For years, my old roommate and I have been discussing a trip to Ireland. We both are of Irish descent but have never been. In my own family, it was my paternal grandmother who is from Ireland. And I was raised believing in the luck of the Irish. At first this was going to be an easy summer trip. Then, it was going to be a present to myself once I graduated. Flash forward, I am a 31-year-old adult with Ph.D. in Psychology, and still talking about "that trip to Ireland we will take". Newsflash, money doesn't fall out of the sky ear-marked for a trip Ireland, hence...I've never even begun saving.
Stay tuned, this is just the beginning!
Maybe it's because I've recently been trying to set new goals for myself, or maybe it's just being back on the East Coast where Irish Pubs are plentiful. Whatever it is, I'm ready to follow through on this plan!
Starting in March 2012, I will begin setting aside money every week for a trip to Ireland. Where is this money going to come from, you ask? It's a fantastic question! I will stop buying lunch. From March 1st onward, I vow to bring my lunch, every single day, for one year. This means, planning ahead with grocery store trips. This means, getting back to cooking large meals on Sundays that can be saved and frozen. This means, eating a healthier lunch of salads, fruits, vegetables, and other non-processed items. This means pocketing lunch money, in the name of Ireland!
According to my rough calculations, if I were to spend $6 a day on lunch, 5 days a week, for 52 weeks a year, this comes to a grand total of $1,560. I'm considering that there may need to be more rules than there currently are, but I am also willing to change as I go. For now, it is simple:
1.) Bring a lunch from home every day.
2.) Deposit $6 a day (or $30 a week) into an Ireland Savings Account.
3.) Go to Ireland.
What I can promise you from this blog is an exciting tale of my 365 days of bag lunch ideas (there will be repeats, I promise for that. I predict PB&J on 300 days out of the year!). In addition, you will see my plans (and hopefully my friend, as she joins me on the quest) for a trip to Ireland unfold. Each Sunday will be Irish Sunday, wherein I will feature a locale, accommodation, custom, or other tidbit about Ireland that will be crucial to the trip.
How can you help, you might be asking (or not...but, please, help!)? By following along. By packing your own lunch along side me, to save money for your own pipedream. By sharing your tales of Ireland or dreams of traveling to some place you've never been. But most importantly, by encouraging me to stay strong and pack a lunch every day. Every. Day. For a year! That Guinness will taste so sweet at the end of this!
Stay tuned, this is just the beginning!
The Donegal Coast taken from www.donegalcoast.com
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