Okay, I TOTALLY did not forget what day it was on Sunday. And then I happened to be traveling all day Monday, and then Tuesday couldn’t get the internet to work, and then Wednesday… um, well, anyways, it’s Thursday, so I decided to do a 2-part post, one today and one on Sunday.

First of all, before you start reading, go here and play this for some background music:

Now.

I do have a good excuse for being distracted– my parents are here! 🙂 We’ve spent the last 10 days traveling all throughout England and Ireland, and it has been a blast.

After taking EasyJet (would recommend) to Gatwick and EasyBus (would NOT recommend) to London to meet up with my parents on Monday, we have since explored all over the city of London, done a day trip to Oxford, went on pilgrimage to Canterbury, flew to Dublin, took a bus around Wicklow country, taken a coach to Galway, and toured along the coast to the Cliffs of Moher.

So, just a little bit of traveling. 😛

I’ve found that in fact my favorite part of traveling isn’t actually being in the place, but rather being in transit.  When I arrive in each place, there is always a great deal to do— find food, go see the sights, soak in languages and accents, architecture, fashion, landscapes, music, sounds, smells (and, of course, plan for the next stage of my journey). Each place requires adjustment, and before I’ve really had time to feel at ease, it’s time to move on again (it took me at least 2 weeks to feel comfortably moved in at Oxford; I haven’t stayed anywhere since leaving that room for more than 5 nights straight).

With my parents, I acted as tour guide around London (slightly ironic, considering I spent a total of maybe 5 days ever in London before I met up with them…), helping navigate the tube and organizing day trips to Oxford and Canterbury. We stayed in a London flat through Airbnb and apparently cemeteries are just a thing for me; our flat happened to be about 3 minutes away from Brompton Cemetery, another really really awesome cemetery (where they filmed parts of the RDJ Sherlock Holmes!!):

In Oxford, we stopped by Catz so that I could switch out my clothes– I needed to make sure I had enough variety in 4 outfits to account for the climates of Ireland, Paris, and Rome… a bit of a challenge. 😛

We also met up with one of my fellow Oxford Visiting Students, who happened to be around with her dad! I think that was one of my favorite parts of a trip– I can only show my parents so much about my life by taking them around to the different places; it’s the people who really make the experience.

Finally, on Easter Sunday– which, of course, is also a marker of the Rising– we arrived in Ireland. I have wanted to get to Ireland for years, as badly as I wanted to go to Oxford, and it has been absolutely lovely. Apparently the sun decided to come out just for us, and we have had uncharacteristically gorgeous weather. We got to see the Book of Kells (as;dlfkj???? LIke actually I was 5 inches away from it thatissoawesome), some gorgeous Irish countryside, and old castles and monasteries:

We visited Galways and saw the Cliffs of Moher, which was possibly the highlight of my break so far:

We saw a lot. But it’s when I sit in an enclosed space, on a bus, train, or plane, that I am actually able to process. I spent the bus rides alternating between listening to Mumford & Sons, staring out at the beautiful Irish countryside, and reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Oh- and, of course, resting my head on my mom’s shoulder and falling asleep.

There may be one last reason that I decided to post today and not Sunday, and that’s because today is my mom’s birthday. My mom is one of the most hard-working, selfless, and loving people I know. As I drifted in and out of sleep against her shoulder on the bus, I thought about what an intimate gesture that is, to lean against someone and let them carry your weight. My mom and I have many differences, but she always gives her support (whether I ask for it or not 😛 ), and for that I am so grateful.

On Sunday, I’ll write a bit more about traveling, but I’d like to end this post thanking my mom for everything– for doing laundry for me on her break, for carrying bushels of my stuff back home with her despite an already full bag, and for really truly inspiring me to be the best person I can be.