saoirse

   

     The last few weeks of my Irish Adventure changed my life forever. As many of you know, I have wanted a dog for many years. In Ireland, while volunteering at a horse rescue, my wish came true.
     Life isn't easy. All of us go through hard times now and then. I understand this all to well. I've made it through a lot in my life, even in just the past few years. It was no wonder I fell in love with a little doggy who had been through a lot, just like me.
     We were visiting a horse rescue - 'Hungry Horse Outside' if you would like to donate - where the group wanted to volunteer. Hilary, one of the people who works at the rescue, works every single day of the year in order to care for these rescued horses.
     When she invited us into the house for tea, we met a little doggy with no name. She pawed at me, so I picked her up and put her on my lap. She just about fell asleep right there. She was trusting and loving right off the bat.
     Hilary explained to me what poor shape this little girl had come in. She had had no hair on her ears or face, and almost died twice in the care of the shelter.
     The next time we went to the rescue, the whole group came along. We wrangled some sheep, and brushed ponies for the day. Fiona of Whitehill eco farm was determined for me to bring this little girl home, and when Fiona puts her mind to something, it happens.
     We brought her home that day, and the next thing we needed to do was give her a name. Shane, a member of the group, mentioned that 'saoirse' means freedom in Gaelic. Since my parents agreed I should name her something Irish, and everyone seemed to approve, that's what we went with!  
     The day we brought Saoirse home was one of the best days of my life. I have Fiona and my parents, and of course Hilary, to thank for that.
     In the next few weeks, Saoirse got adjusted to life in Bundrowes house. We had many walks on the beach and field trips in the bus. Saoirse even got to spend two weeks with aunty Fiona and her best friend, Puppy!
     We had to say goodbye to Ireland, and now she is safely living at home with me in the USA. There are no beaches here, but she gets lots of walks and is doing her job. You see, we did not go into this lightly. She is my emotional support animal. In August, if everything goes to plan, she will even be coming to college with me.
     Saoirse is home and made my last few weeks in Ireland that much more amazing. Thanks to all the people who helped get her home!

Ireland week 7

This week we went on a ton of fun day trips and did some pretty amazing things. The week started off with a beautiful day kayaking around off the coast of Bundoran with Killian. We made it out to this place where we could go cliff jumping. I didn't jump, because my whole life I have been told not to jump off cliffs. It was good fun seeing everybody's reactions though, and kayaking was awesome too.

     On Tuesday, we went to Whitehill Eco Farm to learn about the history of Ballyshannon, which is said to be one of the oldest towns in Ireland. We went on a history walk with Bernadette and saw many cool things. We saw the oldest bridge in Ireland, St. Patrick's well and wishing tree, and a mass grave from the famine, among other things. We finished the day with a giant home cooked meal that was very good, and greatly appreciated.

     Wednesday I fell in love. Fiona and Ryan took three of us to a horse rescue center and we got to see the animals there. It is a really cool organization called 'hungryhorse outside' and they have tons of horses there that have been rescued from awful places. They also have dogs, and here is where my love story begins.
     I met this dog, and as some of you know already I am looking to adopt a dog already. Well, I fell in love with her that day. Now, after talking with my parents, I am trying to adopt her. I'll have a conclusive answer this week from the shelter, and I will keep you posted.

     We finished off Wednesday with a very fun all girls hike around horseshoe glen. I found eleven slugs and also one dead sheep. Besides the poor dead animal, we had a wonderful time! The rain decided to wait for us to finish our hike, and it was a really fun hour and a half. We came home to a meal cooked by the boys for us, which was delightful.

     Thursday we went to Dublin for the night. After a very entertaining Viking duck boat tour, we had thai food and ice cream and spent lots of good time together. The next day, Mary, Lucrezia and I went to get a guided tour of the Dublin Castle, which is not a castle anymore but a palace and is very cool. We learned a lot about the history of Dublin based on the artifacts and old structures there, and it was very cool.

     That was it for our first trip to Dublin! After the drive back we were greeted with a home cooked meal from Rita and had a wonderful night in. The trip was loads of fun.
     Yesterday we went to the ropes course here. We had buddies for the day and had to do it together. Shane and I rocked it. It was hard work, especially for those who are afraid of heights, but everyone in the group pushed themselves and achieved something.

     The week was jam packed full of things to do and every day was awesome. It's hard to believe this trip is already halfway over. Sorry there are not many photos this time, i will add them when i can. My computer is being a pain.

Ireland so far...

Our beautiful Bundrowes House

The past six weeks have been six of the most amazing weeks of my life. I have been able to explore different Irish cities, go on incredible hikes, and volunteer with the local community. It's been absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to see what the second six weeks has in store for me.
     We started off our travels with a trip to Galway, which was really cool. After having some time to explore local shops and see the sights, we were able to take a ferry to the Aran Islands. They were really cool. We learned a lot about the history of the island and got to see many different parts of it. It was awesome.

The Aran Islands

      Galway, we stayed in a hostel. It was the first time I had ever stayed in one, so it was cool to get that experience for the first time. Some members of the group even had to cook dinner in the hostel. We listened to drunk men singing for an hour one night, and one of them pulled the fire alarm and we had to evacuate. It was a really interesting place, to say the least.

playing pool in the hostel

     The next few days back in Bundoran were fabulous as well, of course. We visited a historical site called Kylemore Abbey, went to see Slieve league, and spent a day on Whitehill Eco Farm planting trees. Every day here is good fun no matter what we do. I really like working on the farm, and all the hikes we do on random days. It's all good fun.

Me and Marley working hard in the polytunnels

     We continued to go on amazing hikes and work in the poly tunnels on the farm in the next few days. The poly tunnels were so cool. It is a working farm that grows eleven types of organic lettuce for restaurants in the area. I have a lot of fun working there and I cannot wait to go back.
     Our next trip was to Belfast, where we saw the Titanic museum and got to explore the city. I learned a lot there about the history of the city, and got to see some really cool parts of it. It was lots of good fun.

The Giant's causeway, one of the coolest places ever  and the titanic museum

Getting ready for the parade

     After Belfast, it was time to work on the float. We worked with the youth group, Foroige, to build a float for the St. Patricks day parade. It was lots of hard work, but also very fun and we ended up winning the parade, gaining 500 euro for the youth group.
     After St. Patrick's day we were off to county Clare for some outdoor adventure. We hiked up Crough Patrick, explored a mine, held a lamb, hiked from a nearby town all the way to the cliffs of Moher, and just had an amazing four days. It was probably the best trip so far, because we gppt to spend so much time outside enjoying the great weather and the beautiful scenery that Ireland has to offer.

the cliffs of moher

     We just got back from that last trip, and this week has a lot in store. Now that I finally have a working computer, I will be updating this blog every Sunday.  Thank you for reading! Until next time.

Ireland Weeks 1&2

So I'm in Ireland! That's pretty cool. This is for sure my dream vacation.
Last week we were  introduced to the Bundrowes house, which is an old house in which we are currently living. We went on a reflection hike, a hike to an old grave, and even tried out surfing! I got to my knees but I have yet to stand up.
The first week was mostly introductions. We played game with the Foroige crowd, which is the youth group we will be working with over the next three months. It was goo fun.
I got to help Brian cook a meal for the h ouse. We made Fajitas. It was wonderful. I love being able to cook whenever I want.
This week we started off with a rest day, during which I was able to make ravioli for the house so it really wasn't much of a rest. On Monday we did our first group project. We met up with the kids from Foroige and cleaned up a beach! We ended up with about twenty five bag of trash. Along with a ton of rope and plastic bags, I also found a toy horse and some shoes. It was good fun getting to know some of the kids whom we will be working with. The immediate gratification of a beach clean up is also quite nice.
Yesterday is probably my favorite day so far, as we went on a very fun hike. It was raining the whole time, and the trail was closed due to a landslide. We hopped the fence and did the hike anyways, then had to climb through the landslide. It was really fun regardless of the rain and mud. We ended up at a waterfall and attempted to get in some journalling time in the rain. Now my journal looks more like a watercolor painting than a journal. Oh well. It adds character.
We travelled to Galway today where I learned that my computer will not be fixed any time soon. I am currently at a really awesome hostel using their computer to type this. Who knew European keyboards are different?
I will blog again as soon as I can! Until then, goodbye.

Out West

              This past week was incredible. We stayed at my uncle Stewart’s ski condo for a weekend, and went skiing. I was much better this time than the last, thankfully. Practice makes perfect.

              I also got to hang out with my aunt Karen a ton. We experimented in the kitchen with desserts and sauces and pretended we were good enough to go on Chopped. I taught her and my cousin Zach how to play my favorite card game, Nerts. The weekend was a lot of fun. I love being able to spend time with my family.

              Over the week, my dad and I went into Yellowstone. After a three hour snow coach ride through the snow, we pulled in to find my dear friend Mallory, or Smurf, waiting for me. While she worked the next day, My dad and I snowshoed and cross-country skied for the first time. Both sports are a lot of hard work.

              The next day, Smurf, Ritter, and I went snowshoeing for five miles. It was a lot of hard work, especially with all the fresh snow and bison tracks making the hills terrible, but it was a lot of fun. I am glad I got to spend time with my friends even on this dad and daughter vacation. I also enjoyed the best PB&J I have ever had in my life half way through the hike. Who knew those little peanut snacks could be so satisfying?

              Now, we are flying back to Minneapolis and driving back home. This month has been one of the best months of my life. It’s sad that it is coming to an end, but that tends to happen with all good things, so I might as well accept it. We’ll be home on Tuesday and then it’s off to Ireland next Saturday. Until then, farewell!

Canyon Ranch

My week at the Canyon Ranch with my Dad was a lot of fun. We did a lot of yoga and other various exercise classes, and ate really healthy, delicious foods.

              The exercise classes were a lot of fun, except for when I got stuck in yoga meant for people who are too old to do real yoga. I thought it was going to end up being something else. Instead, we did modified poses with a chair, and I was the youngest in the room by at least fifty years.

              The food was amazing! Every meal got better and better, and you could order as much of it as you wanted, because it was all healthy. There was no butter or salt on anything, so they replaced the salt shakers with spices, which I thought was interesting.

              We went on a beautiful hike, learned to make fire, and had a great relaxing week. It was an awesome time, and not something I will not soon forget. Now I am in Montana where I am hanging out with my family and skiing, which is also a lot of good fun. 

Road Trip part 1

The road trip has gone well so far. We started it off by visiting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for some snowy off-roading, which was spectacular. Now, I’m not that into off-roading, but I still had a lot of fun.

              Some of the highlights were when one guy put a deer head on a stick and called it Hank. It was just chillin’ there in the middle of the woods. They kept it warm with a hat and some sunglasses.

              We only got really stuck one time. It took two tug ropes, another truck, and 15 men with shovels to get us un-stuck. During this hour, I sat back with my seat warmer on and enjoyed my front seat view of the show.

              After the 720 miles off off-roading in the frigid weather of the UP, my dad and I flew to Arizona to warm up. We went to Barrett Jackson, where I successfully prevented him from buying more cars. We saw lots of cool cars and trucks. It was a lot of fun. I’m learning a lot about cars, to say the least.

              Yesterday, I got the chance to visit my old school, SRA. I started the day with my good friend Lesa, who took me on a walk with her enormous pit bull, Coby. It was a lot of fun. Coby decided to avoid all the large puddles until the very last second, where he walked through the entirety of the largest puddle he could find and got poor Lesa’s car very dirty.

              After that, I got to meet lots of dogs, including one that was half cayote and some tiny little Chihuahua puppies.

              We then went out to breakfast and visited SRA. It was so strange seeing everyone from the other side of things. It was awesome being able to see my good friends and just hang out with them like old times. It was also very odd to see how many changes the place had made within the one month I’ve been gone. I had a lot of fun though. Any day where you get to hang out with your friends and pet 13 dogs is a good day. 

Skiing

Let me start off by saying, I know I am good at a lot of things. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but it is true. There are lots of things I am good at. Skiing is not one of those things.

              It is for that reason that my dad found a place for me to volunteer instead of skiing. I spent two days volunteering at an animal shelter in Utah and basically just playing with dogs and cats, until we realized it is not as fun as it sounds. I’m not saying I don’t like hard work; the problem wasn’t that. The issue was that there was no work for me to do. At all. I walked the dogs once a day and occasionally mopped up some pee. That’s it. The rest of the day I sat around doing nothing! Now, I’m also not telling you not to volunteer, it’s just that this place had enough staff that actually knew what they were doing to run the place without volunteers. They simply didn’t need me.

              So, I tried skiing again. Now, skiing terrifies me, but there is no better way to get over a fear than to face it head on. It was cold. When I say cold, I mean a high of 11 degrees. It was very sunny and clear, with no snow, so I was able to ski just fine. I got back to the same skill level I was at before in no time. I actually had fun just skiing and hanging out with my dad. It was a full and tiring day, but it was worth it.

              My dad and I also had a lot of fun cooking really healthy meals together. We made lots of good Italian and Mexican food, and underestimated how much rice grows when you cook it. 

              Now, we are preparing for the next leg of our journey. Next week, we’ll be driving to the upper peninsula in Michigan to drive around in the snow with a bunch of other trucks. I’m looking forward to it and think it’ll be really fun. 

And so ends the Maddrey Family Vacation

The last few days in Maui were a success! We went snorkeling a ton and saw many whales and dolphins.  We made it to the top of Mount Halyakala, but it was too rainy to see the sunrise. We even went on a bamboo forest hike, but it was very muddy and we discovered very quickly that we were not prepared for the hike at all.

              Now, the Maddrey family is spending out last day of vacation in LA. We have walked around the pier and eaten crepes. I was going to eat a churro at the pier, but one of the seagulls stole it out of my hand! It was a very scary thing to have happen to me at that moment.

              My last post turned into a blog about octopuses, and I have an update! We did technically see a few octopuses in Hawaii, but they were dead and being held by divers on land. So, today, we visited the aquarium in Santa Monica and saw their octopus. He was a cute little guy who was hiding behind a rock and was not too happy to be bothered, but it was worth the five dollars.

              Now our vacation is drawing to an end. I have to say, I am glad we are going home soon. It’s been fun, and it’s been tiring. I’m very glad to have had this once in a lifetime opportunity.

              My dad and I will be leaving town on the third day of 2017 for our cross-country road trip, so I shall be posting lots of interesting things from the road. If anyone wants postcards, just email me.

And with that, I leave you. Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas Eve!

I am writing today from my hotel room’s porch overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I am listening to the steady sound of waves crashing against the lava rocks and smelling the salty air. It is beautiful here and I couldn’t be having a better Christmas eve.

              The Maddrey Family Maui vacation began two days ago, with a couple of very long flights. Once we got settled in, we were able to taste lots of fresh poke, a raw tuna dish, and enjoy the sights. We went snorkeling and kayaking yesterday, keeping our eyes peeled for octopuses.

              The guide told me to search for a fish known as the goat fish, because apparently, goat fish like to use their whiskers to tickle and annoy the octopuses. I found a goat fish and followed it for a while, but there was no octopus tickling involved.

              We had lunch yesterday at Mama’s Fish House; it is widely known as the best restaurant on Maui. I broke one of my two simple dietary rules and tried the grilled octopus because it sounded really good. Who can resist grilled octopus when the menu has the name of the man who dived to catch it? I cannot. For the record, grilled octopus is very tender and smooth, and it tasted like smoke, but in a good way.

              Today, we woke up at the crack of dawn to have the best cinnamon rolls ever. We then sailed out to a reef an hour and a half away, where someone snorkeling actually did see an octopus, but it left before I could see it. We swam really close to lots of really awesome looking fish. My personal favorite was the eel my mom and I spotted. On the way back, we saw whales off in the distance flapping their tails.

              This vacation is turning out to be one of the most exciting things I have ever done. All that you just read has happened within the last two days, so I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store.

              I will write again soon. Until then, Merry Christmas and Aloha!

On Graduation

There is a moment while boarding a plane where one foot is on the jet bridge, and one is in the plane. It is a moment of transition. You are travelling from solid ground to an airplane which is about to travel miles and miles to your next destination. I was thinking about this and how much of a transition my step onto the plane this morning really is.

              I’m sitting here looking out of my plane window above Phoenix ready to start the next chapter of my life. This is the last time I will leave Phoenix by plane for quite a while. I graduated from SRA and high school in the last week, and will not be returning as a student ever again. I said goodbye to my friends there, and I came to the realization of what SRA has meant to me and what I will be leaving behind.

              SRA’s therapeutic program has been the hardest thing I have done in my life. It was a long road, with many ups and downs, and downs and ups. Finally, I made it to the end on the biggest ‘up’ of them all. This change in my life represents all the hard work I have done and what I have accomplished.

              I am a different person than I was 21 months ago. I went into SRA hardly going to school at all, lying in bed, and isolating myself from the world, because I was afraid of everything and everyone. Now, I recognize I am strong enough to handle everything the world has to offer. I am through with living my life in fear. I am a curious, capable, and authentic individual who loves and connects with herself and others.

Graduating high school was hardly a possibility back then, and now it is over and done with a semester early. I am excited about my life and ready to face the world head on, which I’d much rather be doing than lying in bed being afraid.

              While much of this is all exciting and happy, of course there are the sad parts too. I’ve made some really strong connections at school that are unlike anything I have experienced before. The people at SRA showed me so much love and supported me more than I ever imagined was possible. Now, leaving them is incredibly difficult. I made my goodbyes pretty short, because it was hard to look people in the eyes and say goodbye.

              I know I’ll see these people again; I mean, I am visiting next month. As hard as it is, I am confident some of the connections I made will be lifelong. The hard part comes when I accomplish something without them, when I wake up and they aren’t there, and when I’m having a bad day and all I can do is call instead of give them the big hugs which once were so common. They won’t be there every day anymore, but I know they are rooting for me as I am for them.

              It’s been a journey, and now it’s over and I start the next amazing year in my life.

              To fill you in, later this week I will be heading over to Hawaii with my family. It should be a lot of fun, and we’ll be doing a lot of fun things there that are really once in a life time opportunities. Maddrey Christmas in Hawaii: this should be interesting.

              After Hawaii, my father and I will begin our big Raptor trip across the country. I’ve always wanted to travel the country by car and see it close up, and what person better to check that off the bucket list than my own father?

              I’ll keep posting when I get time, at least once a week, and maybe not just on Sundays. Thank you for reading!

Hello!

Hello!

So if you're following my blog, I am assuming you already know me and you know that this is the way I prefer to share my travels this next year instead of traditional social media. I am going to be posting here, and this is how we may stay in touch.

As many of you also know, I will be traveling a lot this next semester. Coming Christmas, I will be in Hawaii with my family. I will then be volunteering with my Dad in Louisiana, and then road tripping across the country with him. After that, I will be spending 12 weeks in Ireland, and finally I have run out of plans, so from May onward is a complete mystery.

There is a lot in store over the next semester, and I am really excited about all of it. So, welcome to my travel blog. I feel like an old lady or an over enthusiastic mother; this is wonderful.

Anyways, yeah. Starting December 18th, I'll be updating this blog regularly every Sunday.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving.

Best,
 Emily M.