My father-in-law thought I was crazy ("I did it once, but never again!"), my best friend said I was gutsy, and my co-workers at Hideaways egged me on. "Go ahead, you'll get the hang of it in no time." Those were just a few of the reactions to my announcement that I was going to rent a car and tackle driving on the left side of the road while touring Ireland with my two teenage daughters. As our departure drew nearer, my anxiety grew. Could I get my set-in-its-ways brain to make the switch? Would I be able to negotiate those infamously narrow, winding country roads? Worse yet, would I get lost in Dublin trying to return the rental car?

As it turned out, my brain made the switch just fine, thank you. Those narrow country roads are even narrower than I'd imagined, and I did get lost in Dublin -- but having a rental car clearly was the only way to go. It gave us a sense of blending with the locals and the flexibility to linger whenever we wanted -- even if our itinerary was mercilessly full.