The last few weeks have absolutely flown by. My parents came up for two weeks and we had an awesome time. Luckily they had a car and we were able to navigate the tight Irish roads and travel all over. We got up to Donegal, Northern Ireland, and Connemara and enjoyed each stop more than the next. Future scholars, travel as much as you can both in and out of Ireland, it is definitely worth it. My parents also spent a lot of time in Galway and came to love the culture and nightlife. At the end of their stay they had a hard time leaving Ireland and will certainly be back. It was also really nice to introduce them to some of my teammates, coaches, and friends around Galway.
After that, I had a great trip backpacking around Italy. In a short time I was able to hit Florence, Rome, the Cinque Terre, and Pisa. The whole trip was beautiful and it was great to see a small part of another culture. My favorite part would definitely be the Cinque Terre, where I did a six hour hike through mountains and vineyards with views of small, colorful towns that made it worth it. Following that, I had Varsities which we were lucky enough to win. It’s kind of like glorified intramurals but with all the colleges in Ireland. It was great to see the other scholars and some of the SCL team and we definitely managed to have a great time.
It’s tough to believe that I only have a month and half left in Ireland. The last few weeks especially have flown by. I’m going to make the most of my remaining time and will be sure to keep you posted throughout.
