After nearly a month here in Dublin, I feel as if I have started to really become accustomed to life abroad. I feel like I am starting to get a good feel of the city, as well as how to navigate around. I found my favorite grocery store, SuperValu, which is a short bus ride east to the coastal town of Blackrock. One thing that I have been focusing a lot on recently is cooking for myself, and also cooking solid meals. I have tried to incorporate some more vegetables in my diet, and have gotten pretty good at incorporating them into my meals. On Monday, I made some pan fried bone-in chicken with vegetable rice, yesterday I made pork chops with seared zucchini and onion, and tonight I am planning on cooking the rest of my pork chops with some spinach. I feel like I am picking up some good skills in terms of planning ahead when shopping, and making good, quick meals that I can clean up quickly too. Also, it feels like the food tastes a lot better when you make it yourself.
This past week was pretty fun, work has been going well, but I don’t have too much to report back on. Last Saturday we took a trip to the south of Ireland, visiting Blarney castle, as well as Cahir Castle. We had an early bus ride that morning, and I had far too late of a night on Friday night, which was an equation for a rough wake up. In my frenzy to make it to the bus on time, I made sure to bring everything important with me, including my wallet, as well as my portable charger and earbuds so I could entertain myself for the duration of the long bus ride. Unfortunately, as the bus was starting up I quickly realized that I had left my phone on my nightstand. At first, I was pretty annoyed, but after sending a quick text to my parents on Tyler’s phone, I realized that this was honestly a pretty good opportunity to catch up on some sleep and disconnect a little bit. Although I enjoyed unplugging for a bit, I really hope I don’t make that mistake again.
Sunday was a really nice day in Dublin, and after a pretty lazy day, I took a walk to a nearby beach to try and go for a swim. However, it was low tide at the time, and although it was nice to look at, it was a pretty gross environment to swim in. Monday was another nice day, so after our tour of the Kilmainham Gaol, I went to a local swimming spot that was recommended by the UCD tour guides. The water was freezing, and I think I went in the water for all of a minute, but it was a really cool experience. I also took the train along the coastline to get there, which was an awesome ride.
I am very impressed with how you navigate to places you wound like to go, taking the train and getting a nice coastline tour and then a swim in the ocean, albeit freezing!
Your cooking skills are coming along very nicely and I think we will have to have a cooking day together when you get home so I can sample that chicken dish! It looks very tasty! I look forward to your blogs each week and am so amazed at how much you have been able to see in four weeks! Enjoy your remaining time in Dublin.