Yes, I’m over six feet and I don’t like heights—very ironic indeed! In fact, some might say that expecting me not to have a panic attack at the Cliffs of Moher was a tall order (pictured is me making sure I don’t lose my balance). Still, in the spirit of tourism and taking advantage of every moment spent in Ireland, I participated in all the activities on May 14th, 2022—in addition to the famous Cliffs of Moher, the bus trip included a stop in Galway where I had a wonderful Italian lunch of bruschetta and penne pasta at Trattoria. Interestingly, there was also a service plaza along the way that is named after former POTUS Barack Obama…and that got me thinking about the importance of tourism and international business in the development of Ireland. 

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is on the decline (knock on wood), I am confident that people will be more inclined to engage in travel/tourism to Ireland and to other countries. Over the past couple of years, the Irish government went to great lengths to combat the pandemic, even canceling the past two Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. As evidenced by Pitt’s return to in-person study abroad experiences (rather than virtual experiences or international internships) and the abundance of tour buses scattered throughout Dublin, it is apparent that tourism is back in full swing. 

When I say that, I mean that it seems like most of those places that survived the worst of the pandemic have returned to normal. For example, I’m sure the people of Ireland would have done whatever it took to maintain such iconic tourist spots as the Cliffs of Moher, the Guinness Storehouse, etc. whether there were visitors or not. And to those who are hesitant to travel and/or are thinking about traveling, I’d say that Ireland is a great choice as (1) there are many health and safety measures in place to protect people from COVID-19 and because (2) Ireland has a mix of thriving urban centers and preserved rural areas/greenspaces. Despite Ireland being a small island the size of the US state of Indiana, there’s definitely at least one thing that will appeal to everyone (and they speak English, so you don’t have to spend weeks on Duolingo before traveling). 

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The interesting tidbit of this day (6/?) is that there are sheep and cows that graze right up against the Cliffs of Moher.