2025 Europe Travel Series: Part 8 of 8
From the very beginning, I knew my trip through Europe was going to change me. However, what I didn’t know was how deeply Ireland would.
By the time I reached Ireland, I had already been cracked open by Iceland, tested by London, and anchored by Madrid. Ireland was different. Ireland was the part of the journey that asked me to trust myself completely… without guarantees, without comfort, and without an easy way out.
Before I Even Arrived
While I was still in Iceland, I could feel the anxiety building. London made me nervous, but Ireland sincerely scared me.
I intentionally booked an Airbnb in the middle of the country… three hours from Dublin. Therefore, I rented a car because public transportation simply wouldn’t work for where I wanted to stay and go. And not just any car… a car in a country where you drive on the left side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right.
Then I did what we all do… I Googled.
I learned the roads were narrow especially in the countryside… sometimes barely wide enough for one car, yet meant for two-way traffic. Stone fences lining the edges. Buses. Tractors. Curves you can’t see around.
And I remember thinking, what did I get myself into?
But there was no backing out. I had already chosen this.
Day One: Fear in Motion
Leaving the car rental place, I kept repeating the same words to myself:
Left. Stay on the left. Left. Just stay on the left. You can do this. You’re safe.
Highways were fine. The countryside was not. The roads got narrower. Curvier. Then, tall grass walls sometimes blocked my view of oncoming cars. As a result, every time a vehicle appeared from the opposite direction, my heart raced.
There were castles I wanted to stop at… ruins I had pinned on the map… but there was nowhere to park. No shoulder. No space. Just stone walls and trust.
It was nerve-wracking. But I kept going.
By the time I reached my Airbnb that evening, I felt something shift. I was exhausted, yes… but I was also proud. I had done something that scared me. A woman, alone, in a foreign country, driving for the first time on the left side of the road, staying in the middle of nowhere. And I was okay.
The Gratitude That Lived Alongside the Fear
Meanwhile, the next day I drove to the west coast. Driving on R477 was absolutely stunning, with breathtaking views of the Burren’s unique limestone landscape. R477 is a highly scenic coastal route and absolutely terrifying when buses come from the opposite side of the road. It is often narrow with no shoulder.
Yet, even while I was anxious most of the time, I was also deeply grateful and thankful to be able to be in Ireland, and experience that gorgeous scenery.
Ireland was stunning beyond anything I expected. Green in every direction. Rolling hills. Sheep that shimmered in the sunlight like something unreal. Clear skies, sunshine, and a softness in the land that felt like medicine.
They say it rains all the time in Ireland… but I was gifted days of sun. And I soaked in every mile, every road, every breath of air like my soul knew I needed it.
Earth. Nature. Grounding.
Exactly what I had been craving.
Rest Was Part of the Journey
After those first intense days of driving, I chose rest.
I stayed in. First, I journaled in The Magic Within Manifestation Journal. Then, I did some computer work. Afterward, I visited the garden of my Airbnb. Finally, I let my nervous system settle.
That rest wasn’t avoidance… it was integration.
My anxiety had been running high after the first two days of driving, and I needed time to calm my nervous system, relax, and gather myself before continuing. That pause gave me the strength to keep going.
And something incredible happened.
The next day, I felt different.
I Graduated
I got back in the car… and it didn’t scare me anymore. In that moment, I remembered I had driven on narrow roads before in Puerto Rico. The only thing that had felt scary in Ireland was the driving on the left, and now that fear had passed.
I drove to Cork.
To Blarney Castle.
In the rain.
On narrow roads like I owned them.
And I realized… I wasn’t thinking about driving anymore. Instead, I was just driving.
I had crossed a threshold.
The thing that terrified me days before no longer had power over me.
Diamond Hill: Proof in My Body
On the fifth day, instead of more tourist stops, I chose nature. I wanted to connect with Ireland through the land itself. A solo hike felt like the perfect way to ground, listen, and let everything integrate.
So, I hiked to the top of Diamond Hill (1,450 ft) in Connemara, Ireland.
Steep. Windy.
Thirty-plus knot winds at the top.
Rain rolling in.
My body tired. My legs burning.
But I made it.
And standing there, wind pushing against me, I knew something clearly:
Madrid had prepared me for that moment. Every mile I walked there mattered. Every choice I made along this journey was stacking strength.
If I hadn’t trusted myself then, I wouldn’t have been standing there now.
What Ireland Taught Me
Ireland didn’t just teach me how to drive on the left side of the road.
It taught me how to trust myself again.
It showed me that fear doesn’t mean stop… it means pay attention because expansion is calling and courage is the doorway.
That confidence comes after action, not before.
That rest is not weakness… it’s wisdom.
That life expands the moment we step beyond our comfort zone.
Most of all, it reminded me of who I am when I don’t back down.
I am capable.
I am resilient.
And, I am brave… even when I’m scared.
That everything aligns the moment I choose what truly sets my soul on fire.
The Road That Liberated Me
Ireland was the place where I didn’t just face fear… I moved through it.
In doing so, it liberated me from doubt.
From hesitation.
From shrinking myself.
More than that, this journey didn’t just give me memories… it helped me regain my trust.
Trust in my body.
Trust in my decisions.
And trust in the life I am actively choosing to live.
That freedom is one I will carry with me long after the road ends.
Healing isn’t linear, and neither is courage… it moves, bends, pauses, and rises again. There are moments in life when we trust ourselves deeply, and others where life shakes that trust through experiences we didn’t expect.
Sometimes trusting yourself means doing something completely new… like driving on the left side of the road… heart racing, doubts loud, but choosing to go anyway. Ireland became a reminder that courage and trust grow together.
Ireland reminded me that my intuition never left… it is always there waiting for me to listen again. That even when doubt creeps in, I am still guided. And that I am always exactly where I’m meant to be, learning, becoming, and trusting again… one step at a time.
This marks the final chapter of my 2025 Europe Travel Series.
What began as a journey across countries became a journey back to myself — and I’m deeply grateful for every step, every lesson, and every version of me that showed up along the way.
Journal Prompt for You
Where in your life are you being asked to trust yourself again — even if the road feels unfamiliar? What might become possible if you chose courage anyway?
If you’re ready to live more intentionally, explore your inner world, and get into true alignment with what you desire… my Reiki-infused guided journals are here to support your journey.
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If you missed previous parts of my Europe Travel Series, you can read it here:
Part 1: Iceland: The Beginning of an Adventure →
Part 2: Iceland: The Beginning of Becoming →
Part 3: London: My First True Solo Adventure →
Part 4: London: Where Becoming Met Courage →
Part 5: Madrid: Walking Through Its Doors of Discovery →
Part 6: Madrid: Where Alignment →
Part 7: Ireland: Castles, Cliffs & Wild Beauty →
