Dublin-Manchester-Holyhead-Dublin... A Novice Traveler Has Big Adventures.

Photos of this little adventure.

For videos of this and other adventures, click here.

I was looking through photos of my journey so far and realized I never shared the drama of getting to my first location, Brinlack, County Donegal, Ireland.

I discovered that to rent a car from a "regular" company, you need a major credit card. (Debit doesn't count). I don't have one and don't want one. My research led me to an app called Turo. They match people who have cars with people who need them with an app like Uber or Airbnb. No credit card required; just pay with Paypal in the app and off you go.

This was awesome, except they weren't in Ireland. But they were in England.

My first assignment required a car. I figured, "What the heck, England is close and flights are cheap! I'll fly there and bring the car back on the ferry. It will be a grand adventure!" It was.

The flight to Manchester was easy, and that's where the fun began. It was rainy and windy on the Uber ride to pick up the car. I didn't see the owner; the door was unlocked remotely, and I was sent on my way.

The little blue Ford Focus was crammed into a tiny spot on the curb amidst lots of other cars on a road the width of a sidewalk. This would be my very first time driving on the left, and I was completely terrified—with good reason.

Plus, I desperately had to pee. I almost squatted right there in the bushes, but decided getting arrested for indecent exposure on my first day wasn't the best idea. So I endured.

The Uber driver who took me to the airport that morning was from Romania (they drive on the right). He cautioned me to be sure to leave plenty of space on the left. "You can always tell the tourists by the dangling side view mirrors on the left."

Sure enough, despite being forewarned, the first thing I did was knock off the sideview mirror! This was going to take some getting used to. I made it to a petrol station, got my bearings, peed and headed towards the ferry in Holyhead Wales. This should have been a two and 1/2 hour drive. I think it took me five.

This is where I adopted the mantra: "If you don't feel like you're too far right, you're too far left." I chanted it a million times! It could be a political statement, but it was my way not to take out roadsigns and mailboxes or, horrifyingly, hit a curb going too fast and kill myself. Not that I ever went too fast. I went VERY slowly. But that's another story.

When I finally found the ferry terminal, it was really getting rainy and windy. I had to pee again, and my hair was standing on end from the terrifying drive. I ran over another curb turning into the terminal, then parked the car in the first place I could find, right or wrong. I couldn't wait to get out of it!

I found the passenger information desk and was informed that I had missed the ferry, and the next one wasn't until 11 PM. Great! My first driving experience in Ireland would be in the middle of the night! This is one adventurous day!

Having many hours to fill and zero desire to get back in that car under any circumstances, I chose my favorite transportation, my feet. I braved the wind and rain and wandered the port city of Holyhead, Wales.

It was off-season, and most everything was closed. But it was still a fascinating place and I enjoyed myself. "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear." I had a rain jacket and did just fine, happy to be walking instead of driving. It was a lovely reprieve.

I rented a bunk on the ferry to try to rest (not likely) and regroup (I did that). It was very cool! The ferry was awesome! Lounges, bars, shopping, restaurants, even slot machines made it like a mini cruise ship!

We finally made it to Dublin after midnight. When I drove off the ferry, I didn't even know how to turn the lights on! The security guy had to tell me. Embarrassing! But I made it off the ferry, out of the terminal, and got a lot of practice with roundabouts on the way to my Airbnb. The SAME roundabout as I kept missing a turn (google's fault) and winding up right back where I started! It was good that it was so late, though, as there was very little traffic.

This concludes this report on an action and terror packed adventure, spanning less than 24 hours.

Five months later, I can laugh and celebrate and be happy for the experience. The terror, in hindsight, makes the story more fun. The next day I would be off on a six hour drive across Ireland. But that's a story for another day.