More than just a holiday
It’s funny how social media works.
You see the finished photo. The smiling face. The perfectly poured Guinness. The incredible meal. The postcard view.
What you don’t see is everything in between.
The delayed flights, jet lag, lost luggage, wondering what day it is, and the quiet moments where you question whether travelling on your own was such a good idea after all.
This is my third trip to Ireland, but it’s the first one that’s truly been about me.
The first visit was about coming to Ireland as I was always curious and to meet family. The second trip was a working one, but I stopped in London, worked there, and had holidays in Ireland. This time, I’ve travelled halfway around the world to learn, to work alongside Ireland’s most respected chefs, to explore, and, hopefully, to come home with a notebook full of ideas and inspiration. And hopefully some rebounding on what to do next, but also not put pressure on myself to find the answers.
That notebook has already become one of my favourite things I’ve packed.
The journey here was long, but after months of planning, I finally found myself wandering the streets of Dublin. I skipped a few of the obvious tourist attractions and instead found myself doing what I probably enjoy most—finding local pubs, people watching, and striking up conversations with strangers.
I’ve always believed food is about people as much as it is what’s on the plate, and Ireland keeps reminding me of that.
After a whirlwind stop in Dublin, I headed west to Galway.
What a place.
Busy streets filled with music, colourful shopfronts, races bringing thousands of people into town, and pubs that somehow manage to feel both lively and welcoming at the same time.
One afternoon I found myself sharing a table with a local woman named Jackie. We chatted over a glass of wine about life, travel and Galway. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t on an itinerary. Yet it’s one of the moments I’ll remember most from this week.
Those little, unexpected conversations seem to be becoming the highlight of this trip.
Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
I’ve been running on very little sleep thanks to jet lag, and there have been moments where travelling solo has felt exactly that—solo. There are times when you wish someone was beside you to say, “How good is this?” Other times, I’ve been completely content wandering on my own with no destination in mind.
I’m learning to be comfortable with both.
The added Benefit for this trip was the opportunity to spend time at Aniar in Galway.
Walking into the kitchen on that first day felt surreal. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful, and in the back of my mind I’m like, don’t get in their way.
The kitchen itself is surprisingly small, and there wasn’t always room for another pair of hands. Instead, I stood back, watched, listened and absorbed as much as I could. Every dish leaving the pass was thoughtful, technical and beautifully balanced. It reminded me that learning doesn’t always mean doing. Sometimes the greatest lessons come from simply paying attention.
As a chef, it’s easy to become comfortable in your own way of working. Spending time in someone else’s kitchen challenges that. It reminds you that there are countless ways to approach an ingredient, build flavour or present a dish.
That’s exactly why I came.
Along the way, I’ve walked countless kilometres, eaten some incredible food, found a few quiet pubs, and scribbled pages and pages into my notebook so I don’t forget the little moments.
Because they’re usually the ones that matter most.
This trip isn’t just about Ireland. Well, it mostly is. lol
It’s about stepping away from my own kitchen for a while, filling my cup again, learning from others, and learning more about Irish food and ingredients... and of course seeing family again after all these years. And meeting new ones.
Looking back, it’s not the big things I’ll remember most. It’ll be the random conversations, getting a little lost, and the moments I never saw coming.
The streets you wandered because trying to escape crowds..
The quiet pint after a long day.
And the pages in a notebook that capture it all before you forget.
Until next time,
Cat 🍀Cathryn (I’ve started introducing myself using my full name which is new)
