I’ll be in Ireland this weekend.

Isn’t that crazy?! I’m so unbelievably excited, so please excuse any overuse of exclamation points in this entry!

I spent today packing, packing, packing. Sorting, shifting, bagging, washing. It almost got the best of me, but I managed to corral my clothes into my suitcase.  I feel like I’m taking way too much and not enough at the same time.  It’s kind of driving me crazy. I’m sure I’ll forget something; I’m just hoping it’s something I can easily replace or live without!

I’ve also been trying to plan what I want to do in Dublin in my free time during orientation.  I’m especially looking forward to a Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour of the city that will bring me to a lot of the main attractions.

I’m also looking forward to eating! Mm fish and chips. I’ll report back on all that’s tasty and good in Ireland, though I will warn you that I had all my wisdom teeth out a week ago so I will be eating slowly and cautiously. But still voraciously.

What an adventure! I have lots to read on the plane. Unfortunately I’ve spread myself a little thin book-wise and have been reading both Dracula and Still Life with Woodpecker (both of which I highly recommend)! I also bought the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series that True Blood is based on. And I have probably half a dozen other books I was hoping to get around to before I left, but now might get left behind. But soon enough I will have new novels and poetry to read for my English classes in Ireland!

I’m so excited! Yeah! Good luck to everyone who’s packing or about to pack!

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Location: New Providence, NJ