Month in Review: October

October is always one of the prettiest months. I always love the change of season, colored leaves, hot apple cider, carving pumpkins- the whole deal. It was wonderful to experience fall in a new country, especially Ireland, which never fails to astound me with it's beauty.

1)   Glendalough- The month started with an adventure to Glendalough. I spent two days hiking at the beautiful national park in the Wicklow Mountains. It was wonderful to spend time in nature and learn about the monastic history of the place. We also spent plenty of time relaxing with Dublin friends who met us there- eating long meals and even having our own little session in the pub. The whole trip was definitely a treat.

2)   Back in the Saddle- As a birthday surprise for my housemate Madeline, our whole house went horseback riding. When I was in elementary and school, I loved to ride, but I haven’t back in the saddle since. It was great to take a lesson and then go on trail ride. I even got to canter! Turns out, horseback is the perfect way to take in the tranquil forests and lush countryside that makes up Ireland. I’m hoping to go back soon and visit Ross, my favorite Irish horse!

3)   Spontaneous Trips- I love planning trips, but this month I did something totally crazy- I just jumped on a bus to Dublin for the weekend. I enjoyed getting a chance to eat some excellent food, visit some favorite shops, and seeing the beautiful fall colors in St. Stephen’s Green. I also got a chance to stop by my friend’s Steve and Michele’s new house and church in Dublin. Before I left, I grabbed a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks- because as great as Wexford is, it definitely needs a Starbucks.

4)   Opera Festival- Wexford, Ireland is lucky enough to play host to a great opera festival. The whole town came to life with people from all around the world coming to perform and watch opera. I was fortunate enough to get to see several different performances over the two weeks of the festival. I got to see a main stage performance of Barber’s Vanessa, two short operas Walton’s The Bear and Vaughn William’s Riders to the Sea, a musical revue, a folk orchestra concert, and a high mass performed by the Festival Choir. It was outstanding two weeks of wonderful performances.

5)   Wexford Roadtrip- On Halloween, our choir director, Ruiri, took our house on a roadtrip throughout the county. We visited Tintern Abbey and Hook Head Lighthouse, two beautiful parts of Wexford. Our last stop was Loftus Hall, Ireland’s most haunted house. While their attempts to scare us left us giggling, it was interesting to learn the spooky history of the house. The trip was also a great chance to take in the natural beauty of County Wexford, as we drove through rolling fields and beautifully colored trees.

As Anne of Green Gables said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” I agree with Anne. Octobers really do make things better.