Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

It was a sad end to a great night walking away from Alex as she and her Study Abroad group piled into a cab. I got to tour the pretty campus of University College Dublin as I got lost trying to find where Alex was staying, I met some fun people from Arizona State, and we found this great dance club to celebrate our last night in Dublin together. As if being abroad weren’t fantastic enough, I had a little time to share it with one of my best friends. I desperately hope I get a chance to repeat the experience with all of them. I hugged Alex goodbye knowing our adventures in Dublin were over (for now) but walked away with the silver lining that my adventures in Dublin with new friends were just beginning.

Unfortunately, I didn’t realize one of those adventures would be battling a seven-hour workday with a cold. My first week in Dublin and I get taken over by a running nose and scratching throat. The loud coughs and constant trips to the bathroom to blow my nose are making a lovely impression on my coworkers, I’m sure. Thankfully, they are feigning ignorance. After living for so long in this climate maybe their bodies are immune to colds. Or maybe it is because they are all such genuinely friendly people. Whatever the case, bottom-line, I am still able to get my work done, so all is well. My work, which has, thus far, consisted of researching for upcoming documentaries and writing pitches to get funding for these documentaries. All interesting, though albeit not very hands-on tasks. It is still early though, and the company is in that stage between the end of post-production on one docu-series and the start of production on another docu-series. In layman’s terms, there isn’t much to edit yet. I got to meet the lead editor, and he was nice and friendly (who isn’t in Ireland?). Right now, I’m just really looking forward to the next day shoot, so I get to do some work on-set.

There have been many other adventures besides my cold, though. That’s one of the things I love about Dublin. There is always something to see or do. On Friday, I went with another GE intern to Merion Square where we saw some fantastic street performers. Merion Square had a festival going on this weekend, and part of it was performances for the Street Performers World Championship. There were showmen from Australia, England, USA, Japan, Sweden, and all over the world.

Besides that, Merion had a variety of food booths, a carousel, and the ride with swings that spins. Saturday had much more, including a breaking of the world record for most people dressed up as ‘Where’s Waldo?’ in one spot. I will never wonder where he is again. I can safely say he is definitely in Dublin. I wasn’t there for the Saturday festivities, though. A group of eleven of us got on an eighteen-passenger van at 6:45 AM and set out for the Irish countryside with our driver, Bud. Bud was the best guide we could possibly ask for. He was an adorable Irish grandpa filled with jokes and interesting stories and tidbits. We started our tour with a stop at the Blarney castle. The castle and land around it was beautiful. After spelunking in the dungeon, we made our way up the ever winding and narrowing staircase to the top of Blarney castle. There, at the top, I lied on my back and craned my neck to give the rock wall a smooch, probably passing my cold on to everyone behind me, in hopes that I will become incredibly lucky and eloquent. I know it may be gross, but I came all this way. How could I not? Bud said it was safe!

Next was a stop in Cork. Bud directed us to this tucked away restaurant where they serve really good traditional Irish food. We got hit with some really windy showers on the way, so I was looking for something to warm me from the inside out.

I decided it was time for my first Irish Stew, and learned that the driver was misleading us. The restaurant didn’t serve really good traditional Irish food; it served absolutely amazing traditional Irish food. It filled me right up, and then some, and was exactly what I needed. After lunch, we took our time looking through the shopping markets in Cork.

From Cork we went on to the Rock of Cashel. It was a breathtaking 4^th century castle where Saint Patrick had spent some time living. It was truly awe-inspiring to be standing in a place where people had stood back in the year 400 AD, to touch what they touched, to see what they saw. I can only imagine what everyday life would have been like walking through those rooms. Outside the castle, there was a graveyard with graves dating from the early 1700’s to the mid 1900s. The whole experience just reminded me of how much I love history.

On our way back, Bud took us through some impressive countryside. At one point, he pulled over to the side of the road so we could get out to admire some fluffy Irish sheep.

We got back around 7:30 PM, and Bud left us with some big Irish hugs. It was such a fulfilling day that really made me feel like I was in Ireland.

On Sunday, six of us from the day before and 3 others took a thirty-minute train ride out to Howth. It’s a small coastal town just north of Dublin. The coastline was beautiful, and the area was so peaceful; it was a very calming place, unlike the hustle and bustle of Dublin.

We went to a restaurant called Beshoffs, as per Bud’s recommendation, for the best fish-n-chips in all of Ireland.

As usual, Bud knows best. The meal was delicious, and we got to eat it while admiring the sailboats in the harbor. After eating, we took a stroll out on the pier where a man told us he’d give us a group discount for a boat ride out to the scenic island just off the coast. We agreed and set sail for some closer picture taking. Once we got close to it, the captain pointed out some seals swimming around nearby. On the island there was a lighthouse from the 16^th century that the British had built, along with a few others scattered up the coast, for fear that Napoleon would try to invade.

When we made it back to land, we browsed through the street markets they had set up before heading back to Dublin. On the way back to our apartments, we passed Merion Square, still buzzing with its weekend festival, and caught a collection of Waldos as they were dispersing from the second day of the world record-breaking attempt.

From countrysides to coastlines, it was a very picturesque weekend that made for a lot of exploration. While I was sad to see Alex go, I am now even more excited to be here with the opportunity to experience all this.

P.S. Happy Father’s Day! I love and miss you, Dad. I am so thankful for everything. You’re the best! Love, Heather