Translation: Cheers in Irish (interesting fact- everything in Ireland is written in English as well as Irish or Gaelic and all of the children are taught it in school and speak it fluently, but it is rarely used)
Another successful touchdown in Dublin, a bit of a goose chase in the airport (yes, Megan, there are two terminals in the Dublin airport, not just one), and a joyful reunion with Mary and Megan later, we arrived to Megan’s house where the smell of the dinner cooking in the kitchen greeted us at the door. This delicious smell marks the beginning of ultimate “spoilfest” by Megan and her parents. I walked in to meet her father, Dave, her mother, Adrienne, and her sister, Faye. They are all just genuinely kind, caring people, and I am lucky to have found someone like Megan and to have been so warmly welcomed by her family. (The only down side was that it made me miss my family so much more because I know they would have acted in exactly the same manner. It was a happy miss, however, not a sad one; it just made me once again realize how incredible they are). Dinner was incredible- home cooked meals in the oven seem heavenly after the stove top meals I whip up at Domo-, and it was followed by traditional Irish desserts and visits from Megan’s friends from university. Her friends, Nieve, Sarah, and Aisling, seemed lovely, and we all swapped stories about Ireland and American customs/ ways of life. It was so nice to be able to meet some of her friends from home and really get a glimpse into her life in Dublin. We meet each other in Bordeaux and form our friendships based on this initial encounter, never knowing anything about their families of their friends back home. I like this because in a sense one could start over and start new if they wished, much more than in university, but there is something to be said for understanding a person’s background.
Tuesday we woke up at a decent hour at made our way to the seaside city of Howth. One thing I loved about Dublin was that it has every type of geography just 30 minutes outside of its border! Howth was so beautiful, just this little town set into the cliffs with incredible views of the water. We ate tapas lunch at a restaurant right by the pier and took in the gorgeous Dublin weather from the patio. We took the train back in so we would have time for (drum roll please in honor of Georgie Nixon)… the Guinness Factory. Megan had never been, despite living in Dublin her entire life, so it was a new experience for all of us. The factory is so modern, and you are walked through the entire production of the famed Guinness beer, up several flights of stairs, to the very top of the building where you are served a complimentary pint! The Galaxy Bar, as it is called, provides panoramic views of Dublin, so we sat up there for a while enjoying our Guinness and the company of one another. Megan gave me and Mary her own tour of Dublin afterwards, and I loved everything I saw. The city has a comfortable feeling about it, and maybe it was just because I was with Megan, but I did not feel overwhelmed by its size. The streets are lined with cute cafes and restaurants, clothing stores are visible on most every street, and then there is historic, gothic architecture thrown in the middle of it. We went for a late dinner that evening at Elephant and Castle, where the food was delicious, but the conversation was the highlight-well, it might have been a close second to the dessert actually, hahah!
Wednesday we slept in and lounged around Megan’s house for the morning, which was perfectly fine by me. We headed out to Powerscourt in the afternoon for a picnic and some of the most breathtaking views I have seen thus far on my travels. Powerscourt, again only 30 minutes at most outside of Dublin, is this giant estate that housed royalty and aristocracy for centuries and was used for protection from enemies during battle because it is set high above the hills. Aristocracy imported trees and shrubbery from around the world into the gardens of this estate, and that is the main attraction. We wandered around feeling as if we were in our own version of Alice in Wonderland of The Secret Garden. After coming out of our fairytales, we lunched on the lawn, or rather the wall, of the golf course that sits on the property before heading back into the city. Megan dropped us off at Trinity College to meet our friend Emma, also from Ireland and UCD, while she put the final touches on her school paper. It was so nice to meet Emma and her friend Susie in their own environment, and we got to hear about her internship with Deloitte that she just accepted! After our brief rendezvous, it was back to Megan’s house for yet another gourmet meal, courtesy of Dave and Adrienne. Megan and Faye went to a concert that night, so Mary and I reveled in the sheer relaxation time- we, of course, used it to watch The Bachelor- and bonded a bit more with Megan’s parents.
Thursday morning Mary and Megan left at 5:00 in the morning to catch their flight to Milan, so I was left to my own devices with Megan’s parents. I prepared myself for my Skype interview, which was surprisingly not awkward or weird at all despite the thousands of miles separating us, had a nice run, took a hot shower, got lunch served to me by Dave, and then headed to the airport with Adrienne.
Dublin was without a doubt one of my favorite cities due in large part to the hospitality of Megan and her family. I cannot wait to go back to Ireland with my Dad now- we are going Dad, you would fall in love. Now I am on to my final destination of this two week excursion, Paris, where I will run my first half marathon on Sunday morning beside Casey and her father. I cannot wait!