Kings of Leon, I hope I never get sick of you.

Dad and I cut our adventure short and came back to Dublin a day early to see museums and such. Friday we caught the bus to Galway, Sat we went into Headford and rode to Cong. Sunday from Cong to Clifden and Monday, Clifden to Inis Mor the Aran Island. Its good to be back and not on the road. I am incredibly sunburned.

The us from Galway last night gave me lots to think about. It was three hours of memories from this semester. I keep telling dad I'm going to live here and as we note differences between here and home, it makes me want to stay more. I told him how I smoked hookah and he told of the hookah bar that opened down the street from my high school. Its just different. When Hookah is on the south side of Indianapolis, consumed by a bunch of Manual High School kids thinking they're real cool and somewhat different or rebelious and you compare it to a bunch of Spanish, German, French and Americans college students sitting on a green lawn in Dublin smoking Hookah...its just different. It isnt trashy it is was it is with no connotation good or bad associated with it.

I've not been in that Hookah bar so I shouldnt say its trashy because I dont know. I imagine the Kmart across the street, its giant parking lot. That doesnt exist here, wasted space. I guess it isnt wasted space its for the cars that everyone drives filled with the fuel everyone uses. That doesnt exist here. Theres is a conciousness for what is right that doesnt exist at home. Everyone recycles, people use public transit or bikes more than cars. People have a general respect for eachother and I think it shows. Granted, I'm in south County Dublin, were I north of the river I may have a different opinion.

I Dont Do Goodbye

I really cant do goodbye. Cant we pretend its see you later even though we may never see eachother again? Its sad for sure but I just cant handle goodbye, I cant accept them. I cant bring myself to cry, but I feel like crying. My heart hurts saying goodbye to Irish kids I cant stand it. To think of all the memories we made and all that they have done for me, all they have been..okay now I cry, like a baby.

Elaine Dempsey-Oh i cant even do this. I mean to blog about each one of them and give short description of who they are and how they will be remembered, but I dont know that I'm strong enough. Elaine, Bev, PJ, Cormac, Rob the Pirate, Pa, Daryl, and Erika, you mean more than ya know, and I'll miss you. And Kate Megarry who gets a shout out all her own because if I return, it will be for her, we may be soul sisters-I have to pursue her.

I left the Black Hole (their apartment) this morning, Bevs' mom was up to move her out and as we packed the car and they left, I thought of Purdue and how it feels when everyone is leaving for the summer. And I walked to the bus stop, and walked home and I realize...this is theirs. I've been blessed, absolutely blessed to experience it and meet all those that I've met...but I have my own...my own world...this is theirs, mine is elsewhere.

Its goodbye for everyone. It sounds way stupid but it is the closing of a chapter and thats the best way to look at it. Theres something more coming.

I walk alone and I pray blessings on those that have come to mean so much to me. At camp-and this is cheesey I know but its true and I love it. At camp, at the end of the week the night before everyone leaves we tell the kids, people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. And on that note, I cant even be sad to leave them. I just feel so good for meeting them. I've met you, we've had great times and its been a dream of a semester that I will often OFTEN day dream of when I sit in lecture this fall. But I have to go back to my life now.

Two weeks and two days from this moment I will be in a wheat field in northern Indiana, living in West Lafayette, drinking Den Pops and seeing the stars at night. But I will lay down to sleep and think of the Irish.

I made it all the way to Bray today and I'm a little proud I didnt whimp out and bring a bus or train back. On the way home it started pouring but it was all down hill so I kept going, just wanting to get home. Thats when I got a flat tire. You should see the inch long peice of glass I took out of my tire. It was raining! And I couldnt get it out so I had to remove it with my teeth. Gross right? I felt pretty BA. Then I found a tree to sit under to fix it. Ever tried to dry rubber cement in the rain? Its possible.

"Training"

The last couple days I've been preparing for my Ireland Adventure. I've attempted long rides I have but I keep getting lost!! The number one annoyance that you'll find when living in Ireland is that they dont have street signs at intersections. Sometimes you'll get a little sign saying the street name, but instead of being on a pole, its on a wall and usually at waist height and its not even always at the intersection but half way between two intersections. Good luck finding that.

Anyway I've tried twice to get to Bray, got lost both times. Well I guess it isnt lost as much as it is distracted. The first time by the Dalkey and the pier and the second by Killiney (where Bono lives) and Killiney Hill which is some of the coolest forest I've seen since I've been here. When I walked Killiney Hill yesterday, I honestly wanted to hug a tree it was so cool. Magic. I've never really wanted to hug trees before.

And the view from Killiney? Its worth the incline. And the decent now thats just fun and really fast.

Dalkey was the little town nieghborhood I found the first day and it was so cute. And the houses all along the way are amazing too. And the school thats practically a castle?? Yep, I'm defo having kids here and they're going there. This place, I'd say all along the shoreline from Blackrock to Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey to Killikey and Bray, its some parallel universe where everyone is happy and nice and the shop fronts are painted bright colors. Little girls with bright red ringlets run around green parks with pink ballet tutus. No ones dog has a leash. Its craziness. Its real. I saw it all. Maybe its only like this when the sun shines...

This is the hilliest country I've ever been in and my legs hurt.

Dont You Love America?

Boston Tommy in the kitchen today after I said I wasnt ready to go home.

"Why? Dont you love America?" Kid always gets me because he never smiles, I didnt know if he was serious or being a little silly. He continued,

"America. Home of the free. And the brave."

He cant wait, he wants to be back so bad. And I guess I'm ready to be done here, I've had my time. But I really do want to come back and do it right. I want to play rugby. I dont want to waste time as I have here, the internet being a sole waste of my time.

As I waited for the bus, and granted I'm in a classy neighborhood, the number of people running or cycling, and just in general I feel like they're a healthier people. I want to be here. Its pretty.

Like Tim Tebow

Noticed a certain Purdue football playing, ginger, Found kids facebook today and it inspired me.

Dont go getting the big head ginger, you're simply a symbol in thes piece.

Good, solid christian boys are so hard to find that when I do find one I want to alert the media, so maybe not the media but I'm tempted to call every christian girl I know and tell them. "You'll never believe what I just found."

And it makes me mad that they succumb to stuff that I dont. I can do the right thing. Why cant you? Why cant you be with me on this? Just be good! Dang! It aint that hard! False...but not really! If they'd just get it in their heads what they'd be worth to the good girls, (the girls worth having, can I get an amen?) the item, the statue, the rare metal, the precious stone that they'd be if they were just want you wanted them to be. Dang! Get your shite together (forgive, thats the irish influence).

I recently learned from another American girl that she calls virgins Last Standing Unicorns. They are rare and lets be honest they're practically alone, they are the last standing of their kind. But viginity is not all that I'm talkin here. I'm talkin the genuine artifact, the legit. I am NOT talking about being a preacher, I'm talkin about being a normal person (those preachers, they aint normal) with strong morals. SO STOP SMOKING WEED and I'll consider you. Stop smoking period. And drinking. You dont have to be athletic but it'd be nice. And I'd like you to be smart but as rare as the good christian boy is, he trumps brains, sorry he does. Thats real. Bring the sexy christian back.

I dont want Prince Charming, just a normal person will do.

"The (practicing) chrisitan boy is like the strait man of musical theatre."-Charlie Aber

Wheres Tim Tiebow living these days?

Honestly, asking too much? Smart, cute, not socially akward, not judgemental, not smoker, not drinker, has goals has opinions, can communicate, knows to open doors, knows to walk on the side closest to the street, has attached earlobes and is taller than me, loves Jesus and acts like it. Is this really asking too much? Really?

Look I'm not asking for all that. I just wish you (you christian boy "finding your place in the world") wouldnt get pulled outta church as easy as you do. You dont know what you're worth. You're leaving us weeds to choose from. You're making me settle.

Settleing is my biggest fear in life.

Get on my level.

...Someone, please? Get on my level?

Exam Dos

So UCD exams are held in what seems to be a large barn. Not kidding, I felt like I was on the State fair grounds. In one giant open barn and there are multiple courses around you. Not like in Elliot where CHEM 110 in on the bottom and 112 in the balcony, the kid next to me was using a calculater and I was taking a Film Studies exam...he may have been confused.

Its strange. I honestly dont think I've ever seen so many desks and chairs in one place, and Purdue facilities are big. These desks spanned, like...kinda like a war zone, you know you're going to die, but slightly more organized. Well imagine the cattle barn at the state fair filled with single desks and chairs, just rows of em.

Today I noted that gingers always look lost. They crack me up. I wish I took a picture of the one today, anything I pull from google would not do them justice.

Also, Dad is coming over here!! And I'm so happy but I really do wish Mom were coming with him but she wont. So Dad takes this opportunity to decide that we're seeing the country on bikes. Brilliant. Certainly a dream, but one to be accomplished when I've been training, or atleast getting some form of exercise in the last month. I'm sure it'll be the death of me but atleast its a worthy death, its not boring.