Alice in Ireland

Sooo excited to see this girl tomorrow :) #weirdos #dueling #harrypotter #edinburgh Missing my @missng16 !!!!!

Oh happy days... Miss him like crazy. I am also a wee bit homesick for Derry. #legenderry #derry #northernireland

The most beautiful evening with the most beautiful friend. So incredibly blessed. #susquehanna #naturalwonders #beauty

I have been back in the USA for over a week now... It's nice. America, we have our problems - but ya know? we are not so awful. I have come to realize that every place has problems and every place has beauty. That's that. America, somehow, despite my incredible and fantastic travels, you still hold a place in my heart. Colorado, your mountains will never cease to put tears in my eyes and make my heart ache. Pennsylvania, you are pretty alright too, fall colors and spring flowers strike nostalgia in my soul. And oh Susquehanna, with all your maroon and orange and people, you are so very special to me. I realize that everywhere I have gone over the years holds some part of me, and of course I take away such wonderful things from my experiences in each place. I miss Colorado. I missed SU. And now, I miss Derry. I can still be filled with joy and peace where I am! Right now, right here. Life happens everywhere. Silly me.

So I went to Scotland and it was very, very cool. 7 American girls. wandering. Flight from Derry to Glasgow. Sketchiest landing ever, thanks Ryanair. Train from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Subway cookies are delicious all over the world. Edinburgh castle. Elephant house. Street performers. A storm-trooper, Yoda, and a cool dude with a tattoo by the corner of his eye shared the Bagavad Gita with us Katharine and I. I already have a copy, thanks Dude. Harry Potter tour!!!!!! J. K. Rowling is a cool lady. So much excitement in one day. Long train to Stonehaven with Anne and Marissa (Two of the best friends and roommates a gal could ask for). Tiny tourist town. They have an open air pool! Or so they told us. Seventeen-thousand times. I suppose you could say they are proud of it. Hike to the Stonehaven Castle. We hiked past a war memorial for World War I and II. Every country has been touched by such heartbreaking and awful times. Have compassion on all people. Remember your loved ones. And move towards peace. It was such a beautiful remembrance. There were flowers draped on the arm of a bench underneath the memorial, overlooking the sea and the castle. Marissa and I explored the stone beach. Crawled and climbed up a cliff. And lost Anne! We thought she was blown off the cliff. She wasn't. She just kept walking. It was, by far one of the most memorable and special days to me this fall. Stonehaven is a wonderful place. Despite the chill and the drizzle, I found serenity and freedom. And found even more love and laughter (than I ever though possible) with my girls Anne and Marissa. And then to Glasgow. We got lost. No worries we figured it out, after eating at Pizza Hut. Where, incidentally, we made fools of ourselves laughing and being goofy. We were delirious from the freedom and joy we found hiking around Stonehaven. We saw the city in the morning. Glasgow is a big, dark and fascinating city. We saw art everywhere. We walked through the graveyard that overlooks the city. The Necropolis. Chillingly serene. Beautiful. Peaceful. So Scotland was really cool. And..... back to Derry, sweet Derry.

Friday: West Coast. Republic of Ireland. Small city. International feeling. Delicious ice-cream. Street performers galore. Nice hostel. Except the stinky and loud and sick fish and chips. I didn't think it was possible to eat that noisily. At 3 am. Saturday: Street market. Jewelers. Woodcarvers. Potters. Leatherworkers. Painters. Farmers. Fish. Meat. Veg. Bread. Lovely. Walk through the city. Up the river. Hungry monster friend swans. Green hills on green hills on green hills. With a stone ruin. Welcome to Ireland. Walk to Claddagh district. Walk out on the pier. Beautiful clouds. Stumble upon tiny pub. Great session. Stag party interrupted. Invited to a wedding (the dude wanted Alyssa to be his date... I was only invited to play my violin). On to another pub. More ice-cream! And off to bed. Please be quiet fish and chips girl! Sunday: Bus to ferry to bike to feet. Aran Islands are beautiful. We went to the big one - Inishmór. €10 for a bike! Drawing in the sand. Up, down round the island. Quaint. Quiet. Irish Islanders. We hopped a fence to see a view. Worth it. Despite the cow poo. Had a picnic on the beach. Made friends with a dog. The happiest dog I ever met. Running, biting, barking, and leaping through the ocean waves. Rode to see the Dún Aonghasa. Stunning. Incredible views and incredible cliffs. To think that this place had been inhabited since the Iron Age. Freedom. Wind in hair. Sunshine on face. Laughter and explorations with wonderful friends. Bianca, Sarah, and Alyssa.

There and back again. Two weekends in a row down to the west coast of Ireland. 3 hours + packed bus + back row + pit-stop in (sligo) + bus leaves with out us + an additional 3 hours = 6 hour bus ride from hell. At least the Irish are the friendliest people in the world, or in the very least, the UK. Another bus driver guy called the other bus driver guy and made him turn around to pick us up. Thank God. I very quietly had a mini heart attack. We met a nice Canadian lady on the bus who studied in Galway, then stayed and married an Irishman. Crazy people.

The iconic Icelandic hotdog stand..... Incredible.

Reykjavik Harbor :) #iceland

Tom Bombadil's Song - J. R. R. Tolkien

Vita brevis, ars longa - Michelle! In Austria :) sisters #big #little #sai #sigmaomega