In the two wonderful years that JB has been in my life, I’ve been exposed to Ireland. In a big way. In a big. Big. Big. Way.

JB’s parents both came to the U.S. as teenagers, alone, from County Galway. Much of his extended family lives in Ireland now, and he has routinely gone over at least two or three times every year throughout his life. We even met in Ireland – my first visit, his 900th.

At the beginning of July, we went back for my third trip and his 950th. For pretty much the first time ever for both of us, there was no agenda to this trip. No events, no celebration, no specific reason for being there besides the 4th of July here (i.e. no work) and JB’s desire to rack up some additional AA miles.

We arrived into Dublin at around 11am Thursday, after getting on a plane at JFK at 7:30pm Wednesday and changing planes in London. After collecting our bags, we hopped in the rental car for the 3 hour drive to Athlone, the area in which that JB’s aunt, two uncles, and grandmother live. JB’s 950 trips mean that he can drive on the “wrong” side of the road like a pro, which I am totally down with.

Driving through these small towns is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. There are cows everywhere. Everywhere. Not just out in the country – you’ll be driving through more suburban areas (i.e. houses within a mile of each other) and you will see cows in front yards. Guaranteed. Also sheep and horses, but mainly cows. It’s only when you’re actually in a downtown area, where you might find a general store, a gas station, and 4 pubs, do you not see cows – and if you blink you’ll miss those downtown areas. No buildings are above two stories, everything is painted beautiful pastel colors of blue, pink, and yellow, and some of the brick has been there for centuries.

The landscape of Ireland is everything you’ve heard and more. Rolling, green hills as far as the eye can see. Lush trees, bushes, shrubs everywhere. And there’s a reason for that – it rains ALL THE TIME. Not the way it rains in the States – the rain in Ireland is more like a light mist all the time. Sometimes it gets heavier and becomes “real” rain, and sometimes it gets lighter and the sun comes out for a few minutes. But you can always feel that mist there. This is not a bad thing. It lends kind of a romantic air to the world – when it’s not freezing cold, that is – and the view more than makes up for it. But suffice to say that if you’re visiting Ireland and forget to pack the sunblock, don’t panic.

If you’re planning a trip to Ireland, do yourself and a favor and don’t limit yourself to the big city areas, or the tourist traps. Take a bus tour, or if you’re brave, a self-driving tour. That’s how you’ll see the real country of Ireland. The magic of Ireland is not in downtown Cork, at the Blarney Stone, or in cosmopolitan Dublin (although all of those are wonderful places to visit in their own right). The magic of Ireland becomes apparent when you see a cow in a front yard.