Ireland
I first visited Ireland in 2002 with my family. It was my first time out of North America, and really made me want to travel a lot more in the future. It was a huge influence on my life. I think the fact that my mother's family is historically Irish was part of the reason she wanted to go there, and I liked it a lot for that reason as well.
We flew in to Shannon Airport on the west coast, where we rented a car and started our journey. The basic plan was to do a circle of South Ireland, stopping in small towns along the way. We hit Limerick, Kilkenny, Waterford, Dingle, and lots of other places I can't quite remember along the way. We spent a lot of time in castles and along the beautiful west coast. It was a lot of fun, and the pubs were quite neat as well - as I was legally allowed to drink for the first time.
The next time I was Ireland was during the time I was studying in London. While I didn't spend a lot of time in Ireland, I finally had the chance to see Dublin. As it turns, I LOVE Dublin. It is a big city that feels like a small town, and has great history, people, and beer. I'd really like to live there at some point.
