I'll start with St. Patty's Day.
This was Sean's last morning here and my parents first morning in Dublin. We all met for breakfast in the AM before the city got crazy with celebratory-madness. My parents rented a car - my dad's first time driving on the opposite side of the car and road - scary! He did great, though. It was so good to finally see them. After breakfast they took Sean to the airport and began their trip around Ireland until the following Friday. If you want to check out their week around the Emerald Isle, click here.
After my good-byes, St. Patty's day began.
elliot & i
katie, hannah, myself
a carnival in the middle of the street!
katie & i
katie, molly, ali, myself
waiting for the parade to begin
so many people!
the st. patty's day lunch of all the st. patty's day lunches
corned beef, mash, and a Guinness...in Dublin. i think i may as well be Irish
then we went on a ferris wheel ride, which was terrifying because i hate heights!
six people, one gondola
i couldn't even look out as i took pictures
the pub at night - packed
And, due to St. Patrick's day, we had no school on Monday. Score! What a great start to my birthday week :] Moving right into that...
It was my big 2-1! I had a great birthday :].
Katie took my out for breakfast in the morning, I came home to a package from one of my best friends from home, stayed in my PJ's until 3pm, then began the night by going out to dinner with a few girls. I hadn't had mexican since coming to Ireland, and it is like, my favorite food. I found a place online and it turned out to be delicious, I'd definitely go back.
hannah & i
caroline & katie
guac, loaded potatoes, and my first margarita (seriously)
we told them it was my birthday and i got a candle in my dessert :)
after dinner it was time to go out and celebrate!
hannah, katie, myself, and ali
(almost) all of the American's
hannah & i
a bunch of us out!
We all had a lot of fun until the wee hours of the morning, as anyone should on their birthday in Dublin! What an exciting place to celebrate :]
The next evening my parents arrived in Dublin, after ditching their rental car, which i think was a huge relief! I met them for dinner followed by tea/coffee. Great to finally get some quality time in!
We began our Saturday with markets around Dublin in the Temple Bar area. A food market, boutique-ish market, and used book market. Following those we headed to Trinity University to see the Book of Kells - my mom's been asking me for months if I've gone, so it had to be done ;).
dad & i in Trinity, attempting to avoid pictures...hehe
my mom & i in one of my favorite parks in Dublin, St. Stephen's Green
heading to St. Patrick's Cathedral
Christ's Cathedral
someone broke his legs, as you can see! next to him is his wife
(katie, gretchen, myself)
my sorority sister Gretchen is studying in England this semester, and i knew she'd be in Dublin the same weekend as my parents, but we hadn't found a time to meet up yet. on my parents' and i's way to dinner on Saturday evening we walked RIGHT past each other on the street...it was fate and so incredibly great to see her! we invited her and her friend Katie to dinner with us at an Indian restaurant. this called for two hours of dining and chatting :]
katie, me, gretchen
i'm planning to go stay with Gretch after i'm out of school and following that we're planning a trip to Spain together!
The next day my parents really wanted to go to Howth - the little fishing village north of Dublin. I'd been there a few times previous and talked about how much I loved it, so off we went! Being a weekend and absolutely gorgeous weather (60 degrees and SUNNY - a big deal here), it was full of people, but great nonetheless. First stop was the market, followed by a great lunch, and a walk along the pier.
our delicious, mini cupcakes from the market
Ireland's Eye
daddy-o & i
after returning to Dublin i gave them the grand tour of my accommodations and then we headed to Merrion Square, another little park. around it artists were selling their work, it was great to stroll around and observe.
the park
mom and i
Monday I had class a few times throughout the day, but met up with them in-between. It was a relaxing day ending with a fabulous meal - we found an italian restaurant off the beaten path and ordered a few appetizers one at a time, our entrees, and then two desserts. a wonderful meal for all of us!
It was so great to see them, spend time together, and show them around my city! We had a great long weekend together and they enjoyed their travels around Ireland. They're currently making their way home while I am pondering the homework I have to do - I'm not sure which is worse, jet lag or having multiple papers to write.
This week won't be nearly as exciting, but things sure are wrapping up quickly here! I only have week left in some classes, less than a month left in Dublin, a few weeks of traveling (yay!), and then back to Iowa I go!
Time to (continue to) embrace every single moment left :]
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