Sophia Wesley

I haven’t done a lot of international travel, but I have always wanted to. Since I was five years old I have had a mild obsession with England and Ireland. I had only ever seen photos or snippets on television — I had never met anyone from there — and yet something in me recognised those places long before I understood why.

I learned later in life that I am of English, Irish, and Scottish heritage, which explained much but not everything. Some things run deeper than ancestry.

As a child I would imitate the English accent often — and failed horribly at it. I also annoyed my teachers in grade school by spelling words the British way: favourite, colour, humour. My parents had no idea where I had picked that up. I didn’t want to give it up, but eventually I did. Looking back, I think some part of me was simply trying to find its way home.

I was drawn to Ireland for the sheer beauty of it. Every photo I came across left me breathless — castles, rolling green hills, the quaintness of the villages, the music of the accent. I knew I wanted to visit England, but I wanted to live in Ireland. And yet I have not been to either place. Life has thrown many wrenches my way, and perhaps I didn’t always push myself hard enough to make it happen. Until now.

I am currently planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland for the end of this year — and I am going for reasons that go far beyond sightseeing.

First, I am bringing a portion of my father’s ashes with me to Ireland. This was a trip we were supposed to take together. He passed away before we could make it happen, and so a part of him will still get to go. I will carry him there.

Second, somewhere deep inside me I know that I will end up there permanently one day. Better to go now and get acquainted with a place that has felt like home in my blood since childhood.

And third — something tells me that spending time in Ireland and Scotland will awaken a deeper level of my writing spirit. That the words will come differently there. More freely. More truly.

I cannot always explain the pull toward a place. I only know that in the deepest part of my being, I am meant to go there. Even if it isn’t my final destination, I am meant to spend a meaningful length of time in my ancestral home — immersed in a culture that will make my witchy spirit come more alive than she has ever been.

I look forward to taking the next step toward my future.

S🌙