Dreaming of Travel: Needing to Decide Soon ...

Cork City, Ireland

This afternoon a colleague stopped me on the stairs of our faculty building. Have you decided? she asked. She didn't have to explain. At our college, summer begins in two weeks. Everyone is talking about their upcoming trips to London, Istanbul, Croatia. Most of my friends are far better planners than I am. I'm decidedly slow. There are so many places in the world to visit. How to choose just one? Or two? And let's be honest. My last international trip ended in wildfires and an early evacuation home. Travel is complicated. Like love.

And yet I need it to feel alive. Travel challenges me and makes me confront the unknown within the world and within my own body. I promised my friend (she has at least four separate trips planned this summer!) that I would work on getting something figured out. And immediately I remembered an artist residency in Ireland that I'd read about - Anam Cara in the southwest of Ireland. Then I remembered I had friends in Ireland. I like to travel to artist residencies and I like to see friends in faraway places -- places that I have some familiarity with. This would be my third trip to Ireland but my first trip to the southern area.

My goal is to decide on an adventure by the end of the weekend. This is the time of year that airline tickets start to skyrocket. Kayak says three tickets left at this price! I am open to any and all suggestions.
Where was your best travel experience? Where shall I wander this time.