Annnnd Classes Begin-- Back to Reality

Two posts in two days? This is probably the one and only time that will happen throughout the semester. Relish it.

Now that classes have begun, I actually really enjoy my walks to and from class. The weather has been nice, and the hour-round trip walk makes me feel better about the lack of exercise (and abundance of less-than-healthy food/drink) in my life. But I'm starting to really feel adjusted here. I can wake up, make coffee (which I drink out of a pint glass, because both of our mugs have not-so-mysteriously gone missing/been broken), turn on my iPod, and rock out on the trek to class. It's nice to have just a little bit of alone time on the walk, and I definitely feel more independent now that I don't have to travel in packs wherever I go... although, to be fair, aside from walking to class, I'm still generally walking in packs.

I'm convinced, though, after about a month of walking to/from DBS from our apartments, that I could probably manage to do the walk with a blindfold on-- following only the smells and sounds of the journey. There are the pedestrian walk lights, that always remind me of a Duck Hunt-esque video game sound effect when they signal the time to walk. The sound of hunter green vest-wearing volunteers, who stand in the middle of sidewalks, always asking for a minute of your time to campaign about the latest issue. There are the ever-present keg loaders/unloaders-- and the sound of men gruffly talking to each other as the shuffle dozens of kegs out of "trapdoors" in the sidewalks in front of bars, and then chuck new, full kegs down ramps to satisfy all the pub-patrons in the coming days.  There are the numerous Lebanese restaurants I pass, and the smell of roasting lamb and toasted pita bread that wafts out open doors. And there's the "All-American Laundrette", right before DBS, which has the most distinct warm-laundromat/dryer sheet smell, that I always know I'm passing it before I even look at the sign. And then I always know when I've reached DBS, because there are throngs of students from all different cultures (French, Irish, Indian, Chinese, etc.) smoking/talking/drinking coffee at the doors of the school's entrance. 

It also kindof hit me today, that Dublin, this semester, is full of experiences I'll likely never have again. I will probably never again have to wander past 30-odd restaurants/cafes on the way to class (which really is the reason that Meaghan, Allie, and I find ourselves talking about food so often... it's kindof a running joke here). I'll probably never again help lost American (or maybe Canadian?) tourists find the Dublin Castle, even though the sign for it is right in front of their faces. And I'll probably never again almost be hit by a Dublin city bus, because the driver decided that even though the walk signal was still yellow that they had the right-of-way and nearly railed an innocent American student just trying to get home from school and make some grilled cheese (who am I kidding? that'll probably be at least a weekly occurrence. bus drivers here are maniacs). 

So I'm taking it all in, as much as I possibly can. Breathing in the stale-beer and laundromat-scented air, and loving every minute of it. 

Cheers!