What the Irish people taught me about life in just four short days

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Jeremy Branham at the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin

Photo by Jeremy Branham

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For all our material possessions, power, influence, and success, the Irish people know something many of us don’t. It’s the Irish craic. It’s hard to explain. You have to connect with these people to understand how genuine and interesting they are and why they get life.

For all of Ireland’s beauty, there is nothing that comes close to the beauty of these people.  Ireland’s greatest export is its people. After visiting Ireland, your best memories will be those conversations with the Irish people that you met. Ireland has reminded me that it’s connecting with people that really matters.

To Nicola, Fiona, Colm, Orlaith, Sean, Eamonn, Rex, Kevin, Marina, and the many others that I had conversations with in Ireland – thank you. I am not ashamed to say I fell in love with your people. I am proud to call many of you my friends now. You mean more to me than you realize.  You reminded me what matters.

You’ve given me the chance to think about my travels. I write about destinations and try to be honest and interesting. I’ve learned a lot of life lessons through travel.

However, I’ve become less and less concerned with how many people read what I write. What matters to me are the people I meet and the relationships I am building. Thank you for that lesson.

As I leave Ireland, I won’t forget you. I hope you won’t forget me either. Then again, Irish people don’t need to be told how much our connections matter. It’s all a part of the Irish craic.

*Jeremy Branham is an avid world traveller, based in Columbia, who runs the website Budget Travel Adventures.

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