Favorite Place: The Emerald Isle

Despite my usual decision paralysis when confronted with any prompt that includes "favorite" in it, my favorite place is a pretty easy choice - Ireland. I studied abroad there in Summer 2017, and I wouldn't hesitate to be a romantic and say I left my heart there. It's hard to pick a single place there, so I'll pick a few places in the country.

 The first (sorted by when I visited them) is particularly relevant to our class - the Hill of Tara. Said to the be the seat of the High Kings of Ireland in the legendary days of the country. On it is the Lia Fáil, that is, the Stone of Destiny. Legend has it that when one grasps the stone, if it roars out for all Ireland to hear, one would be known as the rightful High King. I tried, and was not crowned, unfortunately.
The Hill of Tara, with a Druid ceremony taking place on it. Photo by me!
Next would be a small stone circle and (what is thought to be) the remnants of some houses from the druidic days. Pardon my hippie, but the connection to nature in a place like this was almost physically tangible. (Shinrin Yoku - I'm not the first one). The flat-lying stone in the center of the photo was either a table, sacrificial altar, or seat. No one is certain!
A stone circle, somewhere in West Cork. Photo by me.
My last image is again of nature, this time from Killarney National Park. This sprawling park is one of the few remaining places of untouched natural beauty in the West, much thanks to the Industrial Revolution.
Waterfall in Killarney National Park, Killarney. Photo by a friend of mine (David B.!)

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