for my dear friend kayla...

I had the sad realization last week that I have less than one month left in Dublin. There are so many places that I want to visit yet, but I know it is virtually impossible. I feel like I just started to get to know the city and my favorite places and I've met so many wonderful people, and it seems this will end just as soon as it started.

It is bittersweet, because I'm also really looking forward to coming home. I miss everyone more than they probably know and there are so many things to look forward to over the next few months/year.

Anyways..I have 4 classes and only three days until the end of term. I end classes this week and then our two weeks of finals don't start til the 5th of may. My finals don't start til the 7th so I decided to a bit of traveling during my reading break. I will be spending 4 days in Berlin with Brian, Jeff, and John (the other three students from Wisconsin). Then I will be traveling to Budapest to visit my friend Elliot! So i will spend a few days in Budapest and then head to Vienna before heading back to Dublin--where I'm sure I will spend the rest of my time in the library or cafes.

My last few weeks have been pretty amazing though. My parents came to visit over Easter and I had so much fun! We spent a day in Dublin/Howth (a small town on the coast just north of Dublin). We then headed to Cork where we traveled North to the Dingle Penninsula. I had wanted to go there since before I came and it was not a letdown in the slightest. I think it was best that we had rented a car also--even though it was a bit nervewrecking watching my father drive -- just kidding, he did great...except for the time that the metal pole almost went through the window :). I think my favorite part of the dingle penninsula was a beach that was tucked in the curvature of the cliffs. I made my mother come in the ocean with me. I managed to stay completely dry, but she was not as skilled as I and got a bit wet :) We also saw beautiful scenery and some really interesting old churches/cemeteries. The dingle penninsula was also very intersting for me because we had spent some time in my irish history course discussin the famine. Throughout the pennninsula you could still see the walls that once separated the properties and the ruins of the old houses. The penninsula has never been repopulated to the extent it was in the pre-famine era and since the land is not ideal for farming, the ruins of these lands still remain.

That night we headed back to Killarney-where we were staying-and grabbed some dinner at the pub conencted to our hotel. I enjoyed some delicious seafood chowder and a bailey's coffee :) We also had the privilege of listening to the best Irish folk band that I have heard in my time here!! They played a song by Christie Hennessy with which I am now obsessed.

The next day we set out early to do the ring of kerry--a 120ish km drive around another penninsula on the west coast. On our way to Kenmare, we stopped at the Killarney National Park to see the Muckcross House and Torc Waterfall. We stopped a bit prematurely though and I forced my parents to do an 8km walk--which could have been completely avoided. They may have been cursing me under their breath, but they were pretty good about it and it turned out the walk was beautiful (or at least I thought so). The ring of kerry was a lot different than I expected. It kind of showed a different side of Eire. Everybody always sees the beautiful green scenery and rolling hills and such. But the mountains here were extremely rocky and more brown than green. I found still found it beautiful, but for different reasons. I also got to enjoy my first ferry ride along the ring! However, I was too busy trying to take a picture of the GPS and our car being in the middle of the ocean to realize we were even moving. Oh well...turns out I have my blonde moments in Ireland too.

The next day we had to wake up EARLY to head back to Cork on our way back to Dublin. I was more than surprised to find starbucks in the Cork Airport--but I certainly wasn't complaining. I think my parents were pretty impressed with the efficiency of RyanAir and we actually made it back to Dublin 20 minutes early--on our 30 minute flight.

That was Monday then, and we headed to the Kilmainham Gaol and the GUinness Storehouse. I had wanted to do the Gaol for a very long time because I heard it was really interesting. It was and I think my parents enjoyed it. So much history and so many famous Irishmen/women have been held/killed there. I think it was one of the best things I have seen yet in Dublin. Afterwards we headed to the Storehouse--an essential stop on any trip to Dublin. It was my third time and I think I officially have the tour memorized! It was still fun though to be there with my parents. Every other time, I have pulled my own pint, but this time I finally enjoyed my pint in the gravity bar. It was delicious as always. My father even drank his whole pint--despite being allergic to beer. He survived though--I think it just proves the superiority of Guinness (especially over German Beers such as Kolsch--right Sara?)

While my parents were here they also visited the two Cathedrals, Dublin Castle and the Old Jameson Distillery. I also made sure they made it to Temple Bar--touristy but a very crucial stop on their visit! My father made fun of my mother for taking a picture--until he saw about 50 other people doing the same.

Since I have been busy trying to study--which is so much harder to do than back in Madison. But I think I'm starting to get the hang of it again. Saturday, though, I went on my last trip with my study abroad group. We went to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. It was an early morning but I'm so glad I got up for it. We climbed to the top of one of the mountains and I surprisingly didn't fall--even though we climbed up about 200 meters in a muddy stream. I think it was my favorite trip of all the ones we did. Our guides were pretty cool and the scenery was beautiful. It was also an old monastic settlement so we found out a bit of history of the site. There was a cemetary there that had been in use for almost 1300 years (i think that was how many--maybe more). THe weather was beautiful too, which always helps and we got two free meals and a free pint.

We have our farewell dinner tomorrow which is our last event of the semester. I can't believe how quickly this time has gone by!!

Miss you all, but I will see you soon! I will be heading back to the states on the 16th and then to Minneapolis sometime in the last few days of May.