The beginning of this blog will be a review of events since my last blog, and the remainder will be a reflection on this moment in my life. Click links for more pictures and information, too!My last blog was written right before going on a trip to County Kerry. Elizabeth, Bri, and I, went on a Kerry Heritage Weekend, a program run by faculty at Irish universities to bring students to places other Ring of Kerry tours don't get to. All in all, it was a weekend of great sights and even better craic (fun) with each other and a cute bartender!
We left on Friday afternoon and got to the Ring of Kerry Hotel in Cahersiveen at 
about 6:30. We immediately had dinner and then settled into our rooms before hearing a leacture from Micheal, a Kerry man. He told us about life in County Kerry, including its economics and population, which made it sound like such a beautiful place is on its way to non-existence. We then participated in an evening table quiz. We did midly well in that trivia challenge, but the highlight was definitely meeting Redeck (not sure how to spell his name), a bartender at the hotel bar. After the quiz, we took our places at the bar and spent the next few hours getting to know him -- a young Polish immigrant who hates cities and loves meeting new people. To the discontent of some of our fellow travelers, we kept Redeck's attention and tried new drinks. I had my first Irish coffee (includes whiskey), and didn't mind it a bit!
about 6:30. We immediately had dinner and then settled into our rooms before hearing a leacture from Micheal, a Kerry man. He told us about life in County Kerry, including its economics and population, which made it sound like such a beautiful place is on its way to non-existence. We then participated in an evening table quiz. We did midly well in that trivia challenge, but the highlight was definitely meeting Redeck (not sure how to spell his name), a bartender at the hotel bar. After the quiz, we took our places at the bar and spent the next few hours getting to know him -- a young Polish immigrant who hates cities and loves meeting new people. To the discontent of some of our fellow travelers, we kept Redeck's attention and tried new drinks. I had my first Irish coffee (includes whiskey), and didn't mind it a bit!
On Saturday morning, on little sleep, we managed breakfast and then headed out on the day's tour. Our first stop was the Skelligs Heritage Museum. The Skelligs are little rocky islands in the water off of County Kerry that housed centuries-old Monastic buildings. Before the Vikings invaded Ireland, Monks would travel out to islands in the Atlantic and build monasteries. Their inspiration came from Egyptian Monks, the Desert Fathers, who isolated themselves in harsh conditions to build their relationship with God. As Ireland had no desert, Irish Monks resorted to desolate islands far from the coast; the islands were battered by the Atlantic, and life there was anything but easy. It makes their story all the more remarkable, then, that they not only lived on the Skelligs in Kerry, but they also built the most durable stone housing and intricate staircases on the rocks that live to today. The weather was too rough for us to be able to make it out to the Skelligs, but we learned all about them anyway.We then just traveled on a bus throughout part of the county, stopping at a quary and 
a beach, and some of the most amazing mountains I didn't think existed in Ireland. We went back to the hotel for a late lunch, and were free until dinner. Elizabeth napped while Bri and I hit up the little town of Cahersiveen. In short: we remembered Irish Catholic Hero Daniel O'Connell, ate ice cream, met some dogs, discovered Rapunzel's castle, almost got hit by a couple of cars, became ninjas, found our future homes, and came upon a really creepy abandoned abby and saw something bad. It was quite the adventure. We made it to dinner and then learned some Irish step dancing. Then we went to the bar again, and proceeded to drink far more than anticipated...hiking up a 60 Euro tab between the three of us and only getting minimal sleep before Sunday. Totally worth it!
a beach, and some of the most amazing mountains I didn't think existed in Ireland. We went back to the hotel for a late lunch, and were free until dinner. Elizabeth napped while Bri and I hit up the little town of Cahersiveen. In short: we remembered Irish Catholic Hero Daniel O'Connell, ate ice cream, met some dogs, discovered Rapunzel's castle, almost got hit by a couple of cars, became ninjas, found our future homes, and came upon a really creepy abandoned abby and saw something bad. It was quite the adventure. We made it to dinner and then learned some Irish step dancing. Then we went to the bar again, and proceeded to drink far more than anticipated...hiking up a 60 Euro tab between the three of us and only getting minimal sleep before Sunday. Totally worth it!We left the hotel on Sunday to hike to some stone forts outside of Cahersiveen, where we saw some stampeding sheep and thought everyone else on the trip had had a meeting about ignoring 
us. We still had fun and made it back for lunch, only then to hop on the bus and head out of Kerry. We stopped at a really windy cliffside where I was almost blown into the mountains, but the view was amazing. We made it to Daniel O'Connell's house (Derrynane) in Caherdanial, Kerry. We learned more about the nonviolent methods of liberating Catholics in 19th century Ireland, as well as his connection the U.S. Emancipation movement, and how well he was treated in prison after being civally disobediant.
us. We still had fun and made it back for lunch, only then to hop on the bus and head out of Kerry. We stopped at a really windy cliffside where I was almost blown into the mountains, but the view was amazing. We made it to Daniel O'Connell's house (Derrynane) in Caherdanial, Kerry. We learned more about the nonviolent methods of liberating Catholics in 19th century Ireland, as well as his connection the U.S. Emancipation movement, and how well he was treated in prison after being civally disobediant. 
Us DU folk (and Elizabeth) celebrated the Rockies' advancement to the World Series with some fried hot dogs, Coors Light, and cupcakes. At this moment, I'm believeing in the comeback kids!We then watched an interesting debate on religion at the philosoph, and then I had debate practice on Tuesday. I had the exam for my early class on Wednesday. I was nervous as heck going into it, but it ended up being better than I expected. I followed the test with going to see a free screening of "300." The girls and I learned about Samhain (pronounced Sahv-rin), which is the Old Irish term for a day in November signifying a change in seasons. It's modernly equated with Halloween. Friday brought a nice break from traveling; instead, I went with my Irish debate partner/beau, Liam, to dinner and the Cork Jazz Festival. Cork is apparently Ireland's jazz capital, and I definitely felt that at the Gersham Hotel on Macurtain Street, listening to the Carlsberg Brass Band.
Liam and I visited the Cork City Gaol (jail) on Saturday, and learned about how 19th and early 20th-century peoples were incarcerated in Cork. It was mostly disturbing but stgill highly interesting; famous Irish author Frank O'Connor (Michael O'Donovan), for example, was imprisoned for being a rebel fighter in the Irish civil war. He, along with other republicans, were housed four to a (small) cell in really terrible conditions in 1921...but not for long,
as the prison was shut down in 1923. In its history, the prison housed male, female, and children prisoners; it was strictly a women's prison beginning in the 1870s, but was coed during the "troubles." It was definitely a creepy place, but worth a visit.The girls and Liam and I returned to our mainstay, the cinema, last night and saw "Rendition." Besides discovering Elizabeth and I can never sit together during a movie, we were all rather traumatized by the film. It's focused on the U.S. policy of extraordinary rendition. The policy was established during the Clinton years, but has become incredibly commonplace since 9/11, allowing the U.S. to transport suspected terrorists to secret prisons in places where torture is not illegal. I highly recommend the film.
Now for reflection.
Being in Kerry was amazing. Besides Inishmaan, it is seriously the most beautiful place in Ireland I have been. On Saturday night, Michael was explaining where he lives to one of the professors on our trip. He said, "Just turn your back to the sea and look toward the mountains." Talk about poetry. And he was only giving directions.
Kerry definitely contains all of the elements the Irish tourist board wants outsiders to see in Ireland: sheep, rolling hills, wool caps and tractors. It's more than that, though, and is somewhere I want to go back to. I couldn't help but think how much I just wanted to one day live in Cahersiveen for an extended period of time, traveling the ring and writing about life in Kerry, much like Synge did with the Aran Islands. It's a place of extrordinary beauty, and contrasts: land, sea, mountains and beaches. It's rural but not disconnected, it's touristy, but authentic.
As we were traveling through the national park and seeing the postcard landscape of rushing brooks, perfectly aligned trees, and gorgeous lakes blur together, I realized I was leaving Kerry. I was probably not going to see the county, the park, the sea...before my time in Ireland is expired. There is so little time with so much to do, as they say.
This sparked another realization. I'm over halfway through my time in Ireland, and just about seven weeks away from being home again. Home for a more stable period of time. I've really been gone since June, since D.C., and I'm on the downward angle of my six months of life outside of Denver. Before June, looking at the upcoming six months was rather surreal; I didn't even know how to feel about being gone for so long, and had no idea what to expect. After eight short weeks in D.C., I was sad to leave such a wonderful experience but felt somehow Ireland would be perfect, even though I had no idea what it would be like. I felt wholly unprepared, but was pleasantly surprised to fit in so well in these first two months. I've been able to do so much, and it has been quite the whirlwind of life-changing perspectives and new people that are inspiring me every day. I've become farther and farther away from home in settling into a life here, a purpose, a spontaneous routine of travel and existence as a student, friend, and 20 year old.
In the past week, I have become very sentimental about D.C. and hopeful about the adventures awaiting school and work in an important election year. For all of this reminiscing and dreaming, though, I have become incredibly involved in the moment, in absorbing as much as I can and savoring this once-in-lifetime journey. This really is the one and only experience I can have like this: living in a foreign country without a job, with student discounts and with the time to see as much as possible. I can't say it's been what I expected, because I had no idea what to expect, but it is above and beyond whatever I ever imagined.
I'm learning so much about Irish culture, history, and geography. I'm meeting the most amazingly diverse group of people that I wouldn't have otherwise known, and I'm embarking on adventures in everything every day...whether its planning a trip, finding a hidden treasure in Cork, or just figuring out what products to buy in the supermarket.
This is an amazing moment in my life that I'm proud to say I've made it to. I'm on the tail end of my six months of this exploration, of these adventures into worlds completely unknown, and I know it's all coming to a rapid end. This chapter is ending; I'm in the last pages. I will take too many pictures that I will be thankful for having a year from now, and I will try to savor every last drop of Ireland while it's there for the taking. The next chapter of my life won't be any less significant, and will surely be influenced dramatically by my time away from home. I'm glad I have the stories to tell, the experiences hold, and the time under my belt. At the same time, I now understand the desire to hold on as long as possible; to cling as tightly as necessary to something I never want to end.
The best part is that while I've spent a lot of time planning, prodding, and calculating this moment, it's been nothing less than a pleasant surprise, an exciting wonderment, an awe-inspiring whammy. I'm thankful for it, and I know I will miss it when I'm gone.
Goodbye, Kerry. I'll turn my back to the sea, look to the mountains, and find you again someday.
~MJ
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