This is home

I've spent the last few days getting oriented around campus and the city center. Today, I went into the city center and wandered by myself. It was a lot of fun. I basically walked wherever looked interesting and kept going until I was tired. I've got the bus system down a bit better than I did before and the route to the city center is becoming familiar. I am both tourist and resident of one of the most amazing cities I have seen. It captured my heart ten years ago and I love being back. It is cold and windy, but so very alive. All cities have their own aliveness, Dublin's is a humming that verges on dance. It has a spirit that seems to shout that it will not be crushed and it will damn well have good time.

I'm done being altruistic now and I have a confession to make. I went to Starbucks today. How typically american of me. In my defense, and it's not much of one, I am living here. Even if it is only temporarily. Also I've tried a bunch of local, or at least Irish, coffee shops this week and wanted something familiar.

Anywho...today was the day when it sank in: I'm here. I'm not here for a week or two, I'm here for months. This is home now, for as long as it lasts. And it's going to last as long as any of my other homes of the past year: 2 different dorm rooms and the camp I worked at over the summer. The walk to my apartment here on campus has become something that my feet do automatically. The kitchen has food in it that isn't take-out and I own dishes here, well one glass but I'm working on it.

I also talked to my parents for a while today, the first time we've had an in depth conversation since I've been here. It was good and they enjoyed me faking an Irish accent. (I'm honestly not that good) If you have any suggestions or questions please feel free to comment or use the contact form to contact me directly.