Remembering home and looking towards the future

How do you start a post about 9/11?
It has been on my mind throughout the day.

Nine years after the attacks and it still feels fresh in my mind as if it were less than a month ago.

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude and appreciation to all of those who work for our safety and freedom, for those who have paid the ultimate price and for all of those who continue to sacrifice.

With that said, I wanted to share some of our experiences here in Ireland. We left the Washington DC area September 1st and arrived on the 2nd in Maynooth via Dublin. Maynooth is about a 45 minute bus ride west of Dublin. I learned a very valuable lesson on this trip- just because you can bring two suitcases and a carry on with you does not mean you should.

We stood out like sore thumbs with all of our luggage

Maynooth is a very small town built up around the National University Ireland Maynooth (NUIM). Think one main road into town and a second main road that leads to the University. Originally, the school was a seminary for priests. So the South campus looks like an old seminary/castle and the North campus is more modern.  Even though it's very small, we've already fallen in love with Maynooth. We feel at home here. The people are great and the food is painfully good (as in the food tastes amazing but the prices, let alone the exchange rate between the dollar and euro, is painful). Interestingly enough, there is no tax on food or items you purchase here.

Inside the South Campus

Another of the Mitchell Scholars, Joey, is currently set to study at the National Univeristy of Ireland Galway (on the west coast). We've taken the bus out there twice to visit. There are a couple of tours that leave from Galway that we've taken with him. The first was with Joey and Kyle (another Mitchell scholar) to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher Blue Flag Beach

Steven and Joey at the Burren

The second was to Cong and Connemarra. The highlight for me was the Kylemore Abby and the Neogothic church in Connemarra. The pictures do not do it justice- both were beautiful inside and out.

Kylemore Abby

Neogothic church next to the Kylemore Abby

at the Ashford Castle in Cong.

If it looks like all you see in a lot of the pictures both now and in the future is a lot of rock, green grass, and castle type buildings-  It's because that's pretty much what everything is here. But there's something special about being here. The little shops, the castles and the clean air tend to grow on you. We love it and look forward to sharing more.