And Three Weeks Later...

Let's not talk about the fail inherent in my lack of updating, mmkay? For the record, I knew this would happen. I get so distracted. Blogging is definitely low on the list of things I have to keep up with: it makes me sad, because I would like to have to time to do this, but I am so busy all the time. No joke. And that is not going to change anytime soon.

I have to admit, I've been preoccupied by how busy things have been lately. I spent the weekend in Dublin for the first time this weekend since the second week I was here. It was nice: we celebrated many birthdays! Kristin's sister threw her a surprise party from the States, and we all had a blast. I went to my first Irish club, which was fantastic. Then Kayla made AMAZING chili for Jackie's birthday. I got a decent amount of work done, and tried Irish ice cream (which, for the record, is AMAZING. It is really creamy instead of really sweet, and so very, very good).

I am all over the place in the post. Don't worry: I realize this. I just have so much to catch up on! I am going to try my best to do so.

So, backing all the way up: we went to London at the end of January. As one friend later summarized it after her own trip: the British stole SO MUCH STUFF. It was a wonderful trip, and we did so much! We were staying at a hostel right down the street from the Natural History Museum, so we went there. Then we walked to Trafalgar Square, going past Buckingham Palace and spending a little bit of time in the National Gallery. We saw Avenue Q on West End. We walked all along the Thames, and went to the Globe. But by far, I think my favorite part was going to the British History Museum. I mean, yes, if my culture's precious artifacts had been stolen by the Empire back in the day, I'd be pissed, but it was such an amazing museum (that is my overused word in the post). I couldn't see enough of it. I wanted to see everything, but it closed before I could. I would love to spend an entire day there sometime, just wandering through the halls and marveling at it all. I have never felt so small as I did there, and never been so aware of so many different things that exist in this world.

The next weekend, we went to Galway. It was a little self-serving of me to insist that we go: I needed to make the trip for my thesis, surveying people on the train as we went (which went really well, both times that I've done it now). The city itself was so beautiful. The part we were in was kind of touristy, but still- there is a certain charm in the small cities of Ireland that you just can't beat.

Then we went to Dingle, a small seaside town. It was a little dull because it's the off season, but it's part of the Gaeltacht, so I really wanted to go. I was a little disappointed: there was little to no spoken Irish to be heard there in the everyday context. At the last bar we went to on our six pub pub crawl, one guy said a brief phrase and one of the girls with him said: "Don't speak that language to me." It was so sad. I think, that in the everyday context, the language really is on its last legs, and that is a shame.

That, I think, brings us to the present moment. I have been working hard on the thesis, cueing the above nostalgia. I am trying hard to make contacts at the school, and have succeeded in getting two, with two more to go. Every now and then, while my fascination with the project does not cease, my interest in the work does. I regret taking on such a huge project that preoccupies my time, my traveling. I have heard so many interesting things, and has some great conversations, but it's frustrating to know that I still have a ton of work ahead of me, and time is slipping away, the sand from the hourglass falling between my fingers even as I desperately try to catch it.

I cannot help but to count the days. this weekend: friends of friends in town. Next weekend: trip to the West, Keatley comes. The weekend after that: Keatley will still be here. The weekend after that: spring break, hopefully doing some fun traveling, otherwise it will be thesis work. The weekend after that: trip to Northern Ireland. Then Easter in Rome, a weekend here, Paris, Amsterdam, exams for two weeks, and then home. You see how the time cleverly escapes? I am terrified that I will not finish in time, and that I will have to stay longer.

So yeah. That's things in a nutshell right now: I am scrambling between trying to fit in all the fun and the thesis work and the actual class work. I endeavor to drive myself crazy, as per usual.

Hopefully I will update better from here on out.