Day Seven: Gone with the (Irish) Wind

Like the last two days, today was spent in the car for the most part. We left Galway at about 9 and drove to Dublin - our last destination. The trip to Dublin took most of the day but once we arrived John gave us a driving tour of his home town. After the car tour we were dropped off in ther city center to shop and get food before meeting back up at Trinity College. Once we were all at Trinity we started the main event of the day - seeing The Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is a hand written manuscript of the Bible that dates back to 800 AD. We were not allowed to take any photos of The Book of Kells but even seeing the book gave me perspective on just how old it really is. After seeing The Book of Kells we continued on through Trinity into a library called the long room. The library is absolutely massive and contains some incredibly old books - some of which are first editions or original copies. Throughout the library there were busts of revolutionaries from all sorts of fields. Four of the statues were dedicated to revolutionary women, one of them being Mary Wollstonecraft (pictured above). Continuing through the exhibit we entered a more modern area with an immersive exhibit dedicated to the history of the book and how it ended up at Trinity. Once we all got through the museum we headed to the hotel and ate dinner together one last time.

I know my second chunk of the blog is usually dedicated to the topic or theme of the day but I thought I would use this section for something else this time since it's the last post for the trip. I am so grateful for this experience. My time here has been absolutely incredible and the connections I have made in the last 7 days have given me so much happiness. This trip has meant more to me than I thought it would. It reminded me that the world is so big and really put my life into perspective. It has caused me to look for deeper meaning and appreciate everything no matter how small. Seeing so much of Ireland also inspired me to look further into my ancestry and reconnect with my roots. Even though the sights I have seen are beautiful I believe that more than anything I have seen the beauty in other people. I have formed such a close bond with these girls and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Going as the only junior was really scary to me at first but these girls never excluded me because of it. I have laughed so hard I almost peed myself, I have put myself out there more than I have in a long time, I have cried over souvenirs, I have reconnected with my roots, I have learned that I am independent, and most importantly I have learned to never stop exploring. This all sounds so cheesy but it's all true. I am incredibly grateful to have gotten to go on this trip and I am being genuine when I say that this trip has changed my life. Thank you to everyone who organized this trip, MG and Tripe, Lowell, John, and the other girls. You all have a special place in my heart.

Signing off.

Love,

Rowan