How did we get here?

Traveling from Utah to Ireland

Hello everyone! As soon as we got settled in Ireland, I started writing about our experience with the intention of sharing it all with you. And like a dream, three months just slipped away. We return home next week! Before we leave, I wanted to catch you up on everything—the highs and lows—starting with the long journey that brought us here.

On flying with eight kids

This was a lot. We flew from Utah to New York, then London, and finally to Ireland. At one point, during our layover in London, with tired and teary kids, I thought, Are we crazy? Moving all ten of us for three months felt overwhelming. Once we got here though, battled some intense jet lag and got settled, we were ready to roll.

Same family, different farm

Our six older kids started private Catholic school—their first time in a formal classroom. They were nervous, but I had a feeling they’d love it. We got them uniforms and backpacks (a first for our homeschool crew), and they’ve really embraced the experience.

They’re learning new things, playing Irish sports, and making new friends—Charles has become a little cowboy celebrity!. Frances came home gushing about her classmates’ accents, which was so cute. I love that they’re experiencing a different culture, religion, and routine—it’s been so good for them.

Why cookery school and why Ireland?

I’ve wanted to do cooking school for years, and as Ballerina Farm expands, Daniel and I felt formal training would be really important. We chose Ireland because we wanted an English-speaking country where the kids could quickly adapt. Plus, Ballymaloe is set on a beautiful 100-acre farm, with a familiar setting and a farm-to-table philosophy that aligns perfectly with The Ballerina Farm values.

How I fell in love with cooking

Ballymaloe’s philosophy is incredibly simple: start with fresh, high-quality ingredients, and you don’t need complicated techniques. This resonated with me because I was never really passionate about cooking until we started farming. Fresh golden milk, a rich pork chop, all the farm-fresh ingredients completely changed my perspective. Cooking became inspiring, and that’s exactly what Ballymaloe reinforces.

The beauty of Ballymaloe

Aside from the amazing food and simple recipes, one of the things I’ve loved about this area is the care people have for their surroundings. The farms are simple but so beautifully maintained. At the school, every room has fresh arrangements made from whatever is growing that week—right now it’s budding magnolia branches and rosemary. It’s such a thoughtful way to bring nature indoors.

We are loving this chance to be students again and learn what elements of our experience we can bring back to Ballerina Farm. I’m so excited to share more of this adventure with you.

Hannah