Celtic dreams.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted nothing more than to go to Ireland. I’m really only about half-Irish, although I look 100%. Someone actually joked the other day asking if I was Irish because I “have the map of Ireland on my face.” I had just come out of the sun, and I swear it takes about 5 minutes in the sun for that map to show up. When I was a kid my grandma told me they were a sign of beauty when I thought I didn’t like having freckles.

My sister’s god-father is straight from Ireland, P.S. I Love You is one of my favorite movies (85% based on Gerard Butler’s Irish accent), you get the point.. I need to go.

In any case, this summer, I had every intention of studying abroad in Ireland. I got all the information, I even went to the study-abroad office. While I was there, I was even half convinced to go for an entire semester. Then I realized two things: 1) all the summer programs interfered with my week of camp; I could never abandon my kids and 2) I could never afford it.

However, I decided when I got to college and turned into the person I am, that I want to do everything I can dream of. Life is way too short not to. So, I’ve looked into programs and found ones within my price range– I will be spending time in Ireland (and maybe other places!) within the next two summers.

I could, and would love to, find an internship in Ireland next summer– someone from Bryant just did that and I really should talk to her about it. However, I could go with a tour program. If I were to go with a program, I know I need at least $5,000– a little more than $3,000 for the program and spending money. I went to France and Spain with EF Tours junior year of high school and the program was about 2 grand and I spent about 500–but that was only two weeks. The program I found lasts 35 days with travel to Ireland, France, Spain, Amsterdam, Greece, Germany and London! My number one candidate to join me is my cousin Kristin, but I’d love more company!

Life is seriously too short to do put off any dream– big or small.

Wicklow Mountains in Ireland-- how gorgeous is that?!

My very own “list.”

I am a self-diagnosed insomniac. I don’t particularly like waking up early, and I like to think I function best at ridiculously late hours. For example, I sat around all day on the day of my last final, didn’t pack a thing, instead, I stayed up until 4am doing all my packing—I started around midnight. This is why it is completely appropriate that at 2am yesterday, I decided to create a list of “goals,” or things I want to do/accomplish.

I put goals in quotes, because I’m not quite sure if that is what it should be called—maybe it’s a Bucket List—but that just reminds me of that movie, and the fact that I’m 20 years old and hopefully not going anywhere anytime soon. But yeah, I guess that is exactly what this is: a Bucket List. The fact that I was able to come up with 12 things that I want to do at some point amazes even myself, because I usually act in the moment. I’ve done some pretty amazing and noteworthy things, but they usually just sort of fall in my lap, and have no pre-meditation what-so-ever.

This all started when my best friend told me she makes “Summer Lists” and asked me if I would help her complete some of the items on her own list—she wanted to go hiking and rock climb. I was excited, because I’d always wanted to do those things as well, but I laughed at the fact that she had this elusive list. Here I sit though, with my own list.

I’m going to try to do all of these things, because it would be a waste for me not to. I want to expand my horizons, the world is huge, and I want to see it. I feel like we owe it to ourselves to make the most out of every single day—it all goes by too fast.

 

So here it is, my list:

Write a book

Go hiking

Get a 4.0 at least once

Go rock climbing

Ireland

Italy

Road trip

Run a marathon (okay, a half marathon)

See the pyramids

Go to California

Skydive

Learn to ski &/or snowboard