Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland

Source of photo: http://www.amberlodgebb.com/

In a previous post, I mentioned my little obsession with Ireland and, as promised, I am writing my first travel bit about it. My dream is to travel the world, but as I am seventeen and still in high school, it's hard for me to reach such a dream at the moment. So what I am going to do is write of the places I would like to go to; what I like about it from what I know.

To start off, I'll introduce Kinsale. It is a small port town situated on the southern coast of the Republic of Ireland. Though the Irish have the reputation of some of the worst culinary creations in the world, Kinsale is known for it's great food. As there is in all of Ireland, a golf course can be found nearby. Since it is on the ocean there are beaches within walking distance. Sailing is also popular in  the area.

I won't go into too much detail because unfortunately I don't have much. It will be interesting to see the length and detail of my future post about Kinsale after I've been there someday.

In short, I'll leave with a few simple things of why I like the town so much:

• the size of it. I love the small town feel. But I also like it large enough to have activities going on. There are shops and pubs in the town, and beaches to spend most of your summer days on, which brings me to my next one..
• proximity to the water. I love the ocean. It's almost to a Guy de Maupassant obession I have with water.
• the age of the town. It's one of the oldest towns in Ireland and the architecture and history of the place would amaze me.

Ed Sheeran - Lego House

I am in love with Ed Sheeran. I discovered him six months ago when I was more or less stalking my British friends' Facebook page. He'd posted a video of Ed playing "Evian" live at a table with his friends and I couldn't help but replay it over and over. I absolutely fell in love with his music. I'm going to get pretty deep here, but I have to to explain my infatuation with him. He is so pure. It's like it's just him, his guitar and his voice. His lyrics are so real. He has an excellent way of showing his feelings in the words he sings. One thing I love about his music is that I never get sick of it. I'll listen to "Little Bird" and "One Night" over and over.

This video is so great. Rupert Grint having this crazy obsession with Ed made me laugh. I love the look on Rupert's face when he finally see's Ed in person.

Sad Songs

If I could count how many times I've typed "sad songs" into google...
We all have. On those days where nothing seems to be going right and it looks as if nothing EVER will go right, all we want to do is curl up in a ball and listen to the most depressing song on our iPods or in our cd players.
I read somewhere that a way to be happy is to simpy not listen to any sad songs or anything that will make you cry for that matter. Instead they suggested to put on some happy-go-lucky peppy Colbie Callait type song and it will make you bright and smiling in an hour.
No. Just no. We don't WANT to do that. We're sad. We want to sob uncontrollably. To let out pillows soak up the tears and the problems. Listening to happy songs just depresses us more. It reminds us of the joy we don't have.
I'll admit I'm sad a lot. I find listening to sad song makes me feel better. I don't even know if it's that I relate to the songs and realize I'm not the only one with these problems or what...
Letting out a good cry once in a while (or everyday if you're that miserable) is a good thing.

Tell me what you think, the few or maybe no people that look at this blog.
Alright I'm just gonna say this will be awkward for me if no one comments so...um... yeah just comment please. Thanks :)
Tell me your favorite song to let out a good cry to. Mine favorite one is probably "You Were Mine" by the Dixie Chicks or "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5 or Taylor Swift's "Invisible" "Teardrops on my Guitar" and "Last Kiss". Wow I really don't know the meaning of one do I?

Guilty Pleasures

Who else watches the Jersey Shore? Keeping Up with the Kardashians? And who just lied and said they didn't?
Why do we like these shows so much? Why do we find ourselves sitting eagerly on the couch waiting for Kim's Fairytale Wedding to start or waiting to see how many times Snooki falls this episode? I mean, half the time on the Jersey Shore, they're drunk and the other half they talk about getting drunk/hooking up. And Keeping Up with the Kardashians? Doesn't exactly have the best role models for me.
But it's funny. Khloe Kardashian I have to say is one of the funniest people I've ever heard. I know some people hate Kim, but she seems like one of the most genuine people out there. Kourtney... well I really don't know much about Kourtney, besides the fact that she's still together with her baby daddy and isn't getting married. I respect that. You don't have to go with the norms of society and get married if you don't want to.
And the Jersey Shore... I can't really back up my like for the Jersey Shore. Maybe it's the fact that my life is nothing like that, getting paid to go out to clubs and get drunk, have a few fights here and there.
I knw reality shows aren't really reality at all. They're scripted and have retakes. But I like to believe it's real. See I like hearing people's stories. Where they've been and what they're doing now. Everyone has a life story. And even though it's a partially fake story, it's still a story to listen to.

Why?

Do you want to know what frustrates me more than anything? And no, it's not Branjelina (though they come very close). It's one simple question that I, nor anyone else knows the answer to. Who created the world? Whether you support the theory of evolution or believe their is a god up there, you have to question how it all works. With evolution, there had to have been something to create that tiny little something everyone evolved from. There couldn't have been just an explosion or reaction and something just appeared. Something can't come out of nothing, right? Looking at it from a religious point of view, if God created the world, who created God, and who created that guy, and who created him? It's this ongoing cycle that is constantly running through my thoughts and I can never figure out the answer. No one can figure out the answer! I feel like my mind will explode trying to come up with an explanation for it, and when I can't, I get so angry. Probably not the good kind of angry. I kind of feel like screaming in a pillow because I'm so angry.
I don't know, maybe the answer to all this can be comprehensed by that part of the brain we can't use. Or maybe we'll never figure it out and I will go insane and be that old woman who writes angry letters to newspapers for their science and religion section.

Ireland

I feel as if there is something I need to tell you. I know we've just met, but there's just this little bit of information that you need to know. I figured I'd throw this out on the table before we go any further. I have a little obsession. It never leaves my mind and I am utterly determined to get to it. This infatuation is Ireland. Yes the country. In the course of this blog, I'll probably write at least every 5th one about Ireland. No joke. I love everything about it, which is crazy, because me and Ireland aren't even aquaintences. I've never set foot in Dublin or walked the Cliffs of Moher. I've never a Guinness for breakfast (and as I learned on one of the greatest travel shows alive Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations some Irish actually do that... And come to think of it, that's not totally a bad thing. It makes sense. It's not just some crazy Irish cultural idea dealing with the fact that all Irish are drunkards who can't get enough of their Guinness. But a couple big gulps of it seems like a great way to wake you up for the day and make everything better. Though really, I can't back up my support for this. I'm only seventeen and, as cool as it is to know all different kinds of beers and how many it takes for me to get drunk, I just don't know anything.)
I suppose it's my Irish heritage that makes me a feel this deep connection with Ireland. My great-grandfather came from the town of Portadown (pronounced Port-a-DOON as I've been corrected many times), Northern Ireland. I know I share my Irish heritage with half the people in this country, but yet from what I've heard, we still all feel so special. We brag about being Irish. If the poor and suffering immigrants that made their way from the Emerald Isle could see how we feel about them now... There are no signs in shop windows saying "No Irish Need Apply". We have a holiday to celebrate being Irish! (well, technically we celebrate the man who expelled the snakes out of Ireland (among other things), the great Saint Patrick).
So one day I plan to go there. If the fates favor me, I'll study abroad there. I don't just want to visit but I want to experience. Their way of life excites me.
The next posts I write about Ireland I'll be more specific on the places I want to stay at and why the Blarney Stone is completely overrated but I'm going to kiss it anyway!

Jenny

The Beginning

I'll be honest. I'm not sure why I created this blog. I was withering away with boredom in study hall today when my friend pulled up a blog she'd recently started. Hers, so far, was commentary on TV Shows, and it was witty and hilarious. So I thought to myself I've always wanted to create a blog. I want people to hear what I have to say. I want to find myself in my writing and commentary. I want to write down my every thoughts and feelings here. My problems with the world. The jokes I find hilarious that no one else does (yes, I am that awkward person that laughs at their own jokes, epsecially and regretably those "that's what she said" ones). But mostly I want to write about travel.
For as long as I can remember, I've been a dreamer. Seeing the world was and is all I ever want to do. But it's frustrating being seventeen and feeling stuck in small town America. I don't mean to rat on my town, because I really do love it. Places like my town give country songs meaning. I wouldn't be myself without this town and the people from it. But there's only so much one little town of less than 3000 people can do for a dreamer.
So although I can't do much about traveling right now, I can wait patiently...and write.

Jenny