I'm not sure if you have driven a car in a foreign country — or specifically one where they drive on the opposite side of the road and car — but it's quite ... um ... a mix of terrifying and exhilarating. 😁 I'm also not sure if it's worse for the driver or the passengers! Let's tell a little story.

We needed a car to get around Ireland, so when we originally rented the car, we decided to get one that wasn’t too large due to the very narrow roads. Good choice; however, I'm traveling with three other women, who possibly thought they were going out of the country for at least a year. They each packed two suitcases — big ones — and a carry-on, plus an additional bag of some sort. 😭😩 That means squeezing seven suitcases plus four people into a small car. Holy Pop-Tarts, people, that's a lot of stuff and a small amount of space to be smashed in for long, long drives. Add to that Maggie basically relearning to drive in a foreign country, and we were off to a very anxious, very cramped start.

Our first drive was six hours-ish from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher, but once we got acclimated, we could really enjoy the beauty of our passing surroundings. It really is incredibly green here, rolling hills and tons of sheep. It’s beautiful — stunning actually — and completely different from anything I think any of us have seen before.

We drove through Limerick, explored Ennistymon and all held our breath as we experienced the tiny roads that led toward Liscannor. Guys, the landscapes are B-E-A-utiful. I am a sucker for water (obvs), so the ocean and the coast with all the greenery and rolling hills ... Oh Mylanta, this really is the trip of a lifetime! We reached our B&B, adopted Mary as our Irish mom and let the locals tell us where to go for dinner. On our way, Em found her first penny.*

We planned our styled shoot for the next day, so we had some work to do over dinner. Mostly, we just enjoyed our first truly Irish meal, Em finally had her "real Guinness," and we took in the breathtaking views of the cliffs on the water. With our styled shoot the next day, we were early to bed; we had had quite enough adventure for one day.

Styled Shoot Day — Woo Hoo!

The flat iron I brought ended up blowing out in Iceland, so we had to go on the hunt for a curling iron. That's not a typical experience in Ireland on the outskirts of a tiny town, but luckily, the pharmacy had an iron we could work magic with. Then, it was off to find a florist. We went two towns over and met a lovely lady named Sheena who gave us some pretty stunning flowers and our most favorite: a flower crown. We also picked up Maura (our model), who took a bus in from Galway, did some hair and makeup prep, grabbed some lunch, and then, it was time to shoot!

We chased locations for a bit trying to find the ones that suited Em’s visions the most. We started in a glass-topped graveyard, which was beautiful, but none of us felt like we could shoot there. We knocked on doors for sheep and pulled off of the road to get the perfect shot. We really found our groove in a couple of places: the remains of a stone house just off the road, the steps walking into the freezing cold ocean and the CLIFFS OF MOHER. Don't fall down, but it's as amazing as you think. We can only share sneak peeks, annoying we know, but how cool will it be to see when they are published?!

We ended our breathtaking day of shooting with a terrifying drive in the dark around Corkscrew Hill and a trip to Supermac's in Galway (think: McDonald's) to drop off Maura.

Our next day was filled with more adventure, as it was time to leave the cliffs and head toward Wexford. It was time for the beach!! At least for beautiful views at the beach. It's still a little chilly this time of year. 😉

We stayed in a small town called Duncannon, took in the spectacular views, walked the quaint little town, found the fort of Duncannon and, of course, explored the pubs and restaurants. It was a wonderful but short visit — I might have forgotten to mention that the drive that was supposed to take us three hours ended up taking six. I can't say for sure if that was my fault or the GPS, but something happened, and we went on a wild-goose chase, but after all, that's part of the adventure.

We left bright and early the next morning because it was time to head to Dublin. Sadly, it was also time to take the newest member of the Dream Team, Marie, to the airport. It was so sad, but on we must go. Gratefully, we returned the rental car, took an Uber to our flat in Dublin and set off to explore!!

I can't wait to share our Dublin adventures with you, but for now, it's time to eat and sleep!

With a full heart and a grateful mind ... xoxo,

H

* Remember the “angels” we told you about in the first “Our Styled Adventure” post? The three sisters? Anyway, when Em shared with them that her dad had just passed, they told her to look for pennies, that that was him leaving her signs that he was with her along the way. (Crying? I know, me too.) She found her first penny in Liscannor, a kilometer from the cliffs, in the sunlight surrounded by the most stunning views, a place he always wanted to visit, letting her know that he has been with her this whole way through.

Never miss a post by subscribing to our blog!

OUR BLOG

Our Styled Adventure: Ireland, Styled Shoot #2 & Car Excursions