the spirit of ireland.

today is my favorite. and i will tell you why. when i was a wee lass, the ripe age of 18,  my family took me on a couple of fantastic adventures through ireland. on bicycle we traveled, over the rolling hills, through the rain, in desperate search for our next pub and that beautiful glass of guiness that awaited. i met life altering people on this journey. friends that i have kept now for almost 13 years. although countries and states and ages separated us, we all held one thing in common. spirit. and it is that very spirit that i am reminded of on this day. from riding in the back of a van, legs crossing over each other, crackling voices singing out, irish rover and danny boy echoing through the steel walls. oasis's wonderwall being repeated over and over.  to toughing out 35 miles, a sore ass, a spliting headache, blinding rains and stopping in your tracks winds, all the while supporting each other to keep the two wheels turning. to drinking whiskey in caverns. to telling ghost stories in cemeteries under irish stars. to playing fuzzy duck in parking lots, to swimming in icy lakes and chasing donkeys country side. to getting on an irish radio show. spirit consumed us all and continues to do so. it's binding. and it still makes my heart smile.

i fell absolutely in love with each and everyone of my friends and family along those journeys. i fell in love with people, my family (who lets face it the few years prior had been a bit rough with the parentals, damn that age 14-15!), ireland, photography, cycling, guiness, and spirit. and i think that THAT is the true reason i love today, the 1/4 irish in me aside. to me st patty's means ireland. and to me, ireland means love. i found my soulmate there. that soulmate is spirit, which unequivocally is love.

ironically, the picture below has nothing to do with ireland. it was taken in san diego on a rare rainy, rainbow kind of day.


 

 this photo reminds me of spirit. And although i am well aware that i have no one to share an umbrella with, i have something better. i have the power of love. and i believe in it 100%. and if you know me, you know that i say, screw sharing an umbrella! together, lets dance in the rain! and that my dears, is spirit!

so with a glass raised i cheers to spirit, friendship, family, dreams, memories, rainbows, umbrellas, bicycles and green. 

xoxo.