Interning in Ireland: .....And then there was one.

I have not felt that inspired to write the last couple of days. But I take comfort in knowing that some people are genuinely interested and concerned about what I am doing here, so I will see what I can scrounge up for you now.

I escorted Bec to the airport today. There were some tears from both for us, but her two weeks have come to an end so there was nothing we could do. I will spend the next few weeks alone here. It is time to see what I am really made of. I have been blessed to spend my life surrounded by those I love the most, so this will be an adjustment. As of today, I feel fine. I plan on concentrating on my internship, because the last couple of weeks I have been distracted by making sure Bec has the keys to the apartment, that she has a phone and is properly entertained. I hope to reflect on what I want to do next in my work and school. I have officially accepted my acceptance to OLLU and will begin working on my PhD in September. I am a bit nervous about this prospect, but I have a tremendous support system and that is half the battle. I hope to go home more sure of what I want to study once I start school and in what area I would like my dissertation to concentrate on. I love history and literature, so perhaps I can find a way to incorporate those things into a dissertation in leadership studies. I think anything is possible, so it is just a matter of narrowing down my interests/options. If there are any suggestions out there, please share!

Yesterday, Bec and I planned on going to Powerscourt which is a gorgeous estate on the outskirts of Dublin. However, mother nature was not cooperating and we decided to roam around the city. We hit Trinity College first. If anything would get me stoked about continuing my education--it would be this place. Founded in 1592 by the request of Queen Elizabeth I, Trinity is Dublin's oldest university. We had an awesome tour guide. Picture this: a tall, lanky young man in an argyle sweater, tweed sport coat, a striped scarf, faded jeans, and penny loafers. Topped off with Buddy Holly glasses and a hooked handle, plaid umbrella for emphasis. Don't forget to insert that accent. He was the epitome of a Trinity graduate. Despite the awesome attire; argyle = demure. We could barely hear him and from the snippets of information we did get--the admission fee was totally worth it. The tour group was crowding around him and for a short girl, I got the short end of the stick--literally. I can equate it to the swim portion of a triathlon--several people elbowing and kicking with little regard for your position. It was crazy. After our tour guide let us go, we were free to view the Long Room of the Library. It was so amazing; so amazing that they do not allow photos to be taken of it. We were also lucky enough to see the Book of Kells; a manuscript written in Latin containing the four gospels of the New Testament. The Book of Kells trumped the old church in Howth as the oldest piece of history I have seen--it was created around 800AD or perhaps earlier.

We also strolled through medieval Dublin, seeing Dublin Castle and St. Audoen's Church. St. Audoen's was not on my list of things to do, but it should have been. I highly suggest it. I think that St. Audoen's is overshadowed by its more famous neighbor--Christ Church Cathedral. I have not seen Christ Church yet, but do not overlook St. Audoen's. It may be small, but it is well worth the visit.

I hope that I will be able to hold your interest as I take on Dublin alone. I am going to join the ranks of the working for a little while and hang up my tourist hat; at least the hyperactive tourist hat that I have been wearing.

Funny side note: As part of my need to ensure my blog makes sense, I use spell check before I post. I misspelled dissertation both times.