Final blog time! The Bucknell in Dublin program has provided me with incredible memories, even better people, and an insurmountable amount of growth that would not have been possible otherwise. Going into an experience as such, there are so many unknowns. Reflecting on these past two months, I can not believe where I started and where I am ending the trip.
In my final weekend abroad, my friends and I chose to go to Mallorca, Spain to soak up the sun and finally spent some time on the beach. Thursday evening was a long flight to say the least; Campbell and I arrived at the Dublin airport at 6:30PM and we did not arrive in Mallorca until 5:00AM. Once we finally got to bed (and slept until noon), the crystal clear water and warm sand immediately made it worth it. After spending hours on the beach in Peguera where our hotel was, we attempted to get a bus into Palma to explore the city. Seemingly, that was not the plan for the night for the Palma bus never showed up due to a strike that was happening on the island. Thus, we hopped on a bus to Andratx with little to no research on the location and were so happily surprised. We found a prosperous little town along the coast where we took in beautiful views at sunset and had dinner with a beach view. The next morning, we had an earlier start to explore different beaches in Peguera, each one unique. We spent the majority of the day at a location with rocks and ledges to explore and a small beach to enjoy. We started our walk back to our main beach and grabbed lunch once we arrived before spending the next couple hours on the beach again. After getting dinner and ice cream in Peguera, we had an early night which we all needed. Sunday, our last day in Mallorca, we hopped on a boat to explore the beautiful coast from the water. Here, we got to swim and snorkel in the water and bask in the sun which was our main goal for the weekend! Afterwards, we grabbed a bus to Palma to finally see the city. The alleyways were beautiful and the cathedral we saw took us all by surprise. Taking in the streets around us, this beautiful architecture popped up while a horse-drawn carriage drove past it, all while having the ocean as its background. It felt unreal. We had an early meal in Palma and arrived back to our hotel around 6:00PM. Once again, we grabbed ice cream from the spot we loved the night prior, and took in the views of the beach in warm weather before calling it a night for our flight the next morning.
As I take in my final days in Dublin, I can not believe that the time has come to start packing up my things. Everyone told me it would fly by, but it’s hard to realize until the time comes. Reflecting on the trip, my fondest memory remains the Aran Islands tour to Inishmore. Truly, I never would have expected it to be such a wonderful day. Riding the bike across the island, viewing the countryside and coastline conjointly and ending the day with a 99, I could not think of anything better. More than anything, I appreciate the friendships I have made. From the first day I arrived, I knew I would enjoy my time spent with these girls, but never could have imagined the binding experiences we have had. They made all the difference in the time I have had and am eternally grateful for everything we’ve done!
The gratitude I have for the experience of Bucknell in Dublin is indescribable. A year ago, I would never have imagined spending my summer in a different country and I do not say this lightly. It truly was something that terrified me. Now, I would recommend this experience to anyone that is slightly considering it. The U.S. is starting to call my name, but I will be forever thankful for the time spent in Dublin.
Andratx, Spain – the town we unintentionally ended up in!
Beach hopping and this was our view!
Kayla, Molly and I in Peguera!
Campbell and I swimming off the boat
Palma de Mallorca
Norah, I really appreciate the reflection you gave on your time in Dublin. I agree that this trip had many unknowns going in, but I can only say positive things at the end. I’m so glad to hear that you had a great experience and I’m also eternally grateful for this experience and the friendships that came from it. See you so soon back at Bucknell!
Such a fun weekend and summer with you Norah!! I can’t believe how fast it went. Sounds like you really made the most of all your experiences! I’m so glad we became friends and can’t wait to see you back at Bucknell!