A Spoonful of Worlds

“Do you really mean, sir,” said Peter, “that there could be other worlds – all over the place – just around the corner – like that?”

“Nothing more probable,” said the Professor, taking off his spectacles, and beginning to polish them while he muttered to himself, “I wonder what they do teach them at these schools.”

 

ireland is a place rooted in legend and magic. almost everywhere you look here, there is a story to tell. whether it was a real story that happened, or a story someone made up, everything has a story. and everyone believes in the magic and the power of storytelling. it’s one of the reasons i was drawn to this beautiful place to learn songs. songs have stories. i never really believed in past lives, or other worlds, but there have been moments the past few years, and especially here in Ireland, that i’ve had moments, rememberings, that have made me wonder.

 

 

this past week a few of us took a road trip to northern ireland. it’s a completely different country with different currency, different laws, everything. but an absolutely beautiful place. there was something genuine about it. one of our friends lives just outside of belfast, so we were lucky enough to be welcomed into his home with open arms. there’s almost nothing better than irish hospitality, good conversation with heartfelt laughs, and a warm beef stew.

our first full day there, we traveled to the Giants Causeway. for those of you who have no idea what this is, it’s a bunch of molten rock that formed to look like steps leading out into the ocean. it’s actually quite incredible. legend has it that a giant built a bridge going over to scotland to fight the other giant that lived on that side. after seeing the giant, he ran back over to ireland where he dressed up as a baby. the scotland giant came across to ireland and upon seeing this massive  baby, decided that if this massive baby is the baby of the giant, then the giant must be huge! so after a few tests put together by the wife of the baby giant, the scottish giant decided NOPE and ran across the bridge, to have it destroyed, so the irish giant could never come across again. fascinating actually if you think about it. and who’s to say it’s not true 🙂

 

to the side of these rock formations, is of course, a cliff. so obviously, we climbed the cliff. luckily it wasn’t so taxing that we passed out, so after making it to the top we took a few moments to sit down and marvel at the sunshine. once again my gut stirred with the desire to be able to paint. the way the sun shone off the grass so green it looked like fabric. the light that sparkled against the water and the blue that connected the sky with the sea. ireland has brought a whole new meaning to breathtaking. i have been left breathless more times here than i can count. i feel like i have missed out on so much. it’s wonders like this that we should be experiencing every day. maybe we do, we just do not take the time to notice them…

 

 

some of us went wandering in the mud. i decided to sit back and contemplate life. 

some of you may ask what i was thinking about? i was honestly trying not to cry. i have yet to figure out what part of me gets so emotional in moments like this… maybe the artist? the empath? the romantic? the believer? maybe it’s all of them at the same time which is what brings on such strong emotions. in moments like this, my problems seem so small. my life seems so small. its an emotional experience standing on top of a place so full of light. so full of life. knowing so much has come before you and will come after you. wind that whispers secrets to you… almost from another time and seems to push you in a different direction. sounds that make you realize why music was invented in the first place and helps you realize where it came from. its no mystery to me why so many believers and dreamers are born here. live here. come back here. it’s places like this that inspired art in the first place. inspired love. i feel like it’s a birthplace of these things and it puts my life into perspective.

there are some things, people, and places you just know. feel familiar about. this cliff side was one of them. italy was one of them. singing is one of them. things that when you take the moment to appreciate them, actually give you a sense of knowing. it’s strange and i cant explain it, but i know i haven’t wandered into any wardrobes in my lifetime. however, maybe ive traveled these places in my dreams. it’s a comforting thing finding something that your soul seems to recognize. a sense of knowing you’re where you’re supposed to be. i find it rarely, but when i do, it makes me want to cry.

that’s what i was thinking about.

 

 

 

 

after that adventure we went on a whiskey tour – which was incredible!

and finished the evening performing live music in a pub session in town. it’s moments like these that i’m grateful for as well. moments where music is actually so simple and played just for enjoyment. more of life should be that way.

 

 

 

the next day we visited Queens University, the C.S. Lewis room where we actually had to walk through the wardrobe, the titanic museum, Belfast castle, and finished the evening playing card games while we went on a pub crawl. each pub was different and had different beautiful things to offer! it was so much fun laughing and being competitive while taking in the sights and sounds of belfast at night. this is what friendship is for 🙂