As we begin to approach the end of Summer I've been reflecting on how my Summer has been very different this year. As someone who absolutely loves travelling, like most people I've always used the months between June-August to flee Belfast for a while and visit a new city.
The one downside in completing my MSc in Marketing is that my final project runs over the course of the Summer (a double L as its 10,000 words long) . This means that I've had to skip the EuroGirl Summer this year that's been flooding my TikTok feed (it's almost as if my phone knows and is deliberately trying to rub it in).
Now normally I would be distraught at the idea of not having a getaway but when I looked at the other side of my Summer at home, it gave me the opportunity to discover some of the well-known gems that the island of Ireland has to offer.
I am a bit ashamed to admit this but I've never been to Donegal until last month (ridiculous I know!) so me and my bestie Shannon decided to have a road trip. You could easily spend a week touring the amazing county of Donegal and what it has to offer but we crammed in what we could.
We decided to visit Killybegs to find the Secret Waterfall (or not so secret according to Google Reviews). We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day and although it involved a lot of climbing which I did not dress for well as I wore cargos (I just wanted some cute Instagram photos ok?), we made it and I still can't believe how beautiful it was. We were well prepared for a swim so we brought our swim stuff and enjoyed a dip in the sea. We finished up our Donegal trip with some food in the town of Carrick followed by a drive along the cliffs of Sliabh Liag, which unfortunately, my photos just don't do the view the justice it deserves. I can confidently say if I had to spend every Summer in Donegal I would not complain.
Another personal favourite area of this country to visit is the North Coast. Since it's only an hour's drive, it wasn't even a question as to whether I should plan a trip or not. Having went to university in Coleraine for my undergraduate degree, I am no stranger to the beaches or coffee shops up there. . Every time I make a visit I often find myself feeling a bit nostalgic, as there's nothing like the smell of salty sea air (Alexa, play August by Taylor Swift). It was great to see so many old and new coffee shops in Portstewart and Portrush so I was never short of a place to read a book or to just simply sit and relax during my trip. My favourite coffee shops have to be Awaken and Lost & Found if you're ever looking for a good coffee and a comfortable atmosphere up there.
So to conclude this Summer has definitely been a different one to the usual one, but I have absolutely loved it. It really has made me appreciate where I'm from a lot more and looking into some of the amazing things this country has to offer. If your Summer holiday has been and gone, I definitely recommend a road-trip with your family friends, partner or even yourself. We all know that a road-trip and a good playlist is great for the soul.
Chat soon,
Faye
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