Growing up, my dad always preached the importance of family. He’s always been very interested in tracing our ancestry and tracking down old documentation to better understand where we come from. In fact, both of my given names are from my family history. My first name, Ryan, means “Little King” in Gaelic. My middle name, Cormick, is an anglicized version of the name of the first member of my family to immigrate from Ireland to the U.S. When I first decided to participate in the GBI London program, I knew Ireland was a place I had to go.

Dublin is one of the most fun and hospitable cities in the world, in my opinion. However, what’s outside of Dublin and all around the rest of the island is what makes Ireland special. Like most people my age, my friends and I booked a trip to go to Dublin, but we wanted more than just the typical tourist experience. We decided to rent a car and drive all the way up the eastern coast into the North of Ireland. The sights along the coastline, especially on the Causeway Coast, are absolutely breathtaking. Seeing and exploring castles, such as Kinbane Castle, that were built nearly 500 years ago is an experience that truly puts things into a historical perspective. Giants Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most incredible natural places I’ve ever seen, formed tens of millions of years ago by volcanic activity.

Being able to share these experiences with my friends was amazing, but sharing them with my family was even better. A month later, my family and I returned to Dublin, this time taking trips west to Cork and Galway. Driving through the Irish countryside is like no other, especially through County Galway, where my family is from. Speaking to locals about the town my family is from, Ballinasloe, was very insightful. Everybody was so open to answering our questions and wanted to give us any information we were looking for.

Going to the place my family’s roots trace back to is an experience I’ll never forget. Even though it’s not technically my home, seeing my own name everywhere, and talking to locals who were so open to conversation, made Ireland feel like the home it’s always been for my family.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to experience different cultures throughout this part of the world while seeing all of these beautiful sites with my own eyes. I only have a few more trips planned in my time remaining here, but I’m excited to fully immerse myself in these final travels and continue discovering not just new places, but more about myself along the way.