Ah, the inspiration of a Nancy Drew computer game

Every year for Christmas, I can usually expect to receive the latest Nancy Drew PC mystery game. It's one of my most anticipated presents because I can expect hours of untold excitement and brainwork as my twin sister and I attempt to unravel the mystery. We try to hold off playing until the house is relatively empty because we have been told that our "twittering" detective work can be both annoying and irritating, though arguably amusing.

Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy, which I began this morning, is set in Dublin, Ireland. Many of the sets and pictures are so realistic that I can tell that they're actual pictures of the Irish countryside. If the country itself is half as beautiful as shown in this game, then I can only imagine how breathtaking the real scenery must be. There are few places that I would rather see. And then I started thinking...

Ireland is only a hop, skip, and a jump away from England; they're both part of the British isles, after all. Suddenly, it doesn't seem so far-fetched that I might be able to pop over for a spell, whether on a weekend or during my two-week spring break. My twin sister Jennifer will be studying in France while I'm in England, and we already have plans to travel around Europe together during our mutual spring break. Stops on our travel itinerary are currently limited to London and Paris because of financial limitations, but I'm hoping to find traveling more affordable when we get over there.

Who knows? Depending on the cost of train, bus, or plane tickets, I might be able to visit a lot of places I've only ever read about. England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Norway, France, Switzerland...the list is endless, but unfortunately, the funds are not.