Anna's Awesome Adventures!!!: Ireland -- Day 16

This is from Sunday, August 12 -- sorry it didn't get posted yesterday. I fell asleep!

Today was a very, very special day for me -- a day of accomplishments, incredible memories, and new experiences. I was up by 7:15, got ready, had breakfast (a pear, yogurt, meringue drop, and water), and headed to the airport with another student. I should identify this "other student," whom I have referred to many times, as Robyn. She is my matron of honor for my wedding next spring, and we met last fall in school and really get along well. We've studied countless hours of anatomy & physiology, as well as several dietetics/health classes together. She was also the very first person I saw the day after my mom died, and has been an incredible supporter and friend to me. She's willing and game to try anything, even the most hare-brained ideas I've come up with here in Ireland, and a true inspiration and mentor to me. Anyway, because she was old enough to legally rent the car, we went the airport together to pick up our Renault Captur. Remember, we're in Ireland -- drive on the left side of the of the road and the right side of the car (just the opposite of America!). Annnndddd...because manual transmissions are standard here, of course we had a manual. So since my daily drive is a manual and I LOVE having the privilege of saying I've driven in another country (European at that!), I drove! Our goal was the charming little town of Glenbeigh, west of Cork by about 75 miles, to ride horses for three-and-a-half hours with Burke's Beach Riding! If you know me, you know horses are in my blood. And what better way to experience this gorgeous country than on the back of my favorite animal?! Led by a lovely young lady named Amy, and astride 24-year-young Irish Sport Horse mare Ginger, we traversed all over the mountains and beaches -- mostly walking, but a fair bit of trotting too! We passed adorable cottages, fields full of fluffy sheep, endless green hills, and other quaint little sites, and Amy did a fantastic job of explaining (without overwhelming) Irish/Glenbeigh history and culture. Imagine my elation when we descended to the beach and Amy asked if I was up for a canter! We took off down the beach, wind blowing in my face, sand pelting my legs, and the power and eagerness of Ginger beneath me. My face sported the hugest smile ever that no one could have wiped off. I can't really express, not even with all the words in the world, how much this meant to me. I've dreamed since I was a little girl of having my own horse, and that eventually came true thanks to the generosity and willingness of my parents. But horses mean so much to me, and I've read in magazines (long before I ever owned a horse, much less took lessons) about countless beach treks throughout Europe. To experience the full-on gallop of an Irish Sport Horse with the Atlantic Ocean waves crashing just feet away...wow! This was an experience I will never, ever forget.

The beach trek was on the famed Ring of Kerry (also known as N70), a gorgeous (but narrow and bendy!) road that encircles a "finger" of Ireland. Much of the Ring of Kerry closely follows the coastline, offering breathtaking views of mountains crashing right down into the sea. We stopped several times for pictures, lunch (a smoked salmon sandwich served with coleslaw and salad), and finally a hike in Killarney National Park, which comes close to the end off the Ring of Kerry. There were tons of trails to choose from, I'm sure, but we settled on Torc Mountain -- because why not climb a 1,755-foot-tall mountain in Ireland?! The specific trail we were on stopped a couple hundred feet from the very tip-top, but we still got a lovely 4.7-mile trek in complete with incredible views. We even diverged off slightly to see Torc Waterfall, and completed the whole loop in a mere one hour, 20 minutes (the sign estimate was 2.5 hours).

We then cruised on back to the airport to return the car around 9:15 pm, catch a taxi back to the dorms, grab some dinner from the little shop next door (chicken-coconut curry, chips, water, and a bit of leftover ice cream), and fall into bed exhausted but thrilled from an amazing day.