Last week our Editorial Director had the opportunity to jet to Ireland for a truly unique look into the traditional world of Irish dairies with Kerrygold. The places Bianca got to see can only be described with a single word: stunning. I only wish little Carter and I could have tagged along! But here is Bianca’s take on the adventure. Own the envy!

Ireland has never been on my list of places I wanted to visit. For a hit-the-pavement, city girl like me, rolling green hillsides and nothing ‘ado wasn’t really my idea of a vacation – or so I thought! So when I accepted an invitation to see Ireland through the eyes of its most famed butter and dairy company, Kerrygold, I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But when I stepped off the plane, I was ready for everything the capital city of Dublin had to offer. Little did I know, Dublin was not on the agenda at all! In fact, the only Dublin I would see was the airport itself. After a two+ hours’ drive, I found myself in the heart of the Irish countryside and I realized my chic leather boots were going to need to quickly be replaced by practical wellies! The urban Ireland I had in my head was not the Ireland I was going to see.

As it turns out, I was getting the rare chance to experience a tourist-free itinerary and capture a unique and intimate Irish story! Armed with a ton of curiosity, but just a phone in my hand to capture it all, I slipped into wellies and set off!

Luckily, I decided to pack the new LG G4 phone with me for this trip. Had I known we were headed into some of the most picturesque country side I’d ever seen I might have been tempted to haul the big ole SLR along with me, but we’d been asked to test out this new phone – which is also enabled for international travel – so I stashed it in my carry-on. I was thrilled to discover that I got the same photo quality out of something that fits in my pocket! Turns out, the LG G4 comes equipped with one of the best cameras on the market not only for any smartphone, but for digital cameras in general. I was so impressed with the Laser Autofocus and HighRes Sensors. Not having to worry about lugging an old school camera through fields {literally – we were hangin’ with the cows at one point}, was such a relief. I’m certainly stoked with how my photos turned out – but you be the judge!

But now back to my trip! We spent most of our time in the village of Cork exploring the countryside and learning a great deal about the land and the generations of people connected to it. We visited a dairy, chatting with the farmer about his life and his land {with the killer views overlooking the Atlantic!} and even enjoyed homemade scones and tea with him and his wife. We also visited a family run cheese business and were invited to join the entire family for a literal farm-to-table lunch in their stunning farmhouse. As we explored, we came across the most gorgeous old castles, stayed in charming accommodations, tasted cream straight from the cow and spent an inordinate amount of time simply amazed by how green everything was. Everywhere you turned there were stunning green hills, extensive gardens and farmland you just don’t see here in the states.

My favorite activity? Playing with all of the farm dogs. I’ll never forget the smell of the grass.

Upon returning to the states, friends could hardly believe that this city-slicker was now considering life on a farm. Albeit, the lifestyle may be a bit of a stretch for me at the moment, so I’m thankful I could properly capture my excitement and experience as proof that the magic of Ireland is real, people! Pictures rarely do traveling to a new place justice, but these come pretty darn close. You can practically feel the stone texture of the castles through the images and smell the grass – at least I hope you can!

Now, The LG G4 is not on the market quite yet, but you can still test the camera out for yourself. A LG G4 truck is currently touring the nation – how fun! – giving people the chance to play with the device before it’s released. You can follow @G4Preview for tour updates and pre-register for the phone HERE. With pre-registering, you’ll get notified when the phone is available and you’ll be entered to win one of 30 free phones!

As for me, not only were unforeseen wellies in my forecast on this crazy whirlwind trip, but so was falling into a deep love affair for The Emerald Isle – to think, a country never on my list! I’d love to hear if you’ve ever been to Ireland. Isn’t it a magnificent place? I’m dying to go back already. It truly was a life-changing travel experience. I’ll be sure to bring my phone.

original photography for apartment 34 by bianca sotelo

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LG. The opinions and text are all mine. We received compensation and access to an LG G4 phone. Thank you for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34’s doors open.