It happens. From driving to work, to appointments and meetings. From taking the kids to soccer and school and birthday parties, to all those house projects yet to be finished … it’s pretty easy to get stuck in the daily grind. Even for the things and the people we love!

That’s why travel is a gift. Whether you’re exploring from your armchair or doing it live and in person, travel helps us remember three really important things:

1. To be present
2. To use our senses
3. To wonder … because there is so much more out there than we know!

So if you’ve been feeling stuck, check out these 3 Irish wonders to refresh your senses and bring you back to the present moment.

Bioluminescence

I was recently speaking with a Canadian woman and her husband who’re interested in coming on our retreat. They LOVE to kayak and were intrigued by our night kayak experience to see the bioluminescence in the Atlantic ocean.

Bioluminescence is pretty incredible. As you dip your paddle into the water the light moves like brilliant sparkle trails. And it sticks to your skin and eyelashes!

But what is this seemingly magical essence? In short it is a biochemical reaction that takes place inside an organism and is often used to distract predators while the creature escapes to safety.

Click HERE to learn more about a special place we sometimes go night kayaking. There’s a great video that highlights West Cork!

The Five Peninsulas

As many of you know, Norwegian Air opened up a direct flight between Providence, RI and Cork City last year. It’s a great, budget option to travel to SW Ireland and makes the area so much more accessible.

I flew to the US recently on a sunny Sunday. And for the first time in my life I saw all 5 of the peninsulas of SW Cork and Kerry from the air…

Dingle, the Ring of Kerry, the Beara, the Sheep’s Head, and the Mizen. I also saw the Skellig islands off the coast of Kerry! Some of you may know the bigger of the 2 islands as the place where Luke Skywalker was found in the newest Star Wars movie:)

Here’s a picture of the Beara peninsula from the air. As I looked down I saw a certain beach and a row of colorful houses and I exclaimed out loud for the whole plane to hear…that’s Allihies!

Irish Music

I know traditional Irish music is a BIG draw for many of you when it comes to Ireland. And while County Cork isn’t a hotbed of trad music, it does have a lot to offer. So I wanted to let you in a little secret…

John Spillane

John Spillane has been making music for a LONG time and plays traditional music, as well as creating his own tunes. He didn’t achieve financial success in music until he turned 40 years old. He’s from Cork City. He’s an Irish language teacher. And he also teaches song writing classes.

This past summer I was lucky enough to spend a week learning from this interesting man. Song writing is an edge for me, but he made everything feel so accessible.

Here are 2 pieces for you to explore the sound and feel of Mr. Spillane.

This first sound clip is from that songwriting workshop I told you about. It’s me trying out some of my lyrics (creating a melody for the first time) with John playing. One thing John really encouraged us to do is highlight places in the area we live. So I chose a place I love and have spent a lot of time in, Barley Lake.

The second is a video of one of my favorite songs of his. I hope you enjoy them!

Click HERE to listen to John and me:)

Click HERE to listen to John Spillane break your heart with his song All the Ways We Wander.

 

So, what do you do when you’re feeling stuck? How many times has Ireland inspired you? Comment below!