The Cliffs of Moher were absolutely breathtaking, and the musicians there only added to the ambiance. I noticed the tourists all around me, and I still have mixed feelings about the gathering of us all over the land we didn’t grow up on. From one lens, I feel so grateful to be able to see these sites, and I always try to be respectful to the locals. In another, I know how annoying it can be to have ignorant strangers in your hometown. I grew up in Hershey and I was always irritated by the number of tours and people with their cameras out at Hershey Park. However, tourism does bring in revenue for the small businesses around Ireland, and the earth is here to share.

There will always be people upset by tourists, but at the end of the day, the mix of cultures and perspectives is what makes the world better. It generates new ideas, shares stories that will be passed down for generations, and keeps the money flowing. Ireland is an island filled with beautiful cobblestone streets, amazing food, and museums that will teach you more than you can imagine. If you have the opportunity, you have to see it, and make sure to strike up a conversation or two with a local, some of them might actually give you a change of perspective. Today at the Cliffs of Moher an elderly man was playing the accordion, and when I told him my Grandpa used to play, he said “It is always the people who have a connection to music that stop.” Once again, it is the person-to-person interaction that allows you to feel connected to the earth and everyone on it.