Ireland!

When I was younger I used to do Irish Dance, I did that for 4-5 years and it took up a majority of my life during those years.  It really opened my eyes to Scotland and Ireland because along with dance, we would learn about the history.  For example, the reason that Irish dancers don't use their hands is because when the British took control of Ireland, they outlawed almost all traditional Irish traditions, so when the Irish wanted to open their windows and dance to welcome the morning and sunlight they had to just dance with their feet so the British couldn't tell that they were doing Irish dances.  Im not totally sure if this is true, but that is one of the stories my dance teacher told us that stuck with me.

Because Irish dance was such a large part of my life, and my parents' too because they had to sit through the feis's and dance classes and parades, we always talked about taking a trip to Ireland.  Those conversations became a reality years after I stopped dancing, however I was still so excited.  It was my first time out of the country and Ireland is such a unique and pretty place.  

We went and did the "american loop" where we basically drove in a circle around Ireland, on the other side of the road, on the tiny mountain roads. Ireland was gorgeous and such a clean and environmentally friendly country. It is one of the factors that led me to my major of environmental studies and I want to live there when I am older, or at least go there again.