By danirendon9
So it's almost December, and I am here wondering where did the time go?
I have honestly lived out each day of study abroad as if it were my first day in a new country, yet one semester does not feel enough. It is already my final week of classes, finals start in two weeks, and then after that I am headed back to the States. So where did the last few weeks go?
Well, November was a month of more Irish travel for me. I visited Kilkenny, Cork, Giant's Causeway (again), Dun Laurigoh, Bray, and a bunch of other little neighboring cities. I was excited to visit KIlkenny and Cork because I got to go inside castles that have been standing for thousands of years now. I got to kiss the famous blarney stone and am hoping to receive that some eloquence rubs off. In Kilkenny, I strolled through Medieval Mile in which there is an abundance of history and landmarks along the mile.
In Dun Laurigoh, I gathered the courage to go into the notorious Forty Foot. The Forty Foot is a Dubliner's right of passage and is a small bathing area into the cold, cold shores of the Atlantic. So at 6am, me and a couple of friends, got ourselves out of bed and headed towards the coast to jump into freezing cold water. Within seconds the water felt fine, but that was only because my body went numb. There were even seals that swam up to us and came over to play! If you're ever in Dublin (yes, at any time of the year), make sure to do this right of passage!
I also went to Bray to walk along the coast and do a spectacular hike which overlooks the city. Once the hike is completed at the submit, one can follow the path back down to the coast and walk all the way to the small town of Greystones about 4 km away. It's a beautiful walk, and can be done by people of any age or skill.
Ireland is a beautiful country, and the longer I am here, the more I do not want to leave. Don't get wrong, I definitely miss DC as well as family and friends, but Dublin is just starting to feel like home. The atmosphere is positive, everyone is fun-loving and welcoming, and there's always something to do or somewhere to go.
In the next few weeks I will be going to Budapest, Prague, Vienna, and Malta, as well as a few more DUblin touristy things, so stay tuned! This was a bit shorter post given that I have a ton of final projects to get back to, but don't worry Ill keep you updated!
Cheers!