Know Your Limits

Sometimes it is important to be an advocate for yourself. Go out there and get what you want. Be the master of your destiny. Try new things. Live life on the edge.

Shoot for the moon and land on it, dammit.

And then there are other times when you need to hang your hat and know your limits.

Driving in Ireland was my limit.

Though I had successfully mastered this feat 4 years prior (which I continually reminded my friends like a parrot with a one-track mind); old age mixed with progressive driving anxiety made me the worst* candidate for driving this time around.

How did I know this?

Oh I don't know... maybe as I hit a sideview mirror on a parked car?

Or when I looked in the rearview mirror and saw my back row of friends to be in various stages of:

Ok, I am slightly exaggerating. I drove on the first day of the trip after all of my friends were recovering from their 6+ hour flights and were super tired / sleeping in the back.

More accurate depiction... the reaching hand is the representation of my little fender bender

Anywho - no harm, no foul.

My more competent friend (greater or equal to Young Jeezy) took the wheel and all was saved!

I am not exaggerating about that.

Having a confident driver is definitely a plus. And a patient navigator to put everyone at ease. We had both.

Even with a competent driver, though, the roads are absolute madness in Ireland.

I cannot stress that enough.

I will elaborate in a future post, most likely called: The 5 Tiers of Irish Roads 101

Not only are you being thrown on the other side of the road and the other side of the car, you are being asked to fit in a lane the literal width of your car.

Somehow it doesn't matter if you're an 18-wheeler or a Mini Coop... the road only allows you the horizontal dimensions of your vehicle.

Sorcery.

Now there were many positive, ( actual ) magical moments that were had because we were a self-guided, self-driven tour.

We stopped at some amazing off-the-beaten-track places.

Driving also allowed us to meet up with old friends, newer friends, and family.

*more on that later*

We also learned a lot about ourselves as a friend group.

(that driving is hard for everyone)

- and -

One of us will always be the last out the door and "steal" a chip from your plate.

One of us is so giving and kind.... but nobody's picking up what she's puttin' down.

One of us can change a tire with finesse, even though it takes all of her body weight and more .

One of us needs to run for president because everyone needs this person in their lives.

One of us is super cool under pressure, especially in the face of potentially being murdered by a chainsaw.

You, know. Eat, Pray, Love kinda discoveries.

Driving to the middle of nowhere brought us to these discoveries. They brought us to the highest of highs and crankiest of cranks.

But we did it.

2 weeks, 1 flat tire, and a lifetime of memories later...

...we're still friends.

...we pushed our limits (in some instances)

...And (I think) we'd do it again <3

Skål xx

* I share this honor with my other one-and-done-warrior, Miranda (Yes! Flat Miranda who missed the first Friendcation 2016)