Parental Units Visit and Unite!

I missed out on writing about my last day of college! So here's to a more positive post! You ready, you ready??

I studied a pretty minimal amount before the final, because three essays in two hours means that you don't have to know a ridiculous amount of quotes or material on each essay. So I walked through Irish wind for more than an hour and a half (the day tricked me. It was absolutely beautiful just minutes before I decided to head out) to get to the Bald Barista to do some cultural coffee drinking and studying.

I ended up just playing around with my new Asus Eee PC for a while, getting a feel of these tiny keys, fumbling to minimize the amount of typos that came out of my fat fingers. Oh, and the mocha I had was absolutely amazing. I have a weird feeling that the cashier was doing one of two things: 1) just have a go at me, slagging at my total American-ness or 2) hitting on me and trying to get me to go back. I promised I would go back the next day, as I only had two days left in Dublin. He gave me three drink stamps for one mocha. Mmm...if only that happened everywhere I went just for being a naive American.

Sadly, I did not make it. I opted to go to Queen of Tarts instead for dinner, and because errands called for it, I had to skip out on another good coffe. Sadness.

Anyway, so the final was a final. I cramped up my right hand just writing away. I felt pretty well prepared, but I was one of the last ones remaining. I was never good at getting these things done quickly.

I also decided to write a nice note to dear Ronan, our severely awkward lecturer, who looks too young to have a PhD. I wrote at the end of my third essay: "AND NOW I'M DONE WITH COLLEGE!"

That felt good. Really good.


Anyway, so my parents are here, and I'll be in Europe until 2nd June, so my blog continues despite the end of my study abroad program. I apologize for faltering a bit at the end of the program, but things were getting busy with projects, papers, researching, and future-planning. I still won't be consistent because of all the traveling business, but I shall try my best. This little laptop has made it really handy to travel and have wireless wherever it is available. Hurrah!

So far, I took my parents on a Dublin Bus Tour, which actually showed some really nice sightseeing spots of Dublin. I'm glad we did that first because apparently Scotland's churches and castles blow Ireland's out of the water. Good, good.

Then up to Northern Ireland we went, on an absolutely insane journey of lugging around four large suitcases, a duffel and then some. Some band parade at 9:00 p.m. got us a bit worried about making it to our B&B, but everything worked out and at around 10:00 p.m., we checked out parents in at the Wanderin Heights B&B.

Alan and I took them around the sights of the Antrim coast on an unexpectedly lovely day, and then we had some good time with Alan's parents. Yes, they met. They got along well, I think.

Then church at Trinity Presbyterian Church, lunch at the Lodge Hotel with the Carsons (minus Stephen), then Downhill. Sadly, today it rained, so there wasn't that much outside walking. The only little bit was at the University of Ulster-Coleraine gardens to look at Daffodil Garden.

And thennn...made our way here, to the Killead Lodge for the night before we head to Orleans, France tomorrow! It's an absolutely BEAUTIFUL guesthouse - big, clean, HD TV, Wi-Fi, homecooked breakfast. My parents love this idea of B&Bs - the cozy, familial atmosphere.

So whew. Destination 1 is so far successful. Let's see how the remainder will be!