I knew since the beginning of this trip that I was going to
make my way to Ireland. It's one of the places I am descended from, and they
speak English there, so a good transitional trip before I go home.
I found out that my American classmate was also going to
Ireland the same time as me, and we were on the same flight too. He only had
two nights in Dublin, so we had to be efficient with our time.
Landing in Dublin there was only one thing on our minds, go
to a pub. My one goal for all of Ireland was to have a Guinness on tap. We hit
up a pub in a place called Temple Bar, and found a nice place to eat our
"traditional" Irish meal.
The next day we went on a walking tour around Dublin. I really
like walking tours, especially when they are free! I really enjoyed the vibe of
the city, and after the tour we walked down to the greatest cultural spot in
all of Ireland, the Guinness Storehouse.
My went home the next morning, and I decided to spend my last
couple of days in Galway. The reason was from recommendations from other people
who had been there. Taking a cheap bus I was able to cross the whole island in
less than 3 hours.
My first day in Galway was nice, in that I received the full Irish
weather experience. It would not stop raining, and in less than an hour I was
completely soaked. This did not stop me from exploring the town though, and I
still had a great time.
The next day I booked a tour to Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.The
cliffs were featured in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, when Harry and Dumbledore
go to the cave. If you haven't seen this movie you might want to reconsider
your friendship with me.
For most of the day it was raining, so pictures were a little
tough to take. When we drove to the cliffs for our last stop though, the sun came
out, and it was amazing. I found a nice little spot where I could get right up
to the edge. The wind was blowing very fast so I leaned over it as safe as
possible.
My last day in Galway I spent on another walking tour. The rain
took a break right when the tour started, so it was nice to see the city and
take some pictures. Galway reminded me of Lethbridge a little bit. It’s a small
city populated mostly by students. Galway is obviously better than Lethbridge
though, I don't know why anyone would go there other than for school.
I am now at the end of my trip however. This will be my last blog
post on Gabe’s European Adventure. This trip was amazing not only because I was
able to see Europe, but also because it marks the end of an era with my student
life. I have been in school so long now it feels weird to say that I am starting
a career. I jumped on as many opportunities as I could, which included going to
3 different universities, 1 college, IME and other special courses, and a 12-month
internship. I definitely did things the unconventional way, but I think it was
totally worth it. Young people shouldn’t be in a rush to graduate. Take advantage
of your schools programs. You never know where they might lead you.
