
18. I don’t like getting lost in Oxford
19. Oh, Oxford is nice again
20. Traveling (home) for 22 hours and paying a lot extra for the car (I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a rim, let alone that it could be scratched and someone could care) and running to your gate and having your plane delayed and running through a different airport shouting “Flight! 30 minutes! Flight! 30 minutes!” is my least favorite part of traveling.
21. Home (mostly my bed) is a pretty nice place to be when you’ve been gone for two weeks.
22. I’m tired of traveling
23. I was tired of traveling for approximately one week
24. Where should I go next?

That was pretty much our trip. It was wonderful, and I hope I’ll be able to travel again soon (crossing my fingers for Paris in May, for April’s graduation).

Now, back to the real world, and writing!

Cheers,

Megan