Day Three: CAR Trek

You already know the drill, I woke up and had breakfast with Maggie. We left Derry at around 9am but before leaving we made a stop at the Derry Girls mural and took pictures. I have never seen Derry Girls but seeing the mural gave me the motivation to give it a try once I have the chance. After the mural we headed to arguably one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life - Grianan of Aileach. Grianan of Aileach is a stone fortress dating back to 1700 BC and is said to have been built by the gods of the underworld. I touched some of the stones in the fortress and had a sort of derealization moment at the fact that I was touching something WAY older than Christ himself. From Grianan of Aileach we ventured further into Donegal and toured the Glenveagh Castle. The castle was built then sold to various different owners who added their own mark to the castle. The castle featured lavish rooms and had an expansive garden that the group and I explored after the inside tour. Then we got something to eat at a tea shop on the property and left Glenveagh Castle to head for our hotel. In total we spent around 6 hours in the car today.

I think that todays theme would be home and passage of time. Everything that I saw today had an overarching theme of home and how that may look different to people. Through the Derry mural I saw how the Derry community banded together to honor the success of the Derry Girls show as well as to show pride in their city. At Grianan of Aileach I saw how the fortress provided a safe place for people to live and how the people of ancient Ireland survived. Finally, at the Glenveagh Castle I saw home people make their mark of the places that they call home.

Today made me reflect on what I call home. I call the US my home, Nebraska, Omaha, my house, and my room home. But what makes them home to me other than my physical location? And how have I made a mark on my home?

More to come tomorrow!

Love,

Rowan

Also I have seen two rainbows on this trip and I'm feeling very lucky right now