We're on the road to Paradise

This weekend was a long weekend because of the bank holiday in honor of May Day.  Though I always have long weekends because of my class schedule, long weekends in the real world mean that I get to go on adventures with friends that usually have to work or go to class.  This weekend was a great opportunity to spend some quality time with friends that I will miss dearly when I leave for home.
On Saturday we took a trip to Donegal and got to see a lot of the mountains that I can see in the distance from the student village.  We drove through Glenveagh National Park which was beautiful and reminded me a lot of the highlands of Scotland.  We took a walk through the park (which ended up being 4km) to see the Glenveagh Castle.  The castle and gardens were beautiful and I was very happy that we decided to walk to see it, though I was equally happy to take the bus back to the car park.  We also made it to the beach before we left Donegal.  Being on the beach with multiple jackets and jeans still takes a little getting used to, but I was wearing canvas shoes, so I decided to walk barefoot on the beach.  It was a great idea where the sand was dry, the feeling of sand under your feet is unbeatable no matter where you are, but once my toes hit the water I instantly regretted my decision because the water was freezing!!!  All-in-all Donegal was an amazing day trip and I couldn't have asked for a better day or a better group of people to spend time with.
Which is why on Monday we decided to take another trip, this time to Rathlin Island just off the North coast of Ireland at Ballycastle.  Rathlin Island is known to be home to both Puffins and sea lions which I was lucky enough to see!  The island was beautiful and during our 4.5 mile walk back to the harbor from the lighthouse where we saw many beautiful birds, I was lucky enough to take in and be very aware of the beauty of creation that God chose to reveal to me.  We encountered cows, donkeys, sheep/lambs, and I was even lucky enough to see an Irish hare.  The landscapes were beautiful and I made sure that Stephanie and I took time to stop what we were doing so that we could appreciate the stillness and beauty that is Rathlin Island.  I truly felt God's blessings as I walked through the Island and realized that the stillness will probably be the thing that I miss most about my time in Ireland.  God has given us a beautiful creation to enjoy and I plan on taking advantage of that as much as possible while I'm abroad as well as when I return home.

Glenveagh National Park

The beach!

Rathlin Island

 home to Puffins!