Category: The Journey

This past weekend, I made a trek up to the Northern parts of Northern Ireland. On Thursday morning I booked a hostel in Portstewart over the internet, went to the bus station to purchase a ticket and away I went. Now first of all, I need to mention that I am NOT AT ALL used to bus transportation or hostel accommodations. I own a car and typically stay in hotels as most Americans do. Each item on their own I’ve done…the combination was quite new. In fact, I had no idea exactly HOW I was going to get to all the sights I wanted to see but decided I’d figure it out once I arrived.

Side note: For those of you who have never stayed in a hostel…it’s not scary like the 10-year-old  horror movie reflected. Every hostel is different in their set up but many have private rooms or dorm style rooms. Some dorms are one gender only and some are mixed with effort to accommodate as many people and as many combinations of people as possible with the least amount of hassle. Due to my last-minute booking, I had to settle for a mixed dorm bunk. It would not be my first preference due to my own safety concerns but it was all that was available. I will more than likely have to settle for it again in the future so I decided there was no time like the present to take the plunge.

Back to the story. I successfully bussed, switched busses and EVEN got off at the correct stop some three hours away from my starting point. I know, I know, heroic right?!?

I was able to find my hostel with little difficulty. When the owner showed me to my room, he said that of that moment, I was the only one in that particular dorm room. (Hip, hip hurray!) My fingers were crossed that it would stay that way. After I dropped my stuff and took a “wee” look around (as the Irish would say), I headed out for fish & chips.

Now, this is where I am amazed at how God weaves amazing threads into my story. After returning from fantastic fish & chips, I consciously decided to head to bed. I could hear other travelers chatting about in the common rooms (kitchen, dining room & living room) but I thought, “Hey, this was a pretty brave step today. I made it up here on my own and I am staying in a hostel on my own. I know one of my goals was to try to meet people but I do not really want to tonight. I will try again at breakfast.” So I crawled in bed, in the room I currently had to myself, just like an introvert who is avoiding people does and started to read.

About 20 minutes later, a knock came to the door and in walked the owner with a woman. In his delightful Irish accent He said, “You’ll have a bit of company this evening.” She introduced herself as Janine, the Scottish photographer, who was here for a short holiday. We exchanged small pleasantries and chatted about what our goals were for the following day of sight-seeing. Come to find out, our goal in sightseeing were pretty much the same. Janine said, “I’ve a car hire (rented car). You ought to come along with me. I’ve got the car anyway with more than enough space. It’s no bother, it will be good fun.” And you know what? It was.

We spent a full day on Friday together seeing the sights of Northern Ireland. Some I had seen before but was excited to see again like Giant’s Causeway…still one of my favorite places on planet earth. Some of the sights I had never seen like the Dark Hedges which you may know if you have been a Game of Thrones fan (which I am not) or you may have seen beautiful photos, often black and white of the trees arching the roadway. Janine was a delightful artistic story-teller who shared many of her life stories as we drove the windy and narrow roads of Northern Ireland. Also, she was willing to take her time to “capture the shot” with her cameras. She surprised me with a sandwich she had made for us before leaving the hostel and a bottle of water. What an amazing lady!

Now, I was not planning to return to the hostel in Portstewart. In fact, on Friday morning I had overheard the owner of the hostel state they were booked up for the evening. So I quickly made arrangements for another hostel in the old walled city of Londonderry – also known as Derry. Apparently there is still a squabble over the naming of the town between the nationalists and the unionists so they settle to call it both – “Derry/Londonderry.” Be assured, you will call it the wrong thing to the wrong person and they will correct you.  Anyway, Janine said she was wanting to see Derry/Londonderry anyway and was happy to drive me to my hostel. What a blessing.

Side note: When you book a hostel, make sure to note when the check in hours are and try to not be late. It could cause a problem.

As it became later, I realized I was not going to make the check in time at the Derry/Londonderry hostel. I was able to find two different phone numbers for the hostel and Janine allowed me to use her phone to call. One number went straight to a voicemail while the other, was “invalid”. No luck in getting in contact with the hostel.

When we arrived to the hostel, they had given my bed away since I had not checked in. The hostel was not concerned that the provided phone numbers were not working. As far as they were concerned, I did not check in on time. End of story. Luckily, Janine was planning on waiting for me just in case we had an issue.

As soon as I was turned away, Janine grabbed her phone at 11:30pm and called the owner of the original hostel in Portstewart, where she was staying another night and asked the owner if the hostel was still full. He said it was. As soon as she told him of my predicament, he said, “I’ve a bed for Tara in room 6, the same room you are in. It’s no bother.” I found out on Saturday morning that a girl had cancelled her bed at the hostel only a few hours before Janine called the owner. Miracle.

On Saturday, Janine and I set out for Derry/Londonderry again to see the beautiful walled city. We parted ways in the city and I boarded a bus for home. Janine was to head back to Scotland on Sunday.

My thoughts: Janine is a God blessed and appointed miracle to me.

1. Even in the midst of my attempts to be antisocial, God waltzed Janine into the room which I was supposed to have to my self.
2. Our sightseeing goals were pretty well the same and I hadn’t made any plan on how I was going to get around to see them. Janine offers for me to join her.
3. Janine not only was wonderful company for me but she even packed sandwiches for us! She fed me and gave me water.
4. She did not leave me in unfortunate circumstances in Derry/Londonderry but willingly waited to make sure I was okay.
5. When arrangements fell through, she wasted no time in calling the other hostel to attempt to help me…and was successful! (She was also willing to share her bunk with me at the hostel if need be.)

If I looked at each one of these pieces separately, maybe I could chalk it up to coincidence. But when I look at each as an element of the big picture, I can not help but point to an incredible God who is looking out for me in BIG ways and small details. Keep your eyes open. If you take a moment to acknowledge him in some of the details he is coordinating on your behalf, you will be in awe of the bigger picture as it unfolds and as you look back in hindsight.

Live your life in an adventure puzzle that God puts together. With every added piece, I’m giddy with excitement about where the next one will show up.

You never know when a Scottish lassie will come along to bless your life.

Me and Janine at a “Chippy”. (Fish & Chips take out).

The hostel in Portstewart.

Viewpoint just outside the hostel in Portstewart.

Giant’s Causeway. My favorite place on planet Earth.

Sites along the Causeway Coastal Route.

Glenariff Forest Park.

The Dark Hedges.

Derry/Londonderry.

Walking along the wall of the walled city, Derry/Londonderry.

Inside the walls of Derry/Londonderry.

After visiting Northern Ireland for only a day in 2013, the city of Belfast has peaked my interest ever since.

As many people probably remember, Belfast and Northern Ireland have had their fair share of segregation and hostility. It was only recently in 1998 the Protestants and Catholics made an agreement (The Good Friday Agreement) to try resolution through peaceful and Democratic means. The goal was to end 30 years of violence between the two parties plus several militia groups. Mass destruction has ceased but rebellious acts and animosity still lingers. Just take a short walk down Newtownards Road in East Belfast where you can easily see the varied messages muraled on sides of buildings ranging from pleading of unity and peace to militia calling for active defense. Most neighborhoods bear either the British flag to claim the area as Protestant or the Republic of Ireland flag laying claim to Catholic Ireland. While “The Troubles” have been physically tame, the underlying tension still remains. An obvious sign is the way people whisper when they tell me about aspects of it.

Militia group mural.

Militia group mural.

Beyond the metaphorical elephant in the room, the city is beautiful. Old Georgian style architecture mixed with new contemporary fills Belfast City Centre. River Lagan runs through the city while the harbor boasts the old ship building industry with it’s landmark  cranes, “Samson and Goliath. Belfast proudly built the famous ship, The Titanic in 1909 and has a museum to her great honor.

Samson & Goliath

Titanic Museum. Built to be as tall as the ship itself.

Since this girl is used to a grid system for cities and streets, wandering the city was a bit confusing as streets seem to go every which way. But when you do not have to been anywhere, it does not really matter.

So many sights around Belfast I could talk about and yet I have not seen enough to share. Therefore, more to come.

Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle

Belfast City Hall

The Big Fish

Good night Belfast

Following our 10 day Iceland adventure of cramped quarters, on the go travel and a never ending diet of starches, I decided to take a little downtime to catch up with myself. Now that I am traveling solo, I set a goal to transition my mind set, get some sleep and straighten out some “rare-to-me” digestive issues before taking this trip head on. I also wanted to take some alone time with God.

I found Aisling Guesthouse in Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland which is located abut 20 minutes outside of Dublin where I could have a private room to reassemble and regroup.

After I arrived the afternoon of July 22, I walked the 2km to/from the small town of Ashbourne to pick up a few groceries at Aldi. Yep, they have them here too! Instead of going out to eat, groceries are going to become really important as I now have to watch my pennies, pence, cents or whatever other currency I come upon.

On Saturday, July 23, I didn’t leave my room. I slept, took a shower, dealt with my digestive issues (let’s face it, these things are part of life), did a little research on churches in Dublin, started a Bible study on Genesis and relaxed. What a great day to unwind and gear up for what is to come.

On Sunday, I had the privilege of attending All Nations Church in Dublin. What a fantastic experience. When I walked in the door, I instantly joined a crowd of people from all different walks of life, backgrounds and ethnicities praising Jesus to songs I already knew. The lead pastor asked who was visiting for the first time – As the only American I was in good company with a woman from Trinidad and a family from Brazil who also raised their hands. The small group of maybe 60 people all unified in song and worship was amazing. The lead pastor delivered a very passionate and energetic sermon about belief in Life, Love and the Lord, which received vocal agreements and encouragement from attendees. The end of the service however, is where my heart was touched the most. I believe this experience was meant for me specifically to observe because it is a church community aspect I have been longing for.

A woman who is a regularly involved in the All Nations Church congregation approached the pastor (DURING THE SERVICE mind you, gasp!) to see if she could share what has been happening in her life this past week. She appeared to be of more Middle Eastern descent and spoke very clear English with only a hint of an accent. She started by saying that she felt a pressing on her heart to share her story and speak to the glory of God in her circumstances from the previous week. She said, “to not share what He is in the middle of doing would rob him of His glory. It would not be right.”

She shared how she was called in to work on her off day to find out she was being let go due to not having visa papers yet. She said that she has been waiting on them for some time and has not been able to find out why they are held up. With fear and sadness of having to tell her children, she said that instead of picking up her phone, she went to the foot of the cross in prayer and song. A matter of days later, the same job called her back to say that they really want her to continue working for them and will try to extend her time as long as she gets her visa soon. She praised God for his faithfulness and spoke of the deep peace in the midst of her circumstance that only He can provide. Immediately following her story, the pastor and the church prayed over her situation asking for the visa to come through this week.

Here’s what I loved about this scenario: This woman is smack dab in the middle of her situation. It has not been figured out yet. She testified to her own choice to lay down her fear, frustration, anger, defeat and instead, look for God to work out the outcome of her circumstances. She still has to jump through the legal hoops but with much greater confidence and hope. Then, she was allowed to speak to her entire church congregation so they could be praying with her. What is that going to do? It’s going to let miracles happen for the entire church to see. Now, they are all on high alert to see what and how God is going to answer her prayer(s). How much more in the moment could this church be? If there are people sitting in the audience who are “on the fence” about God and His unfailing love, what an amazing way to let them be part of the miracle in their own community. I’m telling you what, there are people watching to see how her situation unfolds.

This thought has been coming back to me over and over in the past 4-6 month: If we continue to pray and ask for God to reveal signs, wonders and miracles but are not publicly acknowledging even the smallest of miracles He IS doing right in front of our faces, then why on earth are we bothering to continue asking?

Years ago, I saw t-shirt that said, “Camping, what’s the point?”  I stared at it for some time and thought, “Wow Hollister, you really ‘get’ me.”  Apparently the shirt ‘got’ a lot of people because the only sizes available were XS and XXL.

Nonetheless, it’s true. I typically do not care for camping. Don’t get me wrong, I do not need luxury accommodations and am willing to go for days without a shower. In the end, I struggle with just a few key points: bugs, boredom and lack of running water . . . probably in that order.

As I saw photos of Iceland, the dream to see it with my own eyes grew in me.  From mountains to valleys, from volcanoes to glaciers, from waterfalls to desolate rock – I wanted to see it all. How do people not only live, but thrive here?

On top of my own dreaming, my dad mentioned interest in Iceland a number of times in the past couple years. It is important to note: my dad does not typically verbalize specific destination interests. He takes motorcycle trips but most times talks about his bike first and then thinks about where to take it. The focus is on the motorcycle, not the destination. The biker motto, “It’s all about the journey, not the destination,” has been true for him.

As my travel plans began to narrow down and Iceland looked more realistic, I approached my dad to see if he was interested in going with me. He and I had never taken a long trip together, just the two of us. The past decade of intentionally and actively strengthening our relationship allowed this adventure to become a reality.

And from then on, plans unfolded. It took lots of research and budgeting to figure out how we were going to travel around the country. We tried for a small motor home with full amenities to find the only one in our price range was no longer being offered. Now, we had a decision to make – do we rent a car and stay in hotels/guesthouses/hostels or rent a campervan which is the equivalent of a minivan with a bed in the back? Cost-wise, it was a more effective use of our time and money to go with the campervan. It supplied more flexibility in travel distances and overnight locations. Also, we paid only one price for transportation AND overnight stays instead of separate costs.

Back to the camping – I do not care for camping but I desperately long for adventure. The sacrifice (both financial and mental/emotional) was worth these past ten adventurous days with my dad. When we pulled off the road with no one else around, together we clumsily climbed our way through loose lava rock to the top of an old volcano where we were able to see down into the opening of one of the rich, dark red lava tubes; the only words either of us could muster were “Wow.” This moment with my dad will forever be deeply impressed in my mind and my heart.

Even if all I took away was this one memory, the cost of the adventure with my dad would have been completely worth it.

Live for the adventure, not for the camping.

Well, there are a few things I was not prepared for when I planned to blog in Iceland.

1. We are traveling around in a minivan which doubles to a camper with a large mattress taking up the entire back. While there is hotspot WiFi included in the vehucle, it is difficult to sit with a laptop in the passenger seat while going past spectacular scenery.

2. The laptop demands more WiFi than our hotspot can easily produce so it gets “stuck” quite a bit.

3. Towns are extremely small. Many businesses offer WiFi but we really haven’t been stopping in a town long enough to take full advantage of it.

4. I have no outlet available for my computer to recharge. My phone is easy enough to use a USB adapter in the van but not for my laptop. I have been very choosey to use the battery.

I will do my darnedest to keep up with the blog via phone until I can have better access with my laptop. Please forgive me for any typos. 😃

For now, please enjoy some photos of Iceland:

Pingvellir National Park

Pingvellir National Park

Gullfoss

Myrdalsjökull Glacier

Glacier Lagoon, Höfn

Lighthouse over the Atlantic

Drive along the Eastern Icelandic shore

Sheep EVERYWHERE!

On the drive to Seydisfjördur.

On the drive to Seydisfjördur.

Seydisfjördur, Iceland

Seydisfjördur, Iceland

Seydisfjördur, Iceland