Dublin-May 12

The journey to Ireland was long, tiring, and filled with hours of waiting and being patient. But so far it has certainly been worth it. We started at 9:30am on Wednesday, May 11, and arrived at 9:30am on May 12. It didn't take 24 hours, but the time difference made it seem like it. Ireland is 5 hours ahead of Florida, so right now it is 9:25am here and only 4:25am in Florida. When we finally got picked up from the airport, we headed to our hotel, Regency. It was located just a 5 minute walk from dowtown Dublin, so that was great! We settled into our rooms, and after finally figuring out that the electricity only works when you put your key card in a slot, Paul and I took showers and tried to get online. We couldn't, so we met mom and dad and walked downtown for some food. We ate at a placed called The Cat Cage, which by reading we thought may be a strip club. But it actually was really quaint inside and ended up having some really delicious food (little hot dogs and potato wedges). Once we finished lunch, we just walked around town a little longer and then headed back to the hotel for a quick rest. Keep in mind that I hadn't slept in about 24 hours at that point. I slept for about 30 mins and then it was time to go to the bus and meet everyone. We went around downtown on the bus and looked at lots of history down there. For about 45 mins, we were able to walk around and take pictures and such. It was a really nice time, and I got a dark cafe mocha from Insomnia. This coffee company is like the starbucks of America here in Dublin. A friend of mine owns one in Seattle, so I had to check it out. They are superior to Starbucks in my opinion! Once finished, we went back to the hotel, had dinner (Shephard's Pie) and a drink (Bulmer's Cider on tap) at the hotel restaurant, and then played some cards in the room. Around 10:30pm, we went to bed because we were all exhausted. The strangest thing about Ireland is that it never truly gets dark here. At 10pm, it looked like it was Florida time-5pm. The sun was just beginning to set. It's nice, but it makes you feel like you're going to bed way too early. I slept for 9 hours straight, and definitely needed it! The first day was a major success, and the second day is off to a great start! Stay tuned.