Dublin

I arrived in Dublin after very little sleep, a tummy full of what appeared to be a spinach cheese pasta, and an unruly, dysfunctional set of intestines. On the plane I watched the new(er) Amelia Earheart film, and TRIED to sleep, but since the flight from Philadelphia to Dublin was only about 5 1/2 hours, there was little luck.

When I awoke, I saw the clouds rolling underneath the plane as if we were already landing. They were thick, and appeared to be quite like hills, it was only when I looked closer that I realized we were still 30,000 feet up. The stars were still shining, and the red sun began to poke its way through the foggy horizon. Amazing.

We landed in Dublin on time (9:10am), and I made my way into the city with no troubles. I was exhausted, and found myself wandering around for a cup of coffee (which proved to be a mistake later). I met up with Berenice, my 1st Ireland couchsurfing host, and we hopped a bus back to her house. The ride back was a bit challenging, as I found myself growing nauseous, and slow to conversation; the double decker bus was jerky and stopped abruptly. I was fine once we exited and I caught a breath of fresh air. It was nice to relax.

Berenice and I chatted about all sorts of things, (mostly printmaking-litho!!) We ended up making our way back into the city that night for a little thing called Milk and Cookies; a non profit art collaboration that had cookies, tea, and story tellers. Everyone was cramped into this small open space filled with blankets, chairs, and damp carpets. I heard tales of Irish faeries, unruly dogs, and old wizards, all told live and unedited! :) As we were leaving, Berenice and I made plans with her friend Andy, to meet up tomorrow for a pint. And so it was.

After a long 10 hours of much needed sleep, I eventually made my way out into Dublin, grew a bit ill on the bus (again) and wrote some postcards. I had some time when I arrived to sit in a small cafe, and write in my journal which has been quite enjoyable. The city was cold, and I walked around Trinity College, gazing at all the young students, wishing I could be one again. At 6pm I met up with Berenice and Andy, and we enjoyed a pint (Andy a hot whiskey) of real Irish Guinness (it tastes much lighter here, and easier to drink). We spoke of art, how we can work AND enjoy ourselves, and what we do in a world that is so money grubbing, and old (and recent) Catholic Irish repression, traveling. With reassurance from Andy that I would be ok, and taken care of here (despite my frail plans), we left the pub and parted ways. Last night Berenice and I made a delicious lasagna and spoke of love, friendships, and family. Being able to express myself so far has been amazing, and I enjoy every bit of conversation that has come my way. I now make my way to Gort (west Ireland, close to Galway) for two weeks of WWOOFing, and I cannot wait. I find myself a tad nervous, but know that I really will be ok, that I truly am in good hands with Ireland.

Pictures posted soon!

Glory Bound

Minneapolis has proven to be a bit more positive than St. Cloud, and for that I couldn't be happier. Great thanks to my big brother Terrence and his wife, Rochelle for letting me crash their house for 12 days. While I have been lightly keeping up with those still plugging away at UMD, I have also been trying to keep up with the drone of tasks before Ireland on Monday. These tasks include:

1. Doing my taxes
2. Consolidating and deferring my student loans
3. Send my soap and artist statement to Mr. Hodges for the emerging artists exhibition at the Duluth Art Institute in March.
4. Figure out where I want to go after I am done WWOOFing in Ireland.
5. Apply for a job at Visions Service Adventures http://www.visionsserviceadventures.com/about/employment.html



I also sent out a bunch of other requests to WWOOF in Ireland as my first host had to cancel. So, I will be staying at the Loughun Farm, about a half hour from Galway. They are a Dutch and Belgian couple with four children between 4-11 years old, and live on a seven acre farm with a vegetable garden, goats, sheep, chicken and dogs. My tasks will include digging in the garden and helping out with the bread and cheese making. They are six miles from the first market, and their nearest neighbors are two miles away. I can't wait to be in the middle of nowhere, and have some time to myself to reflect on the future.... and dig.