Galway City, Co Galway, Ireland

We have been moving around like madmen at a breakneck pace. Shannon, Limerick, Dingle, Cork City, Waterford, Cahir, Cashel, and now here in Galway. This town is more like a city than all the rest. Right on the water at Galway Bay, it's almost like a Jersey Shore resort town. Plus there are two colleges, so there is always something going on. Quay Street is a commons area with shops, pubs, and restaurants, almost like New Hope, PA. Brian and I spend the evening at the Crane Pub. My kind of place. Some musicians came in and sat in the booth next to us and played most of the time we were there. We also chatted up some locals while I enjoyed a few damn fine pints of Guinness. On our way here from Waterford we drove the southern midlands and stopped at a few castles. Cahir Castle was particularly impressive. And the views from Cashel Rock were simply amazing. Near Cashel Rock is the disputed "birthplace" of Guinness. It seems Arthur Guinness father was a brewer there and may have concocted the brew that Arthur took to Dublin and made famous. Of course I stopped and had a pint. In Waterford we toured the crystal factory and saw some true craftsmen at work. It's spellbinding, watching those men work and shape the molten crystal. We also had lunch at a fantastic pub attached to a hotel right on the quay. Before Waterford we were in Co Cork where we toured Blarney Castle, which has absolutely beautiful grounds. All this after seeing the beauty of Slea Head and the drive from Dingle the day before. My heart and eyes are full of joy and beauty, all with five days left to go.

Limerick City, Co Limerick, Ireland

At 6:20 pm, local time, I turn 30; and I finally managed to beat that date. The flight was uncomfortable, and getting around here is an adventure, but here we are.
My first bout of overseas travel had revealed what an ignorant american I am. I got to Heathrow expecting everyone to be completely different (2 heads, 4 arms). The human condition, as it stands, is a universally beautiful and miserable experience. For everyone, we have to find our share of both. For me, now that the myths of foreign travel are dispelled, I plan to enjoy my trip, see the land of my forefathers, and turn thirty with the same aplomb that I used at 1, 5, 10, and 20.

off to the motherland...

Tonight, at approximately 9pm, a plane will take off and my journey to Ireland will begin.

waiting for an adventure of a lifetime.

I'll never be able to make her understand

Sounds of laughter shades of earth are ringing
Through my open views inviting and inciting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
million suns, it calls me on and on
Across the universe