Meet Orla. She’s beautiful. Like, she glows. She’s one of the most radiant and inspiring and genuinely good women I’ve ever met.

I’m helping Orla with her health and wellness business this week, but the health and wellness she’s pumping into my soul is the real help exchange. She’s sharing her life with me—a life she centers around delight. Whatever delights her, she does. That’s it. It’s really that simple.

And right now, delight for me comes in the form of new experiences with new people.

I think one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself when traveling is to approach all new things with an open mind and heart. Take what you will from each experience and leave whatever doesn’t resonate. Orla’s given me the opportunity to exercise that gift tenfold here in this quiet little village set  atop a proper old Irish golf course. I mean seriously…

I chanted with Hare Krishnas at a temple in downtown Dublin.

I hiked around Glendalough–old monastery grounds in the Irish wilderness, where Vikings and Monks once dwelled, in their own time.

I was invited to dinner at a budding conscious community, where three amazing families live together under one roof– three times the laughs, blonde tots and helping hands.

I milked a fake cow at a country fete [quite successfully by the way, for which they assure me there’s a lineup of Irish farmers ready to change my last name].

I played tambourine in a garage band with a bunch of beautifully talented musicians.

I learned about natural healing remedies: oils and vitamins and energy work.

I followed in my brothers footsteps, and adored the sweet little fishing village of Howth.

I went down to the river to pray. Literally. Just like the song. I love that song.

I checked out a poppin gay club on Banking Holiday weekend on a rooftop in Temple Bar.

I made crystal meditation jewelry with two ladies who will sit hard on my heart when I leave this town.

I sipped a Guinness with Tom, during which a perfect stranger became a friend over swapped stories and a frothy local brewski.

I even saw a mini miracle…

I got my phone stolen again this week…At a temple…During service. And it was just one of those times that I couldn’t stop the tears. I was so mad at myself for not learning my lesson. I mean this happened once before. But wouldn’t you think you could let yourself go and close your eyes during worship? Yeah, bad intentions exist all over this world, in every nook and cranny. But this time, Orla was on my side. And that girl’s got somethin special in her. She came up to me with a firm squeeze, a quick prayer and a ‘don’t worry…we’re going to get your phone back today.’

Yeah. Right.

Yeah…..Right. She was right. The community of people I was with sprang into action. And they found my phone in the bottom of the trash can in the men’s restroom [‘loo’ as they call it]. It was stolen by someone with bad intentions in a place full of good intentions. Good intentions brought it back, I think.

And while it was a powerful reminder of ‘stuff just being stuff,’ it also delighted me to see how powerful our thoughts and prayers can be, even in the most mundane of ‘problems.’

Yup, Ireland has been pretty special so far, thanks to my lovely Orla. And now that I’ve alighted the dreicht, I’m in full-on sprint-mode to the delight!