Week 2: Settling In

This weekend, we had an extremely early morning on Saturday, waking up at 7:00 AM. After a nap on the bus and some much-needed McDonald’s, we took an early tour of the Kilkenny Castle and got to see some of the beautiful architecture while learning a lot about the history of the castle as well as what life used to look like. I loved the castle gardens, and this was a very pleasant morning. Next, we went down to the famous witch pub to grab some lunch and relax. After Lunch, we went shopping for a little bit where I bought a nice new hoodie. Later, we made our way down the alley to the Smithwick’s brewery, where we had a nice afternoon pint in the rain. After another nap on the bus ride, we enjoyed a rainy tour of a gorgeous and peaceful monastery where we got to enjoy some views of the local countryside.

Sunday was a great day to catch up on sleep and schoolwork that had to get done. I had a long call with my dad to wish him a happy Father’s Day, and then spent the rest of the night watching the thrilling U.S Open finish on my couch. We were back at it early on Monday with class at 9 am, where I personally learned a lot about how we derive a lot of our laws through our interpretation of liberty in the 14th Amendment, like the “right” to marriage. Later that day, we got a cool tour of the National Museum of Ireland, which features the famous bog bodies, which were definitely cool but a little creepy. We finished off Monday by shopping for a basketball and making some pasta for dinner. Tuesday was a long day at work, working till 6:30, but learning a lot. I finished the day by playing some pickup basketball right outside our flat and ordering some Domino’s to relax.

During this week, I really got into my schedule in rhythm. I got back into waking up at 7 am every day, which is something I have not done since high school. I got the hang of my commute to work and when to leave for the bus, and also got settled in working for the company and getting my work done. I developed a good after-work routine of working out right after and eating dinner while still having time to hang out with friends before going to sleep. I am really enjoying the experience so far and am looking forward to the weekend trip to Galway.