Week 8

Monday, July 15 

New week, new summer camps at work. This week, I’m working on the Stranger Things film camp. I’ve never worked on something like this camp before. The teacher really knows his stuff and is good with the students. I enjoy watching him teach and help a little bit. He doesn’t need a lot from me but it’s important that I’m there when I am needed. I had to go out for lunch because I had no food back at the apartment. After work, I got the groceries I desperately needed. I spent the evening talking with my roommates and watching some TV before heading to bed. 

Tuesday, July 16  

I slept in a little bit on Tuesday, but still managed to make it to work on time. We’re getting into the rhythm of the week. Yesterday, I had forgotten to buy my food for lunch while I was grocery shopping, so I had to go out again for lunch. One of the students in my camp has some additional needs so I spent some time that afternoon with her one on one.  

After work, I went to Sandymount beach near Forty Foot. We were meant to go swimming because it was such a nice day out, but as soon as we had gotten to the beach and were ready to get in the water, the clouds came out. We got in anyways, but it was so cold! There were also lots of jellyfish at the specific beach we were at. I ended up getting stung by one on my forearm. I’ve never been stung before, but it really didn’t hurt. It was like pins and needles for a bit, and my arm felt bruised the next day. After we got out of the freezing cold water, we got pizza in the town. The food was so good, but when I paid, both my cards were declining. I think the machines were old, and my cards are American, so sometimes the machines take a while to process them anyways. Luckily, I had cash, but it was still embarrassing. Last, we got ice cream and spent some time on the pier before catching the train back to Dublin.  

Wednesday, July 17 

The teacher for our camp was out, so we had a substitute. I was meant to go out in the morning to take photos of the other camps, but I ended up needed to stay in the Stranger Things camp to help him out. He quickly got a good grip on the class. That meant that in the afternoon, I was running between the camps taking photos of the kids. We still don’t have consent from all the parents to take photos, so I must be super careful about who I get photos of.  

After work, I spent time with one of my coworkers just chatting and was running late to class. But I made it, and we spent class this week talking about LGBTQ+ in Ireland, as well as immigrants. The teacher included lots of important historical figures in his lecture, which I liked hearing about. After class, I went out for dinner with a few of the other interns. I was so tired, and I think I’m getting sick, so I went right to bed. 

Thursday, July 18  

I spent this day at work much like the one before: running around trying to take photos. Except, Thursday was even crazier because I needed to be in the short film that my camp was recording! So, I had to work that into my schedule, but I guess that now I can say I’ve officially been in a film. I had to be up super early the next day, so I had a quiet night in and went to bed early. 

Friday, July 19 

I woke up at 4 to get ready for my day trip to the cliffs of Moher. This has been a big bucket list item for me, ever since I committed to coming to Ireland for the summer. It’s been hard to schedule, which is why it’s happening so late. But I got on my Paddy wagon tour bus (I felt like SUCH a tourist) and we were on our way. By 10, we were on a ferry to take us to the Aran Islands. I quickly found out that morning that I’d misunderstood what exactly the tour was. I thought I would be doing a walk on top of the cliffs and the boat tour from the bottom. Turns out, we were visiting the Aran Islands near the cliffs, then doing a boat tour of the cliffs. I didn’t really mind the difference; the islands were beautiful! I saw the lighthouse on one side of the island then trekked to the other side to see the shipwreck. It was super cool to see up close! Then, we all piled back onto the ferry to see the cliffs. Even though it was raining, I sat on top so I could have the best view. It was so stunning. I’d been to the Cliffs in 2018, but it was still just as beautiful. After we got back to the land, we started on our way back to Dublin. We stopped and saw the Bunratty castle before getting dropped off in Dublin. I was absolutely wiped after the 13-hour day, minimal sleep, as well as still feeling sick, so I went straight to bed. 

Saturday, July 20 

There was a flea market at Grand Social where one of our roommates was working, so me and a few friends headed over. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was blown away! I bought a vintage dress and skirt, as well as two pairs of earrings (one for me, one for my sister), and all my friends found something to get too. It was a successful trip, and super fun. After that market, I went with one of my roommates to George’s Arcade market. This one is also a super great market that I’d absolutely recommend. It can be a little crowded, but it’s indoors and a great time. I didn’t get anything at that market this time.  

After that, we headed home, and I took a nap. That evening, I went out for pizza with a friend from work, and we had a good time just catching up. I’ve been feeling so sick and tired this weekend, I want to go out with my roommates and friends, but I know my body can’t handle it. I went to bed early again on Saturday. 

Sunday, July 21 

I slept in a bit on Sunday before getting up to get ready to go to the Dun Laoghaire market. I’ve been meaning to go for the whole time I’ve been in Dublin, so it was now or never. I got one of my friends to tag along with me, and we had a great time strolling through the market, but it was small. It reminded me of the one I went to at St. Anne’s a couple weeks ago. The markets near Dublin can be really hit or miss. I think it also depends on the time of year you go. I didn’t realize it at first, but we were right near Sandymount again, and we ended up strolling along the beach for a while. We also headed to Dalkey. It’s such a cute, quaint town, I really enjoyed it. We ended up at Killiney Hill Park, which I had also been to a couple of weeks ago. We were on a different side of the park though, and it was overgrown. I was in a skirt, so we didn’t do too much hiking, but we went towards the top of the hill to see the view. It’s beautiful up there. At that point, we’d been out for a while, so we decided to call it a day and go home. I got takeout for dinner on my way home, and once again went to bed early again (thrilling, I know). I’m definitely sick, but I hope I get better for work this week and especially for my flight home on Saturday.