And just like that, I’m back from my vacation in Ireland. It was a wonderful trip that I’m so glad I was able to make happen for my mum. The 77^th edition of The Sunday Spark recaps the highlights of our 16 days on the Emerald Isle and how I travelled far beyond my comfort zone doing something I swore I’d never do.

On my mind this week: Driving outside my comfort zone

I normally enjoy driving, but I’ve always said I would never drive in England or Ireland for a couple of reasons. First, they drive on the left which is a challenge for the brains of those of us used to driving on the right. More than that, though, is the prospect of driving on narrow, winding roads. When visiting my sister in England, I often close my eyes as she navigates narrow streets with cars parked on both sides of the street.

Most of my mum’s family live in a very remote part of Wexford in Ireland’s far south. Getting around without a car would be next to impossible. When my sister was unable to make the trip with us at the last minute, I had no choice but to rent a car for our time in Wexford.

Not for the faint of heart

After spending the first few days in Dublin, we took the bus down to Wexford town as planned and picked up our rental car there. My aunt and uncle live about 20 kilometres outside Wexford town. The time it took to drive those 20 kilometres was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

Driving on the left wasn’t a problem. It was a minor adjustment that I had to remind myself of when making turns.

On the other hand, driving on tiny country lanes designed for donkeys and carts was more problematic. Not only are the roads narrow and winding with no shoulders, but most of them have tall hedges, or even walls, alongside the road. So, when you approach a curve, you have no visibility on what surprise could await, and little room to maneuver when you see a bus, tractor or transport truck coming the other way.

As the week went on, the driving got a little easier. I successfully dodged buses, tractors, transport trucks, pedestrians, cyclists, and even a cow crossing! Even so, I heaved a huge sigh of relief when we dropped the car back in Wexford in one piece at the end of our week in the south.

Now that I’ve survived driving in Ireland once, I might consider doing it again in the future. Sometimes it’s good to force yourself outside your comfort zone. Never say never!

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Three highlights of the trip

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of my time in Ireland.

• Spending time with family and meeting relatives for the first time. My sister and I commented that it’s a shame we live so far away because we got along so well with our cousins, and it would be fun to see them more often.
• Learning more about my mum’s family history and her life growing up in a big family in a tiny cottage with no electricity or running water.
• Appreciating the natural and historical beauty of Ireland, especially the rugged coastlines, castles and old buildings.

Here are some photos of our trip.

We spent the first few days seeing the sites of Dublin, and we also made a trip to the coast to the scenic village of Howth.

After leaving Dublin, we visited my mother’s birthplace in Wexford.

After our time in Wexford, we headed north to Derry.

Things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned during my time in Ireland:

• The Irish people are very friendly and helpful. Several times during our trip, complete strangers went out of their way to help us. From people immediately springing up to offer my mum a seat, to someone offering to use their phone to call a taxi when my phone app didn’t work, to the gentlemen who so kindly came back to make sure I got my cup of tea when I was having trouble with the hot water dispenser at a roadside café, kindness was everywhere. Returning to the pushing, shoving and general rudeness at Pearson Airport on our return to Toronto was a shock to the system.
• Implemented earlier this year, Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme charges a deposit on most beverage containers—aluminum cans, plastic juice bottles, pop bottles, and even water bottles. The deposit ranges from 15 to 25 cents depending on the size of the container. Consumers receive a refund of the deposit by returning the container to a store or reverse vending machine. Perhaps we need a similar incentive here in North America!
• Guinness is brewed with four simple ingredients—barley, hops, water and yeast. I’ve often wondered why Guinness tastes so much better in Ireland. I believe it’s a combination of the water and the pouring technique.

The weekly decluttering challenge will return next week

In 2024, I’ve been revisiting the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge I completed in 2021. I took some time off from decluttering during my travels, so I don’t have anything new to report.

In the meantime, join the challenge by visiting this post to download your free checklists.

I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.