I went on an adventure

I. Am. So. Tired.

The last two days have been eventful, to say the least. And I'm a bit too tired to give a full decent recount of it all. Let's start with yesterday and then the day before.

So yesterday was very long. And by long I mean it was quite literally longer than normal - I had a 29 hour day, and I was awake for 24 and travelling for about 22 of those hours (in other words I traveled 5 time zones west). I woke up at around 6am, got on a bus for Dublin at 7:30 (it was below freezing out and very dark), went through US customs, got on a 7 hour plane ride to JFK airport, waited there for about 5 hours, got on a 3.5 hour plane to DFW, and finally met my family at the airport and got home.

GUYS I'M HOME!

It feels weird. Surreal. like I never left. A few things have changed. I don't have a dog anymore. Also we have a new refrigerator. It's nice. I'm so tired.

Okay but the day before. Was great. And so tiring.

When I woke up I knew I had a 24 hour period in Belfast, Northern Ireland to do whatever I wanted to do. I decided I had three options: Stay in the city, go north, or go south. Or really: go back to places I've been, or go to places I never have. I went with the go back/go south option and returned to my 2 very favorite places in NI: Dundrum castle and Tullymore forest.

I had a great time. I got lost. I walked more than I think I have in one day. Here's the short version:

I got on the bus to dundrum, went to the castle, had a great time. Took WAAAAY too many pictures. It was SO windy. It was great being back. Dundrum castle has been the background of my phone since before I had a phone with a background :P (it was on my ipod before). Then I got on the bus to newcastle (very close by) and walked around for a bit. I decided that I could totally get to Tullymore. I definitely should have gotten a cab, but it was nice out and I was like I can walk. I underestimated the distance. My phone's map also lied to me. I got slightly lost once. I gave up twice but kept going because really there was no point in going back. Eventually I found the place. Parts of the road didn't have sidewalks, so that was scary, but they're out in the middle of nowhere, not busy.

I made it to tullymore. I walked around. Got slightly lost again. Took a path to a "view point", was not disappointed, saw the sun set behind the Mourne Mountains. I hiked back, and then made the very foolish decision of walking back to Newcastle. I think it's about a 2 mile walk. It got dark. And it rained. I made it to the bus station and got on a bus back to Belfast, made it to the city before the christmas market closed and even drank a warm cider at White's Tavern.

It was really fun. But really lonely. Parts I was happy to be independent about, like the 2 mile walk. But the reason I took an absurd amount of pictures and selfies is because I wanted to share it with my friends, and they weren't there.

But I'm home now. And I'll get to see some of you soon!

Ok. Really tired now. And dad needs my help setting up the Christmas tree :) Thanks for reading! Pics are all on FB. Here's a few to close up:

Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Vagabonds

No, no, I didn't become a vagabond and I didn't run in to one. Vagabonds is the name of the hostel I'm staying at here in Belfast. And as I've just finished discussing with my new temporary roommates, it's really nice! I haven't been here a full night yet, but if you're looking for a place to stay in Belfast and like youth/backpackers hostels, I highly recommend this place! The people are friendly, there's free wifi, and when I first got here they were watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights in the common area, so really, need I go on? They also have super nice/clean bathrooms/showers, which I'm not used to from hostels. A+ vagabonds. I'm sad I'll only be here for 2 nights - I could definitely spend a while here. If I were fresh from the States I would say it's a bit of a walk from City Hall, but coming from Oxford, it's a very average/short walk. Not through the best parts of town, but no where sketch. It's near Queens University too, if I need a bus.

Speaking of busses. I'm back at the hostel now looking at my options for tomorrow. I have one full day in Northern Ireland, and then I have to be up and out early Friday morning to be on my way home to Texas! There are so many things I could do and places I could go! Because of the small about of time I have, I haven't arranged to meet up with anyone here (also because I don't know if any of them would remember me?) so I'm on my own. In one sense this is nice, but I also really, REALLY wish my friend were here. Especially my roomies! *HUGS Y'ALL*

I got here around 3pm, and spent the rest of the evening (it's 9pm now) at the Christmas market here in Belfast, as well as walking around some of the streets I remember from my time here in 2012. So much is the same - a lot of the same people at the market, including the Meats of the World guys. They make burgers with things like wild boar and kangaroo. It's SO good. (This is when all my new vegetarian friends start to hate me. Actually that's an interesting side note: one thing there are a LOT more of here in the UK (Oxford at least) is 1.) smokers and 2.) vegetarians. I thought that was a funny co-incidence. Then again maybe it's just the philosophy department that has all the vegetarians...hmm.)

Not everything is the same, though. White's Tavern, my favorite place for dinner last time I was here, seems to be under new management, or at least has re-branded. I didn't go in (because I just ate burgers) but the menu was changed, as was the sign :(. Still, it's good to be back. Walking past the bookstores and the mall and the pharmacy and the market - without even going in, it's a comfort that they're all still there. I found some Christmas presents for friends and FINALLY got something for my sister too. (You think you're easy to buy for but you're just not.) So that's good.

Gonna hit the hey early, I think. After I take a look over the busses. I'll try to attach some pics at the end of this. Goodnight from Belfast!

Hello from the other side...

... Of the Irish Sea!

I'm sorry. I had to.

I AM IN BELFAST, NORTHEN IRELAND, AND I COULD NOR BE HAPPIER ABOUT THAT FACT. 

I'm on my way home for the holidays! But that trip starts with a holiday of my own; a few days in Belfast. It's a lot cheaper to fly to the US via Dublin, and Belfast was at least a little bit on the way. And I miss this city. I really do. 

Right now I'm actually waiting for the bus into town, still using the airport's wifi. It's cold and windy here but that's fine by me.

Honestly I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. Hop flights like the one I just got off are nice. Anyway the point is BELFAST! I'll have some pictures soon and try to post them once I'm on the hostel's wifi. Here's a few not so great ones for now.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. 

A few more highlights I forgot to add last night

First off, did I mention that I feel like I got run over by a train? Because yeah that's still a thing. Very bruised (esp. around the knees) and very sore (esp. my neck and arms).

Anyway other highlights include:

1.) I had a lovely chat with King Steven (as he introduced himself), one of the actors who works at Oxford Castle (he informed me that they host murder mystery dinners and I for sure need to go to one next term!). I was passing him as I walked out and he walked in - him in his tunic and crown and robe, but he was actually the one that stopped me to compliment my costume (I was wearing my N7 hoodie) which was fun. And a nice chat with the lady working at the gift shop there. They are so nice!

2.) Learning to play Sid Meier's Civilization! No not the video game (I've played that before) the board game. It is, as you would guess, very strategic, and the type of game you leave sitting out set up because you haven't actually finished yet :P It's quite fun and very creative. Makes me miss all the games of Catan back home!

3.) I managed to make it to both rugby and church group on Wednesday, just barely. In other words I showed up to small groups covered in dirt. I think the only reaction I got was "did you win?" I also had to point out that it wasn't *my* blood on my knee. So there was that...

4.) DID I MENTION I GET TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE THAT IS EXCITING

thanks for listening as always

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

I feel like I've been run over by a train

But that is, surprisingly, not that bad of a thing.

It's 8th week. End of term. Everyone has to have their last meeting before Christmas, all that lot. I've got an essay do before I go home (I GET TO GO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE MY SISTER IS THE BEST (she's better than you.Yes you. Also better than me but let's face it that doesn't take as much :P) Anyway. I've had a really great but utterly exhausting last few days. Mom, if you're reading: as a warning, I may actually sleep through the first week I'm home. Cami, if you're reading: make sure and wake me up for the Star War premiere if I'm still asleep then.

The biggest thing is that this is the first time that I've had rugby practice on back-to-back days. We're fully into contact stuff now and have been working on rucking for the last few weeks. For those who don't know, rucking involves, after a tackle is made, two (or more) players competing over the ball by trying to shove each other away from it. Basically it involves running low to the ground, trying to get lower than all the shorter people against you, and slamming your shoulders into other people's shoulders, trying to hold them off until someone else can get the ball, or push them over until you've got access to the ball. I am still, honestly, not very good at rugby. I know this. But I'm still enjoying it, especially on Thursdays. Mom, if you're still reading: When I'm not sleeping I might make a long-term dream of yours come true by actually accompanying you to the gym sometimes :P And for ALL of those ruggers who keep asking: I still don't have an official position, but 4 people have now told me that I will very likely be a prop. So you can stop asking now :P

Other than that, my second essay went a lot quicker than the first, but I'm not sure if it's what it should be. It's about 3 times shorter and has a more straightforward thesis and is less exegetical, but I think it's made the leap from "ancient philosophy paper" to "ethics paper dealing with Aristotle" so we'll see what my supervisor thinks.

I've got a meeting tomorrow with some high-ups in the phil. department to discuss some of my concerns, many of which I've expressed here - general feeling of unpreparedness and not knowing what all I'm "allowed" to do, what's expected of me, how to use the bphil well, etc. The meeting started because I mentioned that I had concerns in my self-reporting thing, but now I feel like I've made a more official complaint than I meant to, and have sorted some of it out on my own. I guess it'll still be good to meet and voice some of this? I just feel kinda dumb. I've started to talk more with a few other students, and they seem to feel like I do, rather overwhelmed. I think I remember one saying something which I couldn't agree with more: it can't be 8th week! I haven't learned anything yet! - it's been 8 weeks of a tidal wave of information and opinions washing over us and I've no idea what to do with any of it.

In other news, Advent started, as you all probably know. I say probably because though I'm familiar with Christmas, in all honesty I'm not used to Advent. People sometimes say it back home but it's not the same. It's been 9 weeks now that I've been going to St. Aldates and being a part of Wycliffe Hall and though I wouldn't consider myself an Anglican, being a part of these church of England communities has been really good. Eye opening, challenging at times, even awkward occasionally, but good. They have a much bigger sense of advent than I am used to and it's nice. They have a sense of the presence of God, if that makes sense. Not all CoE congregations, I'm sure, but these two do.

All in all, I think I've finally started to make a few friends, more than acquaintances. Yesterday alone I had three REALLY good and looong conversations with people (one from philosophy, one from church, and one from the SCIO program here at Wycliffe) and three more the day before (at Wycliffe Formal Hall) that were just what I needed, before I knew I needed it :) God is good.

Okay, it's only 6:30 but I want to crawl in bed. I guess I'll at least shower first. Thanks as always for reading!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.