6 Countries in 6 Weeks | Part 2: Ireland
Bikes, Alpacas, and the Art of Actually Sleeping In
After stumbling off a 6am flight from Morocco (fueled by exactly zero sleep and one too many espresso martinis), I found myself on a bus to Letterkenny for TBEX—one of my favorite travel creator conferences. My idea of recovery involves immediately hopping on another form of transportation—sick, I know.
Donegal: Where My Exhaustion Met Irish Hospitality
My friend Terry picked me up, my friend Kim gave me a quick tour of our Airbnb, and after dinner and exactly one glass of wine, I was lights out. I slept until 9:30am—which for someone who usually runs on adrenaline and caffeine is basically hibernation. After catching up on work (because the emails never stop, even in Ireland), we hit up Tesco for supplies. Irish Walmart, here we come.
72 Kilometers of "Why Did I Think This Was a Good Idea?"
The next morning, I had one of those brilliant ideas that sound amazing until you're actually doing them. We took a bus to Carrick to rent e-bikes for a 72-kilometer round trip to the coast. And let me tell you—the Irish countryside is absolutely stunning, which is great because I needed something beautiful to distract me from my questionable, confidently athletic life choices.
Nothing says "we’re biking through the Irish countryside" like matching high-vis vests and windswept hair.
We stopped for lunch in the folk village of Glencolmcille (try saying that three times fast), where I devoured hearty soup, brown bread with butter, and a toasty ham sandwich. Then came the cruel reality: biking uphill after a carb-heavy meal. Thank god for turbo mode on the e-bike, because without it, I'd probably still be there, slowly pedaling my way back to civilization.
The soup and brown bread at Glencolmcille that fueled my decision to bike 72 kilometers
Fun fact: This was Liam Neeson’s house In the Lands of Saints and Sinners, and honestly, everything about this place is just so wholesome it makes your heart hurt in the best way.
Quiet on set! Exploring one the filming locations for a movie was pretty epic.
It rained the entire ride back and I was in a complete food coma, yet somehow it was perfect. I took a nap (because I'm 80 now), then headed to a local pub for a trad session—where locals gather to play instruments together. It was as charming and adorable as it sounds, until we moved to a second bar with our TBEX crew and things got...spirited. There was an incredibly talented singer doing mashups, people were VERY excited, Irish songs were sung, and beds were eventually found.
Meeting Buttons: My New Alpaca Best Friend
The next day brought one of the highlights of my fall: alpaca walking at Wild Alpaca Way in Malin Head. John McGonagle and his family established this place in 2019 to preserve the countryside in its original state while giving these gentle creatures a home.
I was paired with Buttons—described as "middle of the pack" in the alpaca hierarchy.
Meeting Buttons, my alpaca walking partner at Wild Alpaca Way.
Buttons and I have similar energy—not the head honcho, but he knows how to hold his own. He initially refused to walk on his leash (let’s be real, I would too), which I thought was attitude until I realized he just really had to pee. For a very long time. Once he handled his business, we were off to see some of the most breathtaking views Donegal has to offer.
By the end of our walk, I'd somehow become the unofficial alpaca holder and found myself managing three of them while other people shopped. Zero complaints—they're basically therapy animals with snuggly hair that made me miss my dog back home. Hi Rigby!
Conference Life and the Best Clam Chowder Ever
TBEX was everything I hoped for—reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and attending sessions that actually made me better at this whole travel business thing. The standout meal was at No. 9 Market Square, where I had the best clam chowder of my life.
I'm not exaggerating—it was life-changing soup.
Drinkable TBEX art.
The conference wrapped up with wine tastings (because I haven’t learned my lesson about alcohol and early mornings YET), sea salt demonstrations, and train rides through the Irish countryside. I went to bed early like some kind of responsible adult. Not one hangover in Ireland—who even am I anymore?
The Great Car Breakdown of 2024
On our final morning, I tried to keep my luggage under the weight limit (spoiler: I didn’t!), wrapped up a podcast recording, and treated myself to the most delicious eggs benedict from the local coffee shop.
Our driver Joe picked us up and casually mentioned his brakes weren't working well—which seemed like an odd time to share that information with an hour-long drive ahead of us.
Cozy in the car on our way to the airport.
Sure enough, the car broke down. Joe had to call for backup, and somehow they managed to Tetris all our luggage into a much smaller replacement vehicle. We said goodbye to Joe (I genuinely hope he made it home safely) and made it to the airport, where I bought an Irish whistle and immediately tested it to make sure it worked. I put it away quickly before getting banned from flying Aer Lingus indefinitely.
The Real Vacation Begins
As we boarded our next flight, I realized something pretty significant: this was the beginning of my first real vacation since starting my travel business four years ago. No group to manage, no logistics to coordinate, no one else's experience to worry about—just me, finally getting to be a regular traveler again.
Ireland gave me exactly what I didn't know I needed: permission to sleep in, the reminder that sometimes the best adventures involve questionable decisions and broken-down cars, and proof that even someone whose job is literally traveling can still be surprised by how magical a place can be.
Next stop: Albania! Spoiler alert: my luggage is still overweight, I'm still buying random things I don't need, and I'm still having the time of my life.
