John Rodgers Ireland Week 7

It sounds wild to say that I only have ten days left in Europe. I was arriving at the Dublin airport yesterday to embark on this journey. Something I appreciated about this week was getting back into a routine. Last week was hectic, so I was relieved to have a relatively mellow week.

One aspect of this trip that I’d like to highlight is working out. I met Cat for the first time on this trip, and we became workout buddies. She’s a D1 Lacrosse player, and I’m a NARP, so I appreciate her pushing me to my limits. I have been running, which I haven’t done since I was on the track team in high school. I am grateful to be running again, and I thank Cat for making me run and stay in shape.

Something I’ve been doing lately during my lunch break is taking a stroll in St. Stephen’s Green. I am an avid nature enthusiast, so I like to relax by leisurely walking in the park. It is a lovely park that reminds me of Central Park in New York. St. Stephen’s Green has exceptional biodiversity, notably the birds. The park is always packed with birds like seagulls, pigeons, swans, goldcrests, robins, ducks, magpies, and wrens. I enjoy maintaining proximity to the birds to feel connected with them. A couple of my friends, Margaret and Bella, are huge bird fans, so I would like to send them videos of my encounters with them.

This was the first Monday without class, which threw me off, but we still managed to have a day. We took a trip to Howth on the east coast of Dublin and went on the Howth Cliff Walk. It spanned about 3 hours, giving us time to chat as we took in the beautiful views of the Irish Sea. The tour guide had A vizsla, Loki, who had fun leading the hike. After the hike, a few of us ate at a local restaurant for the renowned Howth seafood. The mystery drink crew had to indulge in mystery spritzes because you’re only in Howth once. I am pretty picky about seafood, so I got the steak. Connor got lobster, one of the seafood items I like, so we collaborated collaborated to make our own surf and turf meal, one of the best meals I’ve had in Ireland.