Most of today was beautiful and dry! Exploring the city of Dublin felt so surreal, especially because I’m just now forming my own memories and have the opportunity to create my own experiences. My favorite event was the pub crawl. I learned so many fun facts about James Joyce! It was very interesting to me to be able to actually be in the same pubs that are in his literary works. We begin our journey at Dukes, a hot crowded, but overall exciting pub. During the pub crawl, we made a stop at Trinity College, which is extremely beautiful and I just adore the fact that it was built in the 1500’s.

Wandering about the streets of Dublin gave me the opportunity to connect what I was seeing to the beginning stories in James Joyce’s “Dubliners”. Just like the young boys in the first three stories, I was able to grasp the meaning of the “real Dublin” experience. I’ve never really had the chance to explore any other city aside from Atlanta, which is my home city and because  I was born and raised in Atlanta, I know it like the back of my hand. Walking up and down the streets of Dublin is shaping the person that I am already, and I can not wait to see the person that I become by the end of this trip.

My favorite place today was the National Archeology Museum. Oddly enough, museums aren’t my cup of tea simply because of the visual overload- there is just too much to look at but not enough time. This one was different, I immediately became interested and curiosity led me to read close to every single fact posted next to the item being displayed which in turn caused me to be the last group member to leave the museum (oops). I felt as if I belonged there, I didn’t feel awkward or out of place among the other visitors which really appealed to me.

This place today stood out to me because unlike what I have experienced with other museums, I was actually drawn in, and eager to venture to the next rooms to see what other surprises waited there for me. Even though there where many other people visiting, it felt very intimate to me and I really liked that. I was able to go at my own pace, and view what I found interesting rather than being dragged around by a group- like how high school field trips felt.

Also, today I truly got a taste of the real Dublin- getting soaked in random heavy down pours. Even though I was completely unprepared for the rain, I still found myself smiling and laughing along with our group. Just as quickly as the mini hurricane started, it had ended, leaving us all cold, wet, and grinning ear to ear as we waited for the UCD bus which seemed to take an eternity to arrive.

“Home is where the heart is”, is a saying often times found on cheesy, cliche kitchen art decor. On the other hand, my home is where not only where my heart is and where I live, but also where my mother, brother and sweet pup Romeo reside. As a student that has always commuted to campus, I spend a lot of time here. I eat most of my meals at home with my family, and where I crawl into bed at night. I even have the luxury to have heated floors in the bathroom to warm my toes after a  nice, and very much needed shower.

It is important to me because I know that there will always be someone there excited to see me. I am thankful to have food on the table, a roof over my head and knowing that my mom will wash my clothes even if I don’t ask her too. I even have somewhat of a quiet place to do homework considering my brother is 18-years-old and can be the noisiest person ever. On the weekends, I get to go out to our beautiful back yard and throw tennis balls to the sweetest dog, our Romeo. Nothing is more amusing than watching him attempted to squeeze two tennis balls in his mouth. He even likes to speed run around the perimeter of the yard like he is chasing an invisible cat. Home is important to me because at the end of the day, it’s the one place that is always there for me. It is the one place that is open to not just me, but to all of my friends. Home is definitely where my heart is even if it’s not hanging on the kitchen walls.

Everyone on campus always has that one spot that they prefer to go to regularly, and for me it is the stone seating right next to Langdale Hall, you know that area where all the tents are put up. This little spot is important to me because it gives me somewhere to sit  and breath and actually enjoy the day. It gives me the opportunity to take a break from a stressful mind set that a class can leave me in. I’m able to be alone, but not actually be alone. It’s where I sit between short class changes, and where I go to eat a snack or make a phone call. Sometimes even to just mindlessly stare at my phone, and keep refreshing my apps even though I’ve seen the content 1000 times already. It’s often the spot that I choose to cram for a test, or even just for some casual study time. It is the same spot that I have been going to since I first started attending Georgia State during the summer of 2015.  I like the feeling of keeping to myself but still being in the middle of the busy school motion. I get to watch the other students move through their daily motions, the traffic jam of students between class changes and even see others choosing their spots to do just the same thing as I am. I am glad that I discovered this spot, because it gives me the chance to relax, even if it’s just for five minutes, or gives me that tiny boost of confidence I need when I glance over my notes right before a test.