Irlanda

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your field,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand"

Growing up as a member of the Leahy clan (my mom's side of the family), Irish blessings and proverbs were always prevalent, especially the one above. Which makes my being in Ireland right now all the more special. I do love Spain, but when that plane was flying into Dublin and touched down at the airport, it felt like I had arrived home. People were speaking English, the green of the nearby hills was astounding, and I literally could not stop smiling.

I have come to Ireland to visit a friend that is studying in Belfast this semester but now that I am here, I know that I have really come more for myself. Dublin was a revelation. Walking through the sun-dappled campus of Trinity College as the leaves were starting to change for the fall made me almost decide right then and there to stay and never leave the city. Later, even after the rain came and we were no longer able to lay out in front of Christchurch chapel on the soft grass, the streets were still alive. We rented bikes and rode through Phoenix Park, the largest park in Europe, and were treated to the sight of the President of Ireland speeding by towards her home in a motorcade. Around the corner, we came across hundreds of deer grazing in the woods before stopping at a cafe next to a small castle and having hot chocolate and crisps.

I apologize if I am waxing way too poetic about this country, but I can't really help it. Even on the bus ride from Dublin to Belfast, I was shocked by how much it resembled parts of northern Oregon. Except for that green. I have never seen grass so vibrant before in my life. And the small towns we drove through on our way here were bursting with rock walls, neat rows of houses with colorful doors, and rivers meandering through the center.

So I look forward to my next few days here before I depart for Paris and head back to Granada. I definitely will come back here in whatever way I can. After all, the hostel I stayed at in Dublin is hiring......