• I moved from the US to Spain, and instead of going home for the holidays, I went to Ireland.
• I didn't do a ton of planning, but I decided to limit my trip to West Cork and Dublin.
• I had such a great time and met lots of friendly fellow travelers along the way.

Last year, I moved from New Jersey to Spain.

As much as I love my family, being in the US stresses me out. Instead of flying home, I wanted to experience something new this holiday season that would hopefully be a salve to the constant political disappointment I've been feeling as a Black woman living in the country.

Although Barcelona (my current city) comes alive during December with Christmas markets, festive lights, and a wave of tourists, I was craving greenery, the tranquility of nature, and maybe a sprinkle of luxury (at least for a few days). I knew I'd find that in Ireland, which I've loved every time I've visited.

Less than a month before Christmas, I did some last-minute planning to make my dream trip a reality.

I set my sights on County Cork

I've been to Ireland a few times, and multiple people I've met abroad have encouraged me to visit West Cork.

The somewhat underrated foodie destination is covered in farmland and remnants of Ireland's once-abundant temperate rainforests.

My curiosity was fully piqued, so I booked an extended weekend at Liss Ard Estate in the town of Skibbereen.

The luxurious estate was a bit of a splurge for me — the cheapest suites start at 160 euros, or about $166, a night — but I considered it a Christmas gift to myself.

The county's natural views were straight out of a movie

I hoped to spend time in nature during my trip, but I wasn't expecting to see greenery similar to "Jurassic Park" in the winter Irish countryside.

I spent most of my time in West Cork wandering the Irish Sky Garden, which James Turrell created in the 1990s.

I didn't even know about the internationally renowned masterpiece of interactive natural art when I booked my stay, but it's safe to say I was forever changed by the beautiful installation.

The Sky Garden is basically just a giant concave oval. When standing inside it, the sounds of nature are amplified, and the sky turns into a massive portrait.

As I lay on the rock slab, staring at the sky and hearing blades of grass shuffle in the breeze, I was reminded how wonderful it is to just be present in the moment.

I returned to an old haunt for Christmas Day

I loved the solitude of West Cork, but I planned on spending Christmas Day in Dublin, more specifically, at Jacob's Inn.

I've stayed in this hostel every time I've visited Dublin. As an avid solo traveler, I rarely find accommodations that organically create the feeling of family among strangers, but this place does it for me every time.

Immediately after entering and putting my bags in storage, I met a travel buddy at the bar who mildly peer-pressured me into going to a reggaeton club (something I didn't even know existed in Dublin).

We had a blast.

There was plenty to do in the capital city

Although Dublin was crowded with a wave of holiday tourists and locals gathering with friends and family, I was still able to carve out dedicated time to rest, regroup, and explore the city at my own pace.

Two of my favorite adventures were finding The Little Pig Speakeasy and visiting the city's museums.

The four properties of the National Museum of Ireland and the National Gallery are all free to the public, so I took my time wandering through as many exhibits as I could.

The speakeasy was the most authentic-feeling one I've been to in years.

To enter, my hostel buddy and I had to find a pay phone, type three numbers, say a code that we got from a local store owner, enter a trick wall, and then follow the neon pig. The tasty cocktails were worth the effort we spent getting into the bar.

My trip ended up being the perfect way to spend Christmas

Other than talking to my mom on Christmas Day, everything about this holiday was new for me.

At times, it was a bit overwhelming. However, not knowing what each day would bring during a season that's usually steeped in tradition was also exciting.

Whether I return to Ireland in December 2025 or set off to another country, I'm excited to make solo travel my new holiday tradition.

• Business Insider asked award-winning bartenders what their favorite cocktails are right now.
• Eggnog, mulled wine, and hot toddies are classic winter cocktails for a good reason.
• Simple twists on classic cocktails like old-fashioneds and Sazeracs give them extra pizzazz.

There's no better way to survive the holidays than with a festive cocktail.

Business Insider asked award-winning bartenders from around the world to share their favorite cocktails right now — and what makes them so seasonally special.

You can't go wrong with an old-fashioned.

Tiffanie Barriere — a Tastemakers of the South award winner and cocktail educator with a heavy focus on Black culture — sticks to the classics.

"I'm still a sucker for an old-fashioned," she said. The cocktail is a sipper, not a chugger, so it's great for longer holiday gatherings.

At its core, an old-fashioned only needs three ingredients (bourbon or rye whiskey, water, and bitters), though sugar and orange are often included in basic recipes.

There are also countless ways to remix the drink. Barriere recommends trying different concoctions with things like peach preserves, apple butter, and pumpkin puree. She's even had an old-fashioned made with zucchini soup broth — the possibilities are really endless.

Winter weather calls for hot toddies.

Deniseea Head, a cocktail consultant and storyteller, won VinePair's educator of the year award in 2023 for her work in the drink industry.

Her wintertime staple is a hot toddy. The drink typically calls for hot water, whiskey, lemon, honey, and spices, and she grew up drinking virgin versions on the rare occasion that the temperature dipped in Los Angeles.

"It's festive, warm, and I feel like it's lowkey healing," Head told BI.

Along with her personal connection to this drink, the history of the hot toddy also resonates with her work in connecting cocktails with Black American culture.

"The hot-toddy recipe, in my opinion, has been passed down as somewhat of a cure within the African American culture, specifically because we haven't always had access to things we need," she said.

Daddy Long Legs, another successful bartender who recently placed third in Tales of the Cocktail's Most Imaginative Bartender awards, has similar praise for the hot drink.

The bartender would also love to see people take the cocktail one step further by incorporating soups and broths.

"Personally, I'm brewing an idea for a chicken-noodle-soup hot toddy," they told BI.

Lastly, the simple cocktail is easy to make in big batches, which is perfect for holiday parties and events.

A Sazerac is a lesser-known classic.

Heriberto Mandez, the bar manager at Restaurant Good Luck and a finalist at the 2024 Rochester Cocktail Revival festival, likes to add a little theatrical flair to cocktails to liven up the holiday season.

His favorite drink is a take on a classic Sazerac — a cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, sugar, absinthe, and a citrus garnish. Mandez elevates the drink by caramelizing the absinthe and using a split base of rye whiskey and brandy to pay homage to the cocktail's French and American history.

When everything is assembled, he also lights the cocktail on fire — a fun way to start a conversation at a party or just add a little brightness to the end of the year.

Mulled wine is full of Christmas cheer.

Jose Luis Mora, the lead bartender at the award-winning Sea Grill at Puente Romano Beach Resort in Spain, said he's a fan of many holiday cocktails.

Although seasonal specialties like a winter espresso martini with peppermint or a pumpkin-flavored whiskey sour are fun, Mora finds himself reaching for a staple: glühwein.

Glühwein, or mulled wine, combines ingredients like red wine, vermouth, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and citrus fruits. It's served warm, so it's perfect for any outdoor holiday event.

Don't hate on eggnog.

Liana Oster, who's worked at award-winning bars around the world and is now the beverage director at NoMad London, also loves classics. Her first favorite is eggnog.

"I love the process of making it, drinking it, and often gifting it," she told BI. "I've been lucky to try a number of different styles, some classic, some contemporary, like pumpkin-infused or frozen."

The fact that everyone has their own recipe gives the cocktail a special touch at parties and events.

Break out the punch bowl for your next party.

Charné van Heerden, South Africa's 2023 bartender of the year and the owner of HiBall, said holiday cocktails look a little different in the Southern Hemisphere — it's summer there, after all.

"Hands down, my holiday go-to is any punch-style drink," she told BI. "My easy-to-whip-up recipe consists of rooibos tea, strawberry oleo, citrus, and, of course, brandy (a lot of it)."

She serves it chilled to beat the summer heat, and making a big batch ahead of the party makes it easy for people to top up their glasses.

Spiced cocktails fit the season well.

Stanislav Harcinik, the ambassador at the award-winning Mirror Bar Cocktail Bar in Washington, DC, shared some of his favorite Slovakian holiday cocktails from his homeland.

"In Slovakia, it's very traditional to 'spice' our drinks during the holidays with our own fruit eau-de-vies like slivovica (plum) or jablkovica (apple)," he said. Eau-de-vie is a kind of brandy made with fermented fruits.

To finish off the traditional winter drink, he mixes it with some ginger juice, honey, and lemon.