Some Americans, some Germans, and one French guy

I did manage to get to sleep Friday night, but only for about 4 hours. Then it was up and off to Dublin! At first intake, I wasn't so sure I would like it. Truth be told, I'm not a city girl. I really don't like the congestion of people and cars and pollution and big business. So I guess it makes sense that I feel so at home in the mountains of Cullowhee, and also that a big city like Dublin would make me nervous. I headed off to Dub-vegas with Carolin, Stephan, Charlie, and Fabien. (Stephen, Nick, and Derek were already there.) The weather was great both yesterday and today, so we took full advantage of it by staying outside as much as we could bear. At first we just walked around the city, stopping at various monuments and cathedrals. There was an open-air market that hosted some of the most beautiful fresh fruits I've ever seen, and we couldn't resist. We even popped into Dublin City Art Museum, which was nice and quiet. The night before, Carolin had convinced me to get my hair cut, so after the museum she and I split off to see what we could find as far as available hairdressers, which was nothing, by the way. Sad times. So we wandered, walking in and immediately out of stores because we found that even our sheer determination to shop wasn't getting us anywhere. We simply couldn't handle it. Eventually, we met the guys back by the river and wandered over to the hostel. We stayed at the Avalon House in Dublin 2; it actually wasn't bad at all. Our room was clean and tucked away in the corner. Except for the two guitar-playing hippie chicks next door, it was quiet. Once we checked in, we took advantage of our down time by getting coffee, checking email on the computers downstairs, or getting horizontal. It was nice just to hang out. Later, we met up with the other guys to go to Dublin's 1st Annual Oktoberfest. Haha. Unfortunately, we didn't get very far. In fact, we didn't even get in. There were too many people already inside, so we had to queue, which we patiently did for about 20 minutes before hunger ravaged our stomachs and we got German sausages and decided to pub hop.

Now, what you read next may surprise you. I'm giving you a fair warning. Since we couldn't get into the fest, we started to walk around Dublin, sure that we'd find a pub or bar or restaurant where we could chill. We ended up in the famous (or infamous) Temple Bar district. So, where did we go? That's right, Temple Bar. So that's where we started, but it turns out that you have to be 21 or older to get in. This is very strange, since the Irish drinking age is 18. Anyway, Fabien (who is only 20) couldn't get it, so a few of us had a beer and then we left to find a more suitable location. We ended up in another bar that at first glance seemed pretty sketch. But actually, we had a lot of fun. Then we moseyed to another bar, where they were playing incredible music, so we danced the night away, everyone feeling loose and happy to be among friends and strangers who act like they want to be your friends. Stephen and Derek ducked out after this bar, but the rest of us decided to do just one more. Right after midnight, we struggled to find a place where the party was still hoppin' but wasn't getting too sloppy. We sent Nick on the mission to find a place, and did he ever! The next bar wasn't as chokingly crowded, so we celebrated by taking shots and dancing some more. I am proud to say that was my first ever bar-hop. I've only been 21 for a few months, and I'm not much of a drinker. However, the music, the atmosphere, and the energy of my friends played into a great night in Dublin. Don't worry, we were all very safe about getting around and getting home; no one got sloshed or sick (I only had three drinks over the course of 4 hours); the guys made sure Carolin and I were protected (and we made sure they were good, too); no one's clothes came off. We were all very smart about it. Trust me, I am not magically and suddenly transforming into a party girl. But.. it was fun. That's all.

The only reprieve from my dreams last night was that they were presented like short stories. The upside: they were very short dreams. The downsides: there were a lot of them, and all the normal-length drama was compacted into those short episodes. I can't remember the content, but I do remember waking up often and feeling either scared or anxious. So I have to conclude they were more nightmares. All in all, I figure I slept about 4 or 5 hours. Four hours the night before, and 2.5 before that. At least I'm able to sleep longer? Hmm... At any rate, if I can't rest for longer periods of time, I'm going to get sick. I already have a bit of a cough going.

Because I couldn't sleep last night, I got up earlier than I had planned on doing. I walked around the hostel, sat on the floor in the room, and eventually got dressed and woke Carolin to eat breakfast with me. Stephan and I went to Mass and then met everyone else at the coffee shop to begin our day plans. We went to Stephen's Green, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin Castle, and walked around some more in search of entertainment and food. Then, we came back to Galway. On the screen, it doesn't appear that we were too busy, but we saw a lot while keeping a steady pace so that no one would be stressed out. And now I'm home, having cleaned the apartment for inspection tomorrow, unsuccessfully attempting to watch Grey's Anatomy online, and unpacking from the weekend. My two classes are cancelled tomorrow because my professor won't be in Galway, so I have a free day to relax. Who knows what kind of trouble I'll find?