Time

What a webbed post 'Time' can be. Remember that time? What time is it? Let me tell you, as I pull the pocket watch hanging round my neck. For this is my new obsession. I've already spent my entire shopping budget on pocketwatch necklaces. Antiquey looking ones because I think they're fabulous. Speaking of fabluous I've just come from the Hookah bar where I've seen the Emma Gray, in town for one night and one night only visiting us from lovely London. She tells me it is gross and smelly there. Remember that time? At camp, summer 2008 when...well honestly we didnt talk about camp. We talked about the now because thats whats interesting.

Walking home smelling like gross, but loving that I went and maybe its the Hookah but I just feel good. Its November and its not cold, I feel good in my skin. Walk through campus at 2 in the morning and tell me its not gorgeous. Maybe its the orange glow of lights. Maybe I'm sentimental. But I feel good here, it took being away and it took a while being back but I am happy I am here and I am happy with the time I've had here. This is mine. In Ireland, we helped Bev moved all her things from her apt to her car at the end of term. We all know that feeling, the sadness to leave school and the pride in being done. There was a sense though, that UCDublin, it wasnt mine, it was Bevs. Bev had countless memories there and friendships she will take through life whereas I had a semesters worth. Purdue is mine, it belongs to me and I to it just as it belonged to my father, my sister, my cousin and my best friends. I still clap everytime I go through the clapping cirlce, I drink from the lion fountain, I sit on the cold stone of the engineering fountain where I've had countless one on one, deep, soul searching talks with friends. I've stood multiple times on the top of the University street parking garage at night and I've spit. This is mine. Good times.

I cannot stop thinking about Dublin. In the field all day long and literally all I think about is nights out in Dublin, days at school with ags, the blackhole with Elaine and Bev and of course Kate MeGarry. I replay every memory over and over. They make me smile, sigh laugh out loud and attract weird looks from those around me.

I cant stop thinking about how to get back. How? When? Do I really want to make my undergrad 5 years for it? Do I really want to be over there for graduate school? Could I really live my life there away from my family?

The moon was really cool tonight, and the stars were bright. I love campus in summer, its a bit more boring but there were still people chilling on the mall at midnight, still people at the bars and I still run into familiar faces on the street.

Indiana summers. Blue skies, thunderstorms and lightning bugs. Wind tubines and crop fields as far as the eye can see. Sunblock EVERYday.

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.