Turning a dream into reality
The Dark Hedges, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Long before my mom passed away, we always talked about traveling to Europe. She had a penpal she’d been corresponding with in England for many years and my older sister had pen friends in both England and Northern Ireland. We’d have fun looking through travel brochures when they arrived in the mail and always hoped one day maybe it would be possible.
While my mother never did have the opportunity to travel abroad, the dream finally came true for me when I married my husband. We took our honeymoon overseas to visit his family in England and Scotland. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to travel abroad a number of times. But one of these extra special trips was with my sister.
My older sister, Shelly, has been corresponding with a pen friend in Northern Ireland since she was in second grade. She and Iris have exchanged numerous letters, photos, gifts, phone conversations and more recently, email, for more than 45 years. I finally decided it was time for the two of us to make the journey our mother had hoped to take all those years ago.
The gorgeous green countryside, Northern Ireland
I think both parties were a bit nervous and excited to meet for the first time. But all that uncertainty quickly melted away and we became fast friends. Iris and her family took us all over the country to show us their beautiful homeland. The Dark Hedges and Ballintoy Harbour were both filmed in “The Game of Thrones!” The Giants Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No words can adequately describe how amazing it is in person.
Ballintoy Harbour, Northern Ireland
Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
Every evening, we’d end our fun-filled day at Iris’s home, sit in her cozy living room and have a “cuppa.” It was wonderful. Over tea, we’d talk and laugh and talk and talk. What could be better? Well, actually, a good night’s sleep would have been great. For some reason, I just couldn’t get to sleep until well into the early hours of the morning. It wasn’t until the last night at the hotel that it occurred to me what the culprit was.
No more late night tea for me!
Shelly and I then flew to England where we toured the sights, went to the theater and enjoyed the bustling atmosphere. But it was our trip to meet Iris and her family that made this trip one that we’ll never forget. It was like a dream come true.