I HELD A BABY SHEEP

The Ring of Kerry is a common tourist route along the Kerry peninsula. Two of my roommates joined me on this heavily packed weekend trip filled with drool-worthy food, picturesque landscapes, as well as baby farm animals which almost brought me to tears. This trip essentially consisted of a long bus ride along the coast of County Kerry filled with stops where we got the freedom to wander and to admire the expansive beauty.

The first day was insanely packed full of locations including the Valentia Island, Geoghan Mt & Fogher Cliffs, Killarney National Park and Skellig Experience Centre. As I'm reflecting to myself as to what to describe at each place I can't particularly chose the right words in terms of how to describe these experiences. The majority of the time was spent just taking in the vast beauty of these locations. In particular the Fogher Cliffs captivated me the most as it just gave me such a strong sense of awe. I swore I could spend the entire day just staring and walking along this area. It was a peaceful experience even though I was easily with 50 other students. The landscape was so vast it felt as if my mind could easily escape. 

I thoroughly enjoy petting animals, it is pretty much a hobby for me at this point. Just ask any of my friends, it's a low-key issue. I can barely walk down the street without stopping people to ask to pet their dogs. I got to see and pet baby cows and sheep! They bred for milking purposes, so I could rest easily at night knowing they weren't going to the butcher shop anytime soon. It was interesting listening to the farmers about the dairy and meat industry in Ireland. Apparently it was recently approved for Irish to export dairy and meat to the United States. The family I talked to was part of a family business, yet it's common in Co. Kerry to raise animals as a hobby. 

The second part of this trip was full of silliness with Sam and Katie. I don't know what was in the water in Kerry, but it inclined us to take a variety of ridiculous photos with Cahergal Stone Fort and Ballycarbery Castle. The stone fort and Castle was more adventurous as we go to climb up and down these structures, allowing for *gasp* MORE breathtaking views. It was more than fun as there wasn't really any boundaries as to what we could climb. It was a bit different than the usual structural barriers and confines of structures in the States. It was truly an adventure!

                            

Cahergal Stone Circle

I don't know why I have two water bottles.

Ballycarbery Castle

Exploring the Castle

This was the last trip I got to experience with my roommates. It was bittersweet in a way, as all we had known up to that point was how to travel with each other. Soon we all would be traveling with others or by ourselves. This trip in a way marked the halfway point through my time in Ireland. Time was moving so fast. It was scary in a sense, yet also gave incentive to treat the remaining time as precious.