My First Day in Dublin

Once I got a nap and a shower, I went in search of food. Ignoring that fact that I was so hungry nothing was appetizing, I walked around the south side of Trinity until I decided on a place to stop. I cruised some shops, but didn't buy anything other than necessities today.

I went to see my first apartment in my Dublin house-hunting experience. After boarding a bus line to a neighborhood I've never seen, I ended up wandering the streets of this neighborhood for at least half an hour until I stumbled across the street for which I had been looking. The room in question was a tiny room with a shared bathroom on the first floor (which means guests will most likely use it) in a house of five. I don't think I am going to take it because it isn't available until Sept. 11th and, although they appear nice, I don't think it's what I want. It is a bargain compared to everything else I've read about, I am not ready to take it. They may wait until Friday to decide have at least tomorrow to cruise some other places.

So I think purchasing a good Dublin county map will be high on my agenda for tomorrow. That way I can prepare for visiting a few other neighborhoods tomorrow evening. Similar to Santa Cruz, things go the day they are shown and seem to be worth less than the asking price. Oh what fun!

(For those who have received unintelligible messages from me when I have been too tired to realize I wasn't coherent, I edited the previous post before I posted it because it was a mess of characters that could only indicate my level of exhaustion. While I realize know if would've given you a laugh, I wasn't thinking about you, okay?!? You can be so selfish sometimes...)

Much love to all. I miss you all a great deal. I almost didn't get on the plane at SFO because I realized how much I didn't want to leave my life and loved ones behind. Thankfully, Mike was there to remind me of how hard I've worked for this and of how proud everyone is of me for taking this step. So his logic won the day over my emotions. But I still was tempted to get on a plane during my layover in New York... what can I say? Y'all are precious to me. =)

What I wouldn't give for a bed!

Obviously I could've planned this better. I arrived in the Dublin airport a little after 5 a.m. (12 a.m. EST, 9 p.m. PST). After going through my initial immigration check and getting my bags, I boarded a bus to City Centre. I got a little lost, but I got directions from a couple folks. Ultimately, though, I figured it out mostly on my own.

Unfortunately, while I could drop off my luggage in their storage room, I cannot check into a room until 2 p.m. So I have six hours to kill before I can sleep. I barely slept on the plane last night and, as far as my body's concerned, it is 12:30 a.m. I will probably go get some food and coffee soon to keep me awake and focused. Just sitting here on the couch at the hostel, I am starting to fall asleep.

So note to self: pack less, sleep more.

Limboland (aka JFK Airport)

So I thought it was a good idea to schedule a huge layover in New York in case I wanted to go into Manhattan to meet with a professor at one of the schools I am considering for PhD studies next year as I will be submitting applications in December and January. With all the exciting changes to air travel in the last few weeks and the joys of reclaiming checked baggage, I opted to not stress myself out (and potentially miss my flight to Ireland) and have stayed at the airport. As I am approaching hour three in the food court, I am really starting to question my decision not to change my flight. Of course, this gives me plenty of time to reflect and prepare for my venture into Ireland...

To back up a moment, for those who were wondering, I did finally decide to say some farewells before I left. As some of you know, I was sincerely dreading the continuous good-byes and really any good-byes at all. Sandrine was gracious and generous to open her home for a little goofy good-bye. And I made tentative plans with lots of folks that never came to fruition unfortunately. But, as one wise person said, I am not dying. And a year isn't too terribly long, right?

Back to the food court, some of the employees have started to look at me with either contempt or pity. It's difficult to tell as no one seems to be glad s/he is here. Did I mention it's cold in here? I am wearing my Giants hat, my Barnstorm sweatshirt, and am thinking of digging out a scarf. Maybe I should just hold my computer on my lap and let that trusty MacBook battery heat me up.

I will be boarding a 6 p.m. EST flight today for Ireland. After my exciting trip through security at SFO, I will remember to take my keys out of my pocket and to remove my laptop from my bag. For those who haven't been subjected to the weird air-spraying booth, let me tell you that you haven't missed much. Hopefully I am not already flagged as a person to watch. If I get stopped at the next security point, I might start to be paranoid.

Wow! I have at least another three hours until I can check in for my flight. I think I will try to find a hot beverage or a stiff drink to pass the time and to warm me up.

Getting ready to fly the friendly skies

I am getting ready to leave for Ireland on Monday. (Today is Wednesday.) I've started my good-byes with friends and family. Now I need to make sure my bank accounts are in order, my clothes are clean, and that I have plenty of music loaded onto my computer. All the important things...

Still no place to live, but that's the plan for next week. This time next week I will already be in Dublin. I have no idea what that will be like other than being a little hectic because I will be house-hunting in a city with which I am almost entirely unfamiliar.

For now, I am trying to prepare myself and to enjoy the last few days I have here in the wonderful San Francisco Bay Area.