Fort William

My fingers gripped cool rock and my legs began to shake. My muscles were fatiguing but I couldn't figure out where to place my foot next. White mist surrounded me 2000 feet high hanging from the side of the cliff and I wondered what in the hell was I doing?!

It started with a pamphlet. I asked a man that morning if he knew of a climbing route called cmd arête. The only reason I knew of that route was from a pamphlet that caught my eye the night before. Climbing Ben Nevis? It asked. Why yes i was! I pulled the pamphlet from its clear plastic holder attached to the wall of the hostel and flipped it over. It described 3 routes. The first was the pony track. I was immediately turned off by the name. As I read on I dismissed the route after discovering it was the easiest and most popular tourist track up to the summit. Boring! The second was called cmd arête and was described as a more challenging ascent climbing 2 peaks with a fair amount of exposure and a guide was recommended. Interesting. I read on to the third route. The north face. Extreme exposure and a guide and technical rock climbing gear is required. Damn. I had none of those things. That's when I settled on the second. After deciding I asked the man at the reception desk if he could tell me the way. He had never heard of that route. I was a little confused as to how he made it as the receptionist of a hostel on the foot of a mountain that he didn't know everything about. I asked about the north face simply for the sake of curiosity and he laughed a patronising laugh and shook his head. "Please don't go to the north face" he said. Well that was helpful! I wasn't going to settle for the pony track so that morning I looked at the man making breakfast near me. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He was tall, towering over me in waterproof climbing gear and expensive looking hiking boots. Yes he'd know about the cmd route. I asked him and he smiled down at me surprised and slightly impressed. He wasn't like the man at reception. His smile was warm and genuine. "Yes I know it," he responded.
"Is it straightforward and clearly marked?" I pressed hoping for more information. I am famous for getting lost and have possibly the worst sense of direction known to man. 
"Not really," he said with a laugh. He could see my disappointment and to remedy it he continued "my mate and I are going around the north face." My eyes lit up. The north face! "You can tag along and we'll show you the way to cmd if you'd like." I wasn't expecting such an offer and was thrilled to take it. I happily accepted and sat down with them as they finished their breakfast. I learned the tall man with the warm smile was named Nigel and his friend, shorter thin and bald was named Darren. Darren was delightfully sarcastic and their banter told me a lot about their friendship. They told me that they'd been planning to do the climb they were doing that day for years. It was called Tower Ridge first climbing Douglas Boulder. Their excitement was clear and it was contagious. They told me the route I had chosen is excellent so I couldn't wait to get going.
We set off shortly after breakfast and I found myself easily getting along with Darren and Nigel. They made me feel comfortable and welcome and we found things to talk about easily. They both had many years of rock climbing experience and have climbed all over Scotland and England. I was really impressed with their stories. The walk was fairly easy for the first hour or so involving lots of stone steps that we took slowly. They warned me ahead of time that they'd be pacing themselves. At first I wanted to go faster but at the end of the day I was glad we went the pace we did.
When we started to approach the north face of the mountain Nigel realized that we past the turn for the route I was meant to go on. He said I had three options. The first would be to back track and go back to where the path split. Option two would be to cut through and climb up the side of the mountain that would involve an hour of extreme huffing and puffing but it would be a do able climb. The third option he paused before proposing that I tag along with them. Darren smiled wickedly at the idea and they looked at me expectantly. Darren said I could use his harness and helmet. I was immediately struck with nerves. I'd never been rock climbing aside from a few times on an indoor wall. This was a route seasoned climbers had been planning to do for years. They obviously thought I was capable or they wouldn't have extended the offer right? I looked back at the other route. It looked long, tedious, and lonely. I looked at the two smiling gentlemen with their packs full of climbing gear and ropes dangling off the sides. Then I looked up to tower ridge. The sheer cliff face loomed over me eerily with mist swirling around the edges of rock. 

My lips spoke before my brain caught up. "I'll come with you guys!"

They smiled happily and we were on our way. It was one of those decisions that seemed like a bad idea but at the same time I think I knew I'd regret it if I hadn't stepped out of my comfort zone. 

A few hours later I found myself hanging from the side of the cliff, geared up in a harness with Nigel 40 feet or so above me encouraging me onward. My legs were starting to shake and I had that heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nothing could happen if I was harnessed in right? At least that's what Darren was reminding me as I panicked slightly not knowing where I could put my foot next. My hands gripped tightly and I looked around desperately. Darren spoke words of encouragement from below and I mustered all the courage I had and reached my leg high into the only feasible foothold I could find and pulled myself up. 

After climbing Douglas Boulder my nerves started to calm. The trickiest parts of the climb were in the beginning and after I got past them I felt like I could do anything. I started to climb faster and more confidently. 

 
Tower ridge was a long climb but was exciting the whole way to the summit. At one point we had to abseil down to a ledge about 20 feet below to climb back up. Darren, ever the adrenaline junky, decided to jump the ten foot gap instead. We were around 2,000 feet high at that point with nothing but a small ledge below before dropping down sheer cliff. I watched in amazement and my stomach did flips as he steadied himself before the jump. I felt a wave of relief when he landed successfully on the other side. I admired his bravery! The rest of the way was mainly scrambling but we stayed roped up just to be safe.

As we neared the top we climbed over the clouds that were settled around us for most of the climb. I knew we were close since we were actually above the clouds. We were very high up!

It wasn't much longer before we reached the summit. There was something so satisfying about reaching the top of the highest mountain in the UK by climbing up the side of the cliff rather than walking the endlessly winding gentle tourist path. We were well above the clouds at the top and the feeling of accomplishment washed over me. I had just rock climbed Ben Nevis. My first time rock climbing and I did a challenging route on the highest mountain in the entire United Kingdom. Not too shabby!

I am so grateful for the kindness of Darren and Nigel for letting me use their equipment and taking care of me on that epic and adventurous day. I've never experienced anything like it and it was by far the highlight of my trip. When I woke up that morning I had no idea that I would be doing something like that and that's been the beauty of this trip. I really have no idea what's going to happen and going with the flow has opened the door for unexpected and wonderful opportunities.

Portmagee Day 1

We started the next morning with a delicious home made Irish breakfast. Irish pudding is my new favourite thing. It's basically oats mixed with pork and spices and you fry it in a pan with some butter. I adore it! There is also black pudding which is good but when I found out it's that color because they put blood in it, it sort of lost its appeal. Traditional Irish breakfasts consists of white and black irish pudding, irish sausage (the best sausage ever), fried eggs, and a fried tomato. No complaints from me! While we enjoyed our breakfast some girl was crying in the other room. I felt incredibly awkward for the owner of the B and B but she handled it tremendously well. After traveling now for almost three weeks I completely understand how the crying backpacker felt. When you are so overtired and haven't had a good nights sleep in weeks any little thing that goes wrong will evoke tears. I've cried at least 3 times in the past week. 


After breakfast we headed back into town. We found a place called the Garden of Senses but we only ended up using maybe two senses so I was a little disappointed. They just barely get away with using the plural tense. It was pretty cool though even without the other 3 senses.

After enjoying the heightening of our sense of sight and smell we saw Irish Riley again and he took us to a beautiful bridge over a rushing river. 

We stopped for a photo op and then proceeded to do a bit of shopping. My mom would be proud! 

We checked out of the B and B (I can't find the and symbol on this keyboard in case you were wondering) and continued on our journey around the ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is stunning. We saw a gorgeous beach and stopped to walk it. Since it was our honeymoon and all I thought it appropriate to write Erin and Danielle in the sand with a heart around it. <3 <3 <3

After the beach we stopped for some terrible lunch. Serves us right for going to the spot all the tour buses were stopped at. The view was pretty amazing but the food was shit. Continuing on to Portmagee we had to stop at Skellig Chocolate. They offered a free tasting session and each piece of home made chocolate was more delicious than the last. We shared the best hot chocolate I've ever experienced in my life then continued on.

 We couldn't find our hostel so we asked the cutest little old Irish lady for directions. I wasn't paying attention because I only focused on how adorable she was so it was lucky that Danielle was listening. The hostel was really nice. It looked new with polished wooden steps and everything had that new building smell. I liked that about it. The kitchen was very nice as well. The pans were newer, which now having been to several hostels, was a blessing and a rarity. Once we settled in I worked out. I decided on 50-40-30-20-10 pushups and double unders with a 150 m run in between each round. It was miserable but Danielle sat close by to say the occasional word of encouragement. Afterwards we had a mediocre dinner at the Fishermans bar in town. Portmagee was my favourite town in Ireland. It was a tiny fishing village that smelled like the sea. The main strip in town was simply one road against the water with a few fishing boats at the pier and the air was thick and salty. The stores and restaurants were all painted different colors. Portmagee also contained the toilet that won best toilet award! What a town!

Sneem

The weather was not fantastic on our journey to Sneem but a little rain never hurt anyone! The rain in Ireland is different. It doesn't pour. It's almost like a mist but constant and the wind combined with the constant mist pretty much soaks you through if you're out in it for any extended period of time. We had our rain gear on and when we arrived in the town of Sneem I parked in the parking lot of a church. It was Sunday so I figured we might as well go in. The church was beautiful and Dan and I were the only ones there.  I wanted to ring the church bell as soon as I saw the rope but Dan wouldn't let me. Outside the church was a sign that read "where the fairies went" which Dan knew from the nuns at work means supernatural things.

Behind the sign were several little TP shaped structures made of stone. It was really cool exploring them and going inside them. In one you could see the church from one of the openings in the stone. 

Shortly after exploring we met Irish Riley, a chocolate lab that must have been around 2 years old. He was such a puppy but reminded me so much of Riley. He even growled at rocks and kicked them around the way Riley does! We quickly became best friends and played together in the rain in Sneem. We didn't have a plan for Sneem but it ended up being such a cool day. I was glad to explore and pretend Irish Riley was actual Riley because I miss him like crazy. After exploring town we headed to our Bed and Breakfast. The woman who ran it was very nice. She was Irish but lived in Boston for something like eleven years. I don't blame her for wanting to come back. Sneem is amazing. One of my favourite places so far. Once we were checked in I went for a long hike, that was really only a walk. Danielle was more interested in a hot shower mostly due to the fact that it was raining and foggy so you could barely appreciate the beautiful views anyway. Despite the weather I still enjoyed getting out and exploring a bit. There was a really cool bridge over a river and the walk took twists and turns over the farmland of Sneem. I passed a lot of sheep and cows. When I got back from my 3 hour walk we got ready for dinner and headed to a small pub/restaurant. They only had a kids table available so we sat there next to a tiny TV and colouring books. If I hadn't been so exhausted I definitely would have coloured. We went to bed that night before the sun went down after learning about the potato famine on TV.  

Killarney

The drive to Killarney was amazing. The roads were small enough to be a one way (a tight one way) yet they were meant for two way traffic. When a car approached we had to pull over into the bushes to let them pass unless they pulled over to let us pass. It was certainly an experience. Conor was telling us that there is something like a thousand dollar fine for being on your phone while driving and you could get jail time. It makes perfect sense because there wasn't a chance in hell I'd ever attempt to look at anything but the road. This was disappointing when I wanted to check out the stellar views but couldn't tear my eyes away from the road in fear of crashing. We pulled over quite a bit to take it all in though.
Once we got to Killarney we found our hostel, the Sugan.

Don't let the cool outside appearance fool you. Read on.

My mom picked this one because they were a drug/alcohol free hostel. This was the only redeeming quality. The Sugan was a nightmare. I felt really bad for subjecting Danielle to it. Once we checked in the man at the front desk was Sweden, which was great for Dan because that's apparently the only accent she can do, Yaaaaa? He explained that we could use the kitchen as long as we cleaned up after ourselves. We decided to go out to eat. Once we got back Danielle tried to take a shower. I say tried because the shower wouldn't stay on. Earlier when she tested it it wouldn't turn off and got water all over the floor. She gave up on that endeavor and attempted to wash her face. Unfortunately the mirror was designed for someone my height only and she could barely see the bun on top of her head in the mirror.

Sorry Dan. This mirror is just for me

We gave up and decided to go to bed. The good thing is you could feel every single spring in the bed and we each got one flimsy pillow. Another benefit was that we were directly across from the public shower where people were noisily showering for a good portion of the night. When we weren't listening to water running we heard drunken people shouting outside from the pubs across the street. Needless to say, the Sugan was not our favorite place to stay.

In the morning I woke up around 7:30 unable to handle the springs in my back any longer I trekked outdoors in search of coffee. Unfortunately no one wakes up before ten in Ireland I discovered and my search was unsucessful. Hangry and exhausted I decided we should check out the breakfast situation at the hotel next door. The waiter approached us and asked for our room number as I helped myself to some cereal. 102 I mumbled (I felt bad for whoever was in room 102 but I was hungry!) He asked me to repeat myself and I said 102 again a little louder feeling the fear of being caught twisting my stomach. He nodded and asked me what I'd like for breakfast. I asked for a poached egg with toast. When he came back out he asked if we were room 102 or 112. I'm a terrible liar so I said oh yeah it's 112. I thought for sure we were busted but he came out with my egg a moment later. Sorry room 112 but breakfast was delicious.

Before heading to our next destination we checked out Killarney national park. We saw the very impressive Ross Castle and walked around the lake a bit.

Ross Castle

Ross Castle was huge and beautiful. It was in better condition than some of the other castles we've seen. The castle overlooked a lake with some islands and mountains in the background. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining and the sky was a magnificent shade of blue with contrasting white clouds scattered about only occasionally blocking the sun. We decided to take a small boat operated by an adorable old Irish man to one of the islands called Inissfallen Island. The boat ride took about 20 minutes and we learned a little about the surrounding islands. Most of which I forget already. 

We had an hour to play around unsupervised on the island. Naturally I scaled the wall of an old building made of stones. It was secluded and untouched. The building was mostly in tact still but you could tell it was extremely old. 

There were some deer nearby and we followed them to a trail around the island. The island was much bigger than I realized and it reminded me of Jurassic Park. There were dense wooded areas covered in overgrown ferns and everything had a shade of green from the sun shining through the leaves of the trees. We thought it would be funny to film me near the deer pretending to be part of the wildlife and scattering with the deer as they got startled. It was but I lost my phone in the process and we spend the next half hour backtracking and searching for it. Luck was on our side because Danielle spotted it on the ground right before panic set in. Because of the lost phone we were a few minutes late getting back to our boat but the man was extremely nice about it. I can't imagine anyone being so nice in America in the same circumstance. 

After we got back from the island we walked around the lake a little and I made my own trail because the main trail was a bit boring. Danielle was not a fan of this because there were times when we had to use our hands and feet. She draws the line at activities that involve both her hands and her feet. She prefers activities that main require using her eyes. She was also rather concerned about poison ivy but I assured her that there is no poison ivy in Ireland. I've yet to confirm that. Overall it was a perfect morning. Our next stop would be Sneem, part of the Ring of Kerry.

Last Day In Kilkenny

On our last day in Kilkenny Conor took us all over. First we went to town to climb the largest tower in Kilkenny. It towered over the town next to a beautiful church and graveyard. The stone architecture of the church was charming, like everything else here.

 To climb the tower we entered at the bottom and had to climb several tiny ladders. It was actually a bit of a workout to get to the top but once we got up there it was well worth the climb. On the top you could see the entire town of Kilkenny and the farmlands that surround it. This was not someplace you'd want to be if you were afraid of heights. I used to fear heights but I think it's safe to say I've gotten over that judging by the crazy things I've done on this trip already. The tower wasn't crazy because it was safely enclosed at the top but it was still pretty incredible to be so high above the rest of the town and be able to see every inch of Kilkenny.

After checking out the tower Conor took us to his friends farm. His friend Dougie was a 66 year old retired farmer who has his own farm and castle. Yes, I said castle. We didn't get to meet Dougie because he was out but we met his father who also lives on the farm and is 101 years old. He's still VERY with it which was incredible. Dougie has two dogs who accompanied us on the trek to the castle. We had to walk through the cows pasture, which was actually a little scary. One of the cows lunged at me and the dogs, who took their herding jobs very seriously, barked and scared the cows away. After we were walking for a bit they got used to us being there and stopped following us. The castle was incredible. It had tree bark and ivy climbing up the side and loomed over the pasture.

We went inside and climbed the spiral stone staircase to the top. At the top you could see the whole farm and it was peaceful and quiet. The view was beautiful and I could stay there forever. I imagined what it was like when someone lived there. If they looked out the window, or what was once a window that I was so mesmerized looking from. The dogs sat on the edge of the window and looked out over their farm with us.

I wanted to live there forever. To spend every day just sitting in that castle, of course I'd need Riley to be there with me. It was just so peaceful and beautiful. There isn't anything like that at home. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end so after sitting a while at the castle we had to head back. On the walk back to the house Conor showed us that the dogs knew how to climb trees. I found that incredibly amusing. He signaled to the dog and sure enough he scampered up into a tree and perched there like an owl. 

Once we left the castle Danielle and I had to drive to the ring of kerry for our next destination. Before we left, Dougie's 101 year old father insisted that we stay for tea/coffee and bickies. Bickies are cookies that go with tea. These bickies were home made and one of the most delicious things I've ever had! We talked with Dougie's dad for a bit and although he was difficult to understand at times with his thick Irish accent he was interesting and sweet. 

It was sad to leave Kilkenny after having such an amazing time there and I am so thankful to Conor for being an incredible host and tour guide. He gave us an authentic experience that I never would have gotten without him. Thanks Conor!

The drive to Killarney was insane. The roads were tiny, yet still had two way traffic (you had to pull over into the bushes to let a car pass if one came) and they were windy and sometimes they went straight up a mountain. The views were breathtaking. The ocean was a stunning blue and it spanned out over the horizon as we drove over a mountain to get to Killarney. Nothing looks real here. Everything looks like it came straight out of Google images. It was the type of view you have a hard time believing you are actually seeing when you're seeing it. 

Mahon Falls

On our second day in Kilkenny Conor took us to Mahon Falls. It was about a 45 minute drive from his house in Kilkenny to the falls in County Waterford. The drive was interesting to say the least. The motorway (our highways) was okay except when I had to pass a truck which almost always caused a panic reaction involving a sharp inhale of breath. Once we got closer we were driving on backroads, which Conor then told us we were really in Ireland now. The roads were big enough to fit one car but intended for two way traffic. When a car was coming one of us had to pull off to the side sometimes into a bush. The whole drive was farmlands. Cows and sheep wherever you turned your head. Everything was brilliantly green and once I got comfortable on the back roads I really enjoyed driving them

When we arrived at the falls there was a tiny parking lot and a long trail walk towards the falls. It was misting and overcast but I didn't mind. In fact, I think it made the falls look cooler. The mist was moving over the top of the falls which had to be at least 3 thousand feet high. At the end of the trail we hiked up a bit to the bottom of the falls. The waterfalls cascading down the enormous cliffs was definitely a sight to see. They looked so tiny from the bottom and the size of the cliffs was incredible to take in. It reminded me of a greener table mountain.

Conor suggested hiking to the bottom pool of one of the waterfalls but it involved a bit of scrambling on wet rocks so Danielle decided she'd stay and observe us. She didn't sign up for wet rock scrambling. The bottom pool of the waterfall was amazing. The waterfall fell with such force that it created a wind in our faces as we looked on in awe. The water hit the pool so hard drops of water rises up about 15 feet crashed into the cliffs and rained back down.

Being the adventurer that I am I wanted to climb all the way to the top of the falls. Conor had a pulled muscle and didn't want to further irritate it so I continued up on my own. The climb was a bit challenging with the wet grass, mud, and slippery rocks but well worth it (even though I fell three times)! I passed some sheep who were very standoffish not unlike the dogs in Ireland. The climb had my heart pounding and my legs aching but I was determined to get to the top so I kept going. Once I finally reached the top I was so glad that I did. I looked down over the edge of the cliff to see the waterfall we were below just a little while earlier racing off. The view was spectacular. Little rivers and streams stretched out like veins of the mountain and rolling green hills made up the background. Behind me the valley was flat and the stream creating the waterfalls stretched as far back as I could see. It was quite and peaceful at the top. I was the only person amidst some random sheep looking over the country of Ireland on that overcast yet beautiful day. This was probably one of the top five most beautiful places I've ever been to.

When we got back to Conor's house from the falls we relaxed a bit then Dan and I went into town to get ice cream. We ended up walking up and down the cobblestone streets for a bit before choosing a restaurant for dinner. We sat outside in an cobblestone alleyway and people watched. School had let out so lots of kids in school uniforms were walking around. Our waitress was very sweet and finished every sentence with it's no bother.

After dinner I had to get ready for my very first individual cross fit competition! Conor signed me up for an in house competition at his cross fit box Crossfit Kilkenny. The competition was amazing. The workouts were challenging yet do able and I pushed as hard as I could push myself and ended up winning first place after 4 workouts! The prize was an awesome reebok backpack. Everyone was so nice there especially the coaches. One coach was quite a stud as well! He was quite and shy but very sweet and easy on the eyes.

Once the competition was over we were beyond exhausted but it was Friday night and our last night in Kilkenny so we had to suck it up and go out. I'm very happy that we did because it turned into an  interesting adventure. I drove and while we were still in Conor's neighbourhood I saw two dogs. I opened the window and called to them naturally and one actually came over! He crossed the car and went to Dan's window and even jumped up on the window to say hi! I was so incredibly excited to be acknowledged by a dog after getting the cold shoulder from so many that I didn't consider maybe there's a reason this dog is acting differently. Once I reached over to pet the dog I noticed all the foam at it's mouth. I asked him why he was acting like this and realised oh maybe he's got rabies. As soon as the word rabies left my lips Danielle had her finger on the up button for the window. The dogs sad little paws stayed on the window as it closed on his face and his foam left a streak on the window. I couldn't stop laughing. Of course the only dog that pays attention to us is foaming at the mouth and probably had rabies.

When we got to the pub Conor brought us to we realised that it was "out night" upstairs and some of the most fabulous gay men I've ever seen were dancing up a storm. They were fabulous because their dance moves made me feel like a stellar dancer. If you know me, you know this is not the case. My awkward moves fit right in! I love the way Irish people dance! I stepped it up a notch and broke out the sprinkler and the lawn mower. I didn't think they were ready for the shopping cart so I left it at that. It was a great day and a fun night.

Kilkenny

We woke up early in Dublin for breakfast and once again it didn't disappoint. the sausage here is on point! I love it! The restaurant was really unique. Our table had 3 couches and a an old barber chair around it and it was nestled in a corner next to a book shelf.

After breakfast we head back to the airport to pick up our rental car. After hearing that we intended to drive across the country the woman at Europcar strongly suggested getting a larger car with diesel. She didn't have to twist my arm when she mentioned they just got a BMW returned. Driving in Ireland is pretty terrifying. Being on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road is overwhelming. I don't know if it was scarier for me or Danielle. I hit a bush, but grazed might be the more accurate term but other than that things went pretty well on the drive from Dublin to Kilkenny. Once we were outside the city farmlands stretched as far as the eye could see and everything was a brilliant shade of green that I'm not used to seeing in the US. In fact, it's the type of green you really only see in movies. It didn't look real. Cows and sheep were everywhere.

Once we got to Kilkenny we didn't waste any time exploring the city. Conor showed us Kilkenny castle which was stunning as we approached it from a distance walking through a strikingly green rolling meadow.

 The sun was shining and not many clouds in the sky. We got really lucky with the weather! As we got closer the castle staggered above us and again did not look real.

The rest of the town was cobblestone streets and cute little shops. I really liked the tiny alleyways and arches overhead. Everything is so different here in the best way.

Naturally I went to Crossfit with Conor and experienced Crossfit Kilkenny. It was a nice box and the coaches were warm and welcoming.

The more I see of Ireland the more I fall in love.

Dublin

The flight to Dublin was long and uncomfortable. It went surprisingly slower than the flight to South Africa. Surprisingly Danielle and I managed to figure out how to take a bus and then light rail to get to our hostel. i'm going to stop using capitals because the keyboard is throwing me off. i apologize for the inconvenience. anyways, we got to our hostel at 10 in the morning after a very enjoyable breakfast. Irish sausage is the bomb. the front clerk informed us that check in wasn't until 2 pm. this was devastating news to my sleep deprived mind. i got maybe an hour of sleep on the plain and was borderline delirious from fatigue. we ventured out to explore Dublin for a bit and saw some pretty cool things. the architecture alone is spectacular. the streets are mainly cobblestone and the city is much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing than any city I've seen. i quickly ran out of steam and we went back to the hostel to crash on their couches. an hour went by of decent nappage before an employee told us we couldn't sleep on the couches but he opened up the cinema room for us which had several couches and left the lights off. this would have been fantastic had it not been for the seven or so irish guys (i'm guessing they were in their twenties or younger) who felt compelled to talk non stop instead of sleeping. i didn't get any sleep but i learned that ropey means sketchy and fit means attractive. their accents were incredibly pleasing to the ears but didn't make up for the annoyance of keeping me awake. 2 pm finally arrived and we checked into our room and crashed for 4 hours. my friend conor met up with us at 7 and showed us around dublin. the city is so beautiful and unique. it's much quieter than nyc and cleaner. we saw a trinity college, which had breathtaking architechture and apparently was one of the locations harry potter was filmed.after that conor took us all around the city and we stopped in a pub to listen to some live music. we were in an area where people who live in dublin go to hang out. it was nice not being in the touristy areas and feeling at home with the locals. the live music was great and the vibe was even better. i am beyond exhausted. i can't wait to continue the adventures tomorrow!