I've spent the past week at a retreat center in County Sligo and have been living the dream. After semi-successfully managing public transportation in Ireland I arrived late Wednesday evening. I've had my own little cottage right by a river fully equipped with food but no TV. I worked a few hours a day helping in the garden or cutting wood in exchange for room and board. In spare time (which has been plentiful), I've been out exploring, gone hiking and biking, read, watched movies, etc. Unfortunately "Taken" was one of those movies which was probably the worst decision I've made since being in Ireland The mountains and scenery are beautiful and despite what Skip says, Ireland does not look like WV.
I have not been walking alone in the woods at night yet, but have still managed a near life threatening incident. Whilst innocently and joyously embarking on an afternoon bicycle ride the other day, I slowed to admire the beautiful scenery on either side of the road. Just as I slowed, a large sheep burst out of a poorly constructed stone fence only feet ahead of me. The sheep gazed at me fiercely with sharp, piercing eyes of black but I gazed back with fiercer, even sharper, more piercing eyes of brown. The sheep obviously sensed fear from a person known for their disdain of all animals and began sprinting down the road in the opposite direction. After stopping to munch on a few blades of grass, the sheep entered the fence of a farm across the street and continued on with its business of sheep being. I have since been exercising greater caution when biking.
Wednesday afternoon I'll catch a bus back to Dublin and spend a few more days in the city, meeting up with 4 friends from school. Saturday I'm headed to Cork (home of the famous Blarney Stone) where I'll stay on my own for at least 3 weeks then go to Galway on the west coast for a week.
I've only been gone for two weeks and have to admit that I'm already tired of my clothes. It's also not much fun carrying all of your belongings on your back all day, thinking that it's too heavy and trying to figure out what to toss. It's even less fun when you realize that you've tossed all you can toss and really need everything that's left. Other than that, the trip is fun! Waking up everyday to do whatever and go wherever is a great feeling!
The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. -C. McCandless
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