Saturday:
This morning we begin our journey back to London, a journey that will take us about twenty-four hours to complete. Our ferry didn’t leave Dublin till around 21:00 so we had almost an entire day to wander around and slowly make our way back to Dublin from Redcross. When we were checking out of our perfect cottage the owners didn’t even charge us for the extra night!! They were so sweet and accommodating, I wished Ollie goodbye, and we were off. We made our way north along the coast taking the scenic route back to Dublin. Along the way we passed through numerous small villages that were adorable, and ate lunch in a town outside of Newcastle…I think it was Greystones, but I’m not positive. We were also able to walk along the seaside and witness a large group of senior citizens going for a dip in the crashing waves, spitting rain and bitter gusts. They were very brave because as I know from experience that the water in the Irish Sea is chilly (and slightly radioactive my sources tell me). I saw the waves crashing against the rocks as the storms rolled in and it was a beautiful sight to leave Ireland with…many hours later we finally boarded the ferry where I made myself comfortable so I could read my book which by this point I was completely and totally sucked into.
Sunday:
Coming ashore in Hollyhead, Wales around 1:00 we hoped that we would be able to sleep the night in the station and luckily there was quite a group of travelers waiting till the morning train arrived. The night was cold and the floor was hard but I managed to get some sleep…although this was the night that the clocks went back (such a waste since I couldn’t fully receive the benefits of that extra hour of sleep). Thankfully Dan lent me his coat, even with that I was freezing but I may have been an icicle in the morning if I hadn’t had it. Eleven hours later we caught our direct train!!!! Back to London! I was so excited for warmth, food and a bed.
Even though our trip was not exactly how we planned it, and it wasn’t a fairytale dream vacation due to the many bumps along the way; I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The group of us and especially Dan, Fish and I experienced so much together and created so many memories that will last a lifetime. Some amazing, some hilarious, others embarrassing and a couple full of frustration…and it’s these memories that will live on forever in the pages of my journal. It doesn’t matter if we never see each other again after this semester or even talk; these stories and experiences will live on and be something I can continually learn from. For instance, lesson one: Always backpack and do hostiles/sleeping in train stations while still young! Do not attempt past age…hmm I’m going to go with 27.
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