My Claddagh ring is hands down my most treasured piece of jewelry that I own. I never take it off, and you will probably never see me not wearing it. Not only does it represent my Irish heritage, but it holds so much meaning to me in more ways than one. Growing up, I always wanted to have a Claddagh ring of my own. All of my aunts and my grandma had one, and I couldn't wait for the day that I would happen upon one for myself.

Last fall, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in England and was given the opportunity to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland for a long weekend. I was out with my friends, exploring the city, and we happened upon an old church that was renovated into a makeshift flea market. Inside were vendors with tables selling jewelry, scarves, paintings, and other miscellaneous items. It seemed like a fun place to shop for a little while before lunch, so we decided to look around.

I ventured over to a table selling jewelry and saw the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It was a simple silver Claddagh, and the last one available in my size. I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to buy it, until Captain Jack Sparrow (I'm not even kidding. I genuinely believe it was Johnny Depp. He did the walk and everything.) came over to me and offered to sell it for £12, which was more than half of what it was actually worth. It was too perfect of a bizarre moment for me not to turn down the offer, so I bought it.

As I traded the pounds for the ring, I realized that my ring was the first thing I actually bought for myself that wasn't food or a postcard. The entire time I had been studying abroad, I had been buying things for my loved ones at home and hadn't bought a single thing for me. It was my first gift to myself, and from that point on, the ring had a new and special meaning to me.

Most people look at the Claddagh as a promise ring that symbolizes a relationship. While I do wear it to represent my relationship with my incredible and loving boyfriend (Hi, Ben!), I like to look at my ring as a promise to myself. A reminder for me that it's perfectly okay to be kind and to love yourself.

The design on the ring has two hands holding a heart wearing a crown. The hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty. For me, the hands remind me of the true and undying friendships I made on my journey, the heart represents a reminder to me to love to myself, and the crown represents the loyalty I hold for my loved ones.

My Claddagh might not be the most elaborately designed ring in existence, but it holds so much meaning to me that I wouldn't sell or trade it for anything in the world.