Memories of Me - Part 3 (sorry I missed Part 2)

Boy oh Boy, I almost forgot AGAIN about keeping up with my BFF! Last week I completely missed the mark, but hopefully I'll be able to go back and answer the question anyway, later this week.

For now, I remembered Part 3 just in the nick of time! Here we go:

"If you could visit any country overseas, where would you go, and why?"

Now THAT is a difficult question for me to answer, because truth told -- I have never longed to travel anywhere overseas. Isn't that funny? I've had many longings to travel various places within the U.S., but I can take or leave anywhere else. Hah! Not a great adventurer, I. Now that doesn't mean I'd turn down the opportunity to visit another country if the chance came up, mind you ... I just wouldn't pursue it on my own. And it's not because I'm snooty ... I'm just a bit shy (believe it or not).

EXCEPT I would alter that for anything connected with a Disney cruise or now one of the new Disney extreme adventures. I'd jump at a chance to visit any country connected with one of those adventures!!!!

So let's see ... if I really had to choose a country outside the United States ... it would be ... yes, Ireland and/or Scotland. Guess I'm going to choose two places instead of just one! :-)

And why?

Well, first of all, they speak English! (Mostly -- of course I wouldn't understand a beautiful but difficult language like Gaelic.) I'm very nervous about going someplace where I don't know the language.

Secondly, I love an Irish accent and a good Scottish brogue. Mmmmm. I could listen to those accents all day long. Put a charming man behind the accent and I'm seriously good to go. And hmmm ... put a charming man in a KILT behind the accent and I'll go running full tilt! Hah!

Third, I am attracted to the romance of green countryside, quaint villages, sheepherding ... probably all cliches, but I hope not!

Fourth, I really enjoy Maeve Binchy's books http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeve_Binchy -- her lovely fictional accounts of Ireland and its peoples. I've read most of her books and for a while I fancied collecting hardbound editions of all of them. I stopped collecting along the way, though I do have quite a few. I find the peoples of her books charming and delightful, and I would enjoy meeting some real peoples face-to-face.

Fifth, add to that my total enjoyment of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. http://www.dianagabaldon.com/ That red-hot relationship between Claire and Jamie ... wow. I have to be careful recommending the books however, because you have to learn how to skip over the sex. The story is so phenomenal I learned how to do that in a hurry. Absolutely phenomenal.

Sixth, I have great admiration for Roma Downey, who played Monica on "Touched By An Angel." I have always wanted to see if the Irish peoples as a whole were as gracious and tempered and ... as good, as she seems to be.

Lastly, both Ireland and Scotland seem just a little mysterious and magical to me ... very old country, very ancient, and that pulls at the mystical strings in my soul. Honestly, if I didn't have the great gift of the Gospel in my life, I would probably have been a New Ager or maybe involved in some middle eastern religion, for I am very attracted to all things spiritual. Without the Gospel I would be searching for the truth in all kinds of places (which means you can bet I am deeply grateful for the gift of real truth I've been given).

So there you have it -- two places I would go if I had to visit a foreign country and my (hopefully not too shallow) reasons for choosing them. What's your choice?