Okay, I must be looking at the date wrong—it CAN’T be already NINE DAYS since we arrived in Dublin. I feel like time is going so, so fast. It’s both wonderful and terrifying, as I can’t imagine how I’ll feel a month from now, or even three months from now and I’m heading back home!
Already so much has happened here. We met up as a group the night we arrived, making introductions over pints of beer and cider at the Barge, an adorable local pub down the street. The next few days passed in a blur of orientation information, more introductions and forgotten names, and then finally getting over jet lag! By Friday, we were already heading out of the city, taking the DART train up to the beautiful coastal city of Howth.
Though I was thoroughly underprepared for the 4 mile (6 km) loop we took (hiking boots were left off my itinerary when I was packing unfortunately!), it was nonetheless absolutely gorgeous to behold once we reached the top of the cliff. The air felt fresh as it blew past us, and, looking down, the waves rolled against the rocky beaches.
In other words, what with the cooler weather, the windy, rocky beaches, and the beautiful ocean-filled horizon, I felt like I was home.
This was the first time I felt like that on this trip, but I’m sure not the last. I really hope to go back to Howth and other coastal cities on the DART. A group of us already have a trip planned for Cork this upcoming weekend, but my bucket list is to also see Galway, County Clare (the Cliffs of Moher), Sligo, and hopefully many others.
As for my list I made before I left of places I wanted to go? I still have a lot left, but I will be able to check off Cork/West Cork after this weekend, and I have been to several awesome pubs such as the Blackbird, the Barge, and the Bernard Shaw (apparently “B” is a popular letter for pubs’ names ;) Exploring Rathmines has been a breeze, considering I live and take classes everyday on the street! Next up for me is going to be the Iveagh Gardens, Marrion Square, and Galway (before the end of the month for sure).
The more time goes on though, the more I sense that my bucket list of places to go will continue to grow. Already I have added many other places in Dublin I want to investigate (Pheonix Park, Newgrange, the National Museum of Ireland, etc.) and I cannot wait to continue to check places off my list as I go.
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One Month Ago/One Month Later
It's been a month since I took a teary-eyed flight back home.
Grace DeMun
<p>Hailing from Tacoma, WA, I'm a English Literature and Psychology major who is thoroughly excited to be traveling an studying in Ireland in the fall. I've lived my whole life in the PNW, so I'm interested to see what this new adventure will bring (although weather-wise it seems pretty similar!) I love music and dancing (badly) and I have loved reading and stories for as long as I can remember. I draw the most inspiration and creative juices from experiencing new things and ideas, so I know I'll be bursting with words to be written and stories to be told during the four months I'm away from home.</p>
