Ireland Adventures

[float_on_alright]

Today was an even more amazing day than yesterday—the weather was much warmer and dry so that helped too. I didn’t have a boat to get on but I did wind my way up the Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone and that was a blast. There was a good bit of stair climbing in that and at another castle that we went today. We did some really fun stuff today and I’m hoping that I took some good pictures. I’ve still be using the automatic settings on my camera so at some point I’ll have to make a point to go and practice using the manual mode and adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I’d also like to get some software where I can adjust the photos a little bit and see if I can enhance them a little color and lighting wise. I think that’d be fun.

I say that as if I’m not already trying to write every day, keep up with my reading, apply to grad school, and learn sign language as well as working a full time job. I also occasionally like to sleep. I’ve been taking a lot of naps on this trip. I find sleeping is a great way to pass the time on trips when you’re not the driver. Mom likes to talk. She got aggravated when I didn’t say anything to her counting down the kilometers to Dublin. Like, what am I supposed to say to that after a certain point. I didn’t even think she was talking to me. She’s constantly talking to herself and then when I ask about it she says she’s just talking to herself. Like, how am I supposed to tell the difference between one inane, random statement and one where you want a response?

I love my family but traveling is just difficult. I love my mother, but it’s so much harder to deal with her neurosis when we’re dealing with the public too. And my dad gets aggravated with her and wants me to fix it, as if there is anything I can do about the I situation. Okay sometimes there is, but it’s EXHAUSTING because it feels like it’s constant. The whole thing is ridiculous.

I will at some point get to write about how amazing the stuff I’ve seen is and how much fun I’m having when I’m not sitting on the bus with my nosy, bored, inquisitive mother. But for now I have to get a shower. I need to go to bed soon too—my folks are already in bed with the lights out, but since I napped a ton on the bus today, I’m not sure how well I'll sleep tonight or how quickly I’ll be able to get to sleep. I think tonight is going to be a good night to shave my legs.