I find it pretty appropriate our last day in Dublin would be rainy and dreary. We arrived with ideal, sunny (and rare) weather that we were lucky to enjoy for a majority of our trip. It seems as though Dublin is almost mourning our departure with the arrival of such undesirable but typical weather for this city. Throughout our trip in both our readings and excursions we have referred to Dublin as more of a person than a place, and I think the weather has helped to further this idea. Going from bright and welcoming to cold and gray Dublin seems to transition alongside our groups journey. I am really looking forward to exploring Belfast in the remainder of our time in Ireland, but I know Dublin will be greatly missed as I have grown to love and understand the city beyond the realms of your typical tourist. The places we have seen while here have really captured the evolution of this very old town. While UCD has been around for a while, the current location of the university is much more modern compared to majority of the city. One local referred to it as an “Americanized” campus and I find that label to be pretty appropriate. However, most places have a clash of old and new architecture in place. The Dublin Castle is a great example of a symbolic marriage between the old and new. While many of the stone structures still stand, the entirety of the original castle does not remain intact. I noticed there is large amount of construction all across town with new apartments and a tram springing up, which reminds me a lot of my hometown Atlanta. In Dublin, though, you can still turn a corner and see some of the most beautiful architecture which unfortunately is few and far between nowadays in Georgia. There are some things I will depart Ireland regretting I was unable to do, like visit the Cliffs of Moher or spend more time in parts of the city that aren’t Temple Bar. All this means is that I now have an excuse to come back to Ireland and drag some loved ones along. When I was growing up I knew I wanted to travel and Ireland was never a place that was on my top list and after visiting I’m not sure why I skimmed over such a beautiful place.

It is astounding how different a place Howth was from when we arrived early afternoon and departed late evening. Our arrival was greeted by a fog that made everything past a few hundred feet nonexistent in our minds. Mist swept down from The Summit as we made our ascent to the top. The higher we climbed the more the fog seemed to clear as the sun attempted to make it’s way through the clouds. When we returned to the small town resting at the bottom of the cliff walk it had become a completely different place. You never would have thought a few hours ago the entire harbor was shrouded with a dense fog. I also could not believe how close we were to Ireland’s Eye, which before had been no where insight but now was only a couple hundred kilometers away. I have been extremely grateful for the fortunate weather that I know will not last much longer, but we were very lucky to see such a magnificent place under such unique circumstances. The patterns of nature, while unpredictable, greatly influence one’s perception of place. At first Howth seemed like a mysterious region of Dublin with a dangerous cliff made more perilous by the impeding fog. But after it cleared, the entire town seemed more cheery and a couple seals even poked their heads out in the harbor. While this was the same place regardless of whether or not the sun was shining, my perception and mood was altered by the drastic change in weather. I have to say I like Howth Harbor, rain or shine.

#dubbelgsu