5/30/2014 - Dublin, Ireland

Well - almost Dublin. Not quite. The airplane is starting its descent. I looked out the window and there was land and mountains. Yesterday was surreal - I went home Wednesday and got socks and stuff with Mom before chopping off 12 inches of my hair. My feelings about it are evolving. Then Thursday Katie came home from Israel in the morning - I woke up super early and had a bath (!) and took care of some last minute internet stuff. Mom and Katie and I went to Chappaqua Diner and then that was it. I was off. 

Goodbye was hard for Mom. She started crying and got really worried about safety, I think. But I'm gonna be okay. I really am. 

Dad's two pieces of advice: a girl on her own in drunk party areas requires care And where I'm going (Dublin, good example) the people in the bad areas look just like me. ("For example, not a bunch of PRs loitering on the stoops." A little racist? Eh.) He also gave me two names of places - Bewley's for tea and cake, Davy Burns gastro-pub. 

I can see the grass in between the clouds. So green. 

I'm a little worried about hitting the ground - we'll be there like 6:30am but I don't think I can check in until 2:30pm. 8 hours to kill, possibly with backpack in tow. Some of that will be eaten up by Customs, I'm sure, and finding my way to the hostel, and I'll check in at the hostel and see if they'll let me check in early. Otherwise maybe I'll find a library or a Starbucks or something and hit up the wifi. 

Okay, I did all the things! Well, sort of. Got my bag/customs/found the bus okay - though I had to go scrounge up change for a €20 - and found the hostel all right. I went one stop too far on bus and had to double back, whoops, and I looked the wrong way and almost got hit by a car, double oops. Gotta remember, number one cause of death to Americans abroad is automobiles! Good learning moment. I'm all set up at the hostel but my bed/locker aren't free until 2pm. I got a free breakfast and explored there a little. Now I'm killing a little time - there's a free walking tour at 10:25am that's supposed to last three hours - something to do until I check in/prevent me from stopping and letting the jet-lag hit. Then maybe I'll go set up my bag/bed situation and shower? I should really try to push through and shower before bed. Maybe go to National Archaeology Museum after I check in? It's very close. 

The Irish Jewish Museum is closed until Sunday, 11am - what a strange schedule, and that's my last day here this round so I must go then! Maybe tomorrow or Sunday night try to see a show. (Annotation in margin: Oh my god, b/c of SHABBAT, I'm a blithering idiot, duh!)

Dublin is nice, from what I've seen in my brief wander. More post-walking tour. 

I went on the walking tour and met people, yay. Two girls traveling together, Jenna and Kelsey, and Tasha, traveling alone, all Canadian. They were nice! We did the whole walking tour, three hours worth - some of it backtracking over where I'd wandered earlier - which was great. I'm staying literally around the corner from the Post Office (of 1916 fame.) After the walking tour we found a wee sandwich shop and ate our lunch sitting on Millenium Bridge, facing the Liffey. I was going to jet right at 2pm to figure out my room/bed/etc. but I ended up staying with them until 4:30pm. Now I'm back at the hostel. The luggage drawer allocated to my bed is broken so I may try to use the one belonging to the bed beneath mine, unless there's an issue. 

I'm about to fall down with the sleepies but I have to stay up until at least 8:30p/9ish - otherwise the jet-lag will kill me dead. (It's begun melting my brain already.)

Okay, 9:20pm - I made it. I talked to people, saw some sights, got sunburned in Ireland (don't get more Irish than that) and haven't cried. Day One, success. Days 2-62, the unknown. So far, so good. I feel okay. 

It's gonna be good. I feel good already. Look out.

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