Day Five: M*A*R*Y

Today was a very travel heavy day. We left our hotel in Sligo and took a scenic route to Galway. On our scenic drive to Galway we stopped at St. Patrick's mountain (Croagh Patrick to see the St. Patrick statue and pray. On the way down from the statue we learned about the moving statues of Ireland. In the 1980's a group of Irish children visited the Mary statue at the base of Croagh Patrick and were given a message by the moving Mary statue. Our family of eight + John payed our respects to Mary at the statue before visiting the famine memorial across the road. The memorial was really powerful. It depicted a coffin boat - a boat sent to another country filled with starving Irish (forced) immigrants - covering in skeletons. After taking time to appreciate the art and honor those affected we returned to the bus. From there we continue on the route and stopped for lunch in Leenaun at a cafe called The Purple Door. Once the group was finished with lunch we visited a local shop where I bought souvenirs for my family (I will not disclose what the gifts were because I know my family reads this). After about an hour and a half we continued on the road until arriving in Galway. First sight we saw in Galway was the Galway Cathedral where I took this picture of a statue of the Virgin Mary. Inside the church we took pictures and took personal time to be mindful. Some members of the group prayed while others just appreciated the architecture. We all loaded back up on the bus and went to our hotel to take a break for a bit. Once we got our naps and showers in we went shopping and bought more than we probably should have.

Todays theme is appreciation. Throughout every activity I felt a deep appreciation for the people and places around me. Even when we were shopping, I felt appreciative of my family even though they are thousands of miles away from me. Missing home but also having the time of my life. I wonder if I could go to school out here.

See you tomorrow team

Love,

Rowan