Walking the Old Path

Greetings brothers and sisters!

I've decided to start writing a blog, something I've been meaning to do for a long time.
I intend to use it as a tool to share things with ye all. To share knowledge, to share inspiration, and to share my travels and adventures in this beautiful island.
Many of you might know me already either personally or from social networks, but for those who don't, or do but still don't have a clue about who I am:
My name is Sara Valentim Oliveira, I use mainly Sara Valentim, or Sara Terrwyn Valentim. Valentim is my mother's maiden name, and I prefer the sound and uniqueness of it. Terrwyn is a name I "adopted" from Gaelic (welsh), prior to coming to Ireland, it means brave and my own name "Valentim" is kind of similar (if not related) to the portuguese word for brave (valente). I liked the name, and again the sonority, and the way it is written.
I am 22 Springs, will be 23 this Spring, and I always followed an artistic path, from drawing and painting, throught crafts (I owned an jewelry Etsy shop with handmade jewelry called Miriel), to photography and video.

The last picture taken of me,
admiring the beauty of the mountains and lake
in Killarney, co. Kerry

I am originally from Portugal but I moved into Ireland in Spring 2013. I came here seeking a dream, inspiration a better and natural living, close to Nature's heart. I live in the beautiful county Kerry, surrounded by forests and mountains, where I go and explore every time I have a chance.
I also love my home country, from which I mainly miss the good food and wine, the good weather, the traditional crafts, and the wild beautiful north, where my roots are.
But Ireland has fascinated me since I was a kid. It began with the traditional irish music and dance when I was a young teen, something in me awakened with it, as if I knew it from another life. Then my passion expanded to the celtic culture, traditions and paganism. Coming from a very busy and overpopulated city, I fell in love with the wild untamed paradise that is Ireland.

Walking the old path means to go back to more simple times. A time when we were in balance with Nature, when we used to understand it, nurtutre it, feel its rythms, celebrate its Seasons, worship the rivers, the trees. When we used to see the power of medicinal plants and use them to cure our ailments, when we respected the powers and spirits of the land and listened to them.

We are fortunate to live in such a time, in the age of information, when we can have access to any information just from a click. We no longer have to live in ignorance, unless we choose to. We are living in a time of change, and people are beggining to realize what we've been doing to the planet in the past century. It is time to go back, to understand what we need and what we don't. And to understand that the great mother Nature is capable of giving us all of what we need.

This blog will narrate my journey through the old path, and into a more natural sustainable living. It will mainly cover the following topics: foraging and using our native edibles for food or medicine (something I am just still starting to learn, and I'll be recording my findings here); permaculture and gardening; seasonal celebrations; my hikes and trips; impressions of Nature; spirituality; art, and anything I find useful to share with ye. :) Unfortunately, I've never considered me self a good writer (perhaps this blog could even help a bit), so it will probably consist of mainly photos I take and some brief informations if I'm not feeling very inspired to write. But as I said, I hope this can even help me to express myself better.

Thank you to all of ye who read it until the end, I hope you stick around, it will certainly give me more motivation to write as well :) please let me know what you think and give some feedback in the comments. I will love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Sara Terrwyn Valentim