My travel wanderlust began well over 20 years ago. When I was barely out of my teens, I'd landed an awesome job with Warner Bros. Records in Detroit. During those early years, I had many chances to hang out with cool, creative and (more than a few) crazy rock stars. Some, like U2, were just beginning their careers. Most of us were as green as the Irish grass. It was an awesome time to be young, attractive and paid a salary just to be immersed in music. I discovered early on that music was the universal language of all cultures. A few years later I went to England to visit musician Peter Gabriel who I was dating at the time. By the end of that trip I was hooked on exploring new places, eating great ethnic food, learning about various cultures, inspiring art and people from places other than the US. Since then (and after leaving the music industry), I've been fortunate enough to travel to over 30 countries. Everywhere I've roamed I was turned on to new music. It seemed to be the bridge between those of us who couldn't communicate through a mutually spoken language. Back in 1981, I’d promised Bono of U2 that I’d visit Ireland someday (when I could still find him at home and he'd respond to my letters.....) It's taken me over 20 years, several moves, a couple of careers, but I’m finally going to "the Mother Country". I have all of October to discover firsthand the part of my heritage that is Irish, to drink Guinness in the oldest Irish pubs, to hear old pipers play traditional tunes and to discover new Irish songwriters. I’ll toast to all the times, years earlier when I'd promised myself to see James Joyce's homeland, Van Morrison's roots, my great great-grandmother’s Kilkenny streets and everything green and Gaelic in between. This Maui island girl is going to Irie-land! Erin Go Bragh.