The Places I've Wandered

The Sound of Gravel

Kylemore Abbey, Connemara

I love the sound of tires on gravel. There's something about that crunch that can put me completely at ease.

When I walked through the walled garden at Kylemore Abbey, the gravel sounded exactly like the kind I remember from childhood. Every Sunday, while my dad drove around looking for a parking spot at church, I'd listen to the tires crunch over the little stones.

So when I heard it again at Kylemore, I stopped and recorded it.

Same sound. Different place. Still hypnotic.

THE PLACES I'VE WANDERED

Where My Feet Landed

01 / 08

Flight into Dublin

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01 / 08

The Gothic Church (Kylemore Abbey)

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The Evening I Sat Down

Salthill, Galway

I wanted to head into Salthill, and from my bed and breakfast it was easy. I took a right, walked about seven minutes, and there I was.

I'd just bought my yarn, so I brought it with me and decided to start crocheting. I found a picnic table outside, ordered a pint, a burger and fries, and settled in with my hook.

People were talking around me, laughing, coming and going. I could see the water in the distance. I was by myself, but I didn't feel like I had to be doing anything about it.

I was beginning to realize that this was what being away from home felt like. I could talk to people when I wanted to. I could wander when I wanted to. Or I could sit at a picnic table with my crochet and listen to everyone else for a while.

So that's what I did.

It was just a quiet evening in Salthill, but I remember looking at my pint, my yarn, and the water beyond the table and thinking, I'm really here.

Quick and smooth 8 minute flight from Connemara Airport to Inishmore Aran Islands #travelw

THE 8 MINUTE FLIGHT

Over Galway Bay

I had two ways to get to Inis Mór: take the ferry or take an eight-minute flight.

I've taken plenty of ferries before, but I'd heard the sea around the Aran Islands could be rough. Then I found out I could fly instead.

An eight-minute flight. In a tiny, noisy propeller plane with about ten seats.

I was excited. I was nervous. And then I got on the plane anyway.

Eight minutes later, I was looking down at Galway Bay. The view was incredible, but what I noticed most was that I wasn't nervous anymore. I'd been curious enough to push past the part of me that was saying, Are you sure about this?

Apparently, yes. I was sure. I've taken that little flight twice now. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

THE SHEEP HAD OTHER PLANS

Somewhere On The Road In Connemara

I came around a bend and found seven or eight sheep walking straight down the middle of the road.

They weren't concerned about me. They weren't concerned about traffic. They certainly weren't in a hurry.

So I pulled over and grabbed my phone. I remember thinking, Yep. I'm in Ireland.

The sheep wandered along, completely unbothered, and I watched them for a while before carrying on.

It was a small thing, but it was exactly the kind of thing I had hoped would happen on this trip. I hadn't planned for it. I hadn't gone looking for it. I just happened to come around the bend.

And maybe the sheep had the right idea. I wasn't in any hurry either.

WHY I GO TO IRELAND

... FOR YARN!?

Rain on the car. Birds in the trees. The whir of a spinning wheel. Lambs calling from the field.

This is why I go to Ireland for yarn.

I could buy yarn without getting on a plane. I know that. But I like knowing where the yarn begins.

I like seeing the sheep, watching the wool being spun, hearing the rain, and wandering into places I wouldn't have found at home.

And sometimes I get to hold a baby lamb.

So, yes. I go to Ireland for yarn. But that's not really the whole story.

I HAD TO TURN AROUND

Recess, Connemara

I was driving from Connemara Airport toward Clifden when I passed a little shop called Joyce's Craft Shop.

I saw the yarn through the windows.

Then I saw the giant statue across the road. And I kept driving. For about thirty seconds.

Then I turned the car around.

I went into Joyce's and found beautiful yarn, clothing, local artwork, and all kinds of things I could have spent hours looking through. I knew immediately I wanted to come back.

So I did.

The next day, after exploring Clifden, I drove back to Recess specifically to visit the shop. That's where I found the three yarns that became the Mountains, Gorse, and Clifden Buildings pieces.

Sometimes you don't know you've found somewhere important until you drive past it. Sometimes you just need to turn around.

THE QUIETEST CONVERSATION

Why I Travel to Ireland During Lambing Season _ Killary Sheep Farm Sneak Peek (1).mp4

Killary Sheep Farm, Connemara

I had never seen anything like it.

P.J. stood hundreds of yards away from the sheep, directing his sheepdog with barely more than a quiet voice. The dog was still in training, but watching the two of them work together was incredible.

P.J. depended on the dog to move the sheep where they needed to go, and the dog depended on P.J. to tell him where to go next. There was no shouting. No rushing. No drama.

Just a man, a dog, and a flock of sheep moving together. I stood there watching and thought, Oh, look at that! Sometimes the most impressive things are the ones that look effortless.