Rain, Resilience and Roadschooling: A Memorable Trip to Ireland

Becoming Seasoned Travelers

By the time we reached Ireland, we were feeling like seasoned travelers. Our packing and unpacking routines were on point, each of us staking out our little corners of hotel rooms with military precision—and on the rare occasions we had more than one room? Pure luxury. We breezed through airports like pros (well, except for those taxi and ride-share lines, which continued to baffle us). But while logistics were getting easier, our biggest challenge remained: school.

Road Schooling: The Ultimate Test of Patience

The twins had laid down the law from day one: no way were we teaching them, and they absolutely, under no circumstances, would come back behind in their schoolwork. Fair enough. As a slightly (okay, wildly) Type-A mom, I needed the reassurance of official grades from someone other than stressed-out me. Enter our savior: an online school designed for student-athletes, with flexible, self-paced courses. Perfect! Or so we thought.

From the disastrous Wi-Fi on our Alaskan cruise to Cooper's newfound talent for falling asleep mid-assignment, school on the road was an adventure all its own. But we didn't have time to wallow—we had places to be!

First Impressions: The Magic (and Rain) of Ireland

I had high hopes for our family vacation to Ireland. Everyone we knew raved about its beauty and friendly people.

And they weren’t wrong! The rolling green hills, the charming towns, the warm welcomes—all exactly as promised. What no one warned us about? The rain. Endless, relentless rain. It became a running joke that our Ireland photo album could double as an ad for waterproof gear. Raincoats, soaked hair plastered to our faces, shoes that squelched with every step—but always smiling.

Hitting the Irish Classics

Despite the weather, we were determined to make the most of our family vacation to Ireland. We hit all the classics:

• Kissing the Blarney Stone (which, by the way, is way higher up than you think)

• Touring the Guinness Storehouse (yes, it really does taste better in Ireland)

• Driving the Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry (cue breathtaking landscapes and a questionable number of sheep photos)

• Marveling at the Cliffs of Moher at sunset (which, despite wet socks and school stress, felt like a scene straight out of a movie)

We quickly learned that driving in Ireland was its own adventure—narrow roads, stone walls far too close to the car, and sheep who clearly thought they had the right of way. At one point, Ash had to honk at a particularly stubborn one who just stared at us, completely unbothered.

When Travel Gets... Interesting

But not every moment was a postcard. Like the bicycle tour in a downpour that left us cold, hungry, and bewildered when every single shop ran out of food. Yes, all food. Not just the food we wanted—all food. I don’t know how that happens, but let’s just say we learned the hard way that sometimes, you pack emergency snacks, even in the most tourist-friendly places.

Then there was the pub B&B with the five-story climb. We had unknowingly booked a room on the fifth floor of a charming, historic building—with no elevator. After hauling a year’s worth of luggage up and down those stairs, the kids gained an extensive vocabulary of words they probably shouldn’t repeat.

And of course, road schooling didn’t pause for the Irish charm. One night, after a long day of sightseeing, we found ourselves huddled in a hotel room, battling spotty Wi-Fi while Lila tried to submit an assignment that was due in 30 minutes. As she hit refresh for the fiftieth time, she groaned, “Can I just mail them a sheep as proof I was here?”

Why Our Family Vacation to Ireland Stole Our Hearts

Despite the rain, the school stress, and the moments of chaos, our family vacation to Ireland was nothing short of unforgettable. There was something about the humor of the locals, the warmth of the pubs, and the feeling of driving through endless green fields that made us fall in love with the country.

Even the mishaps became part of the adventure. The rain? It made us laugh. The food shortages? A good story. The ridiculous number of sheep photos? A treasured (and slightly hilarious) part of our memories.

As we packed up to leave, I knew one thing for sure: Ireland was a place we’d be coming back to. But next time? Maybe with a little less luggage—and a lot more snacks.