In honor of Valentine's Day I wanted to make a post about something that I am loving about study abroad. I think what I'm loving the most so far is getting to take trips outside of Dublin (although I do love Dublin as well). So far I've been to Wicklow, Glendalough, Howth, Bray, Galway, Doolin, and the Cliffs of Moher. All of the trips were incredible experiences, and I have so far been lucky with weather.
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Above is the stone wall that curls around the cliff walk in Bray, just southeast of Dublin.
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Above is a shot of the beach in Galway just before a rainstorm.
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Above is a shot of flowers on the cliff path around Howth Head. In the distance you can see the little light house at the end of a small peninsula jutting out of the coastline of Howth.
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Above are the famous cliffs of Moher just outside Galway along the rugged western coast.
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Above are what are known as the Gates to the Undworld in Doolin on the eastern coast.
I think what makes visiting all of these places the most special is the feeling I get upon returning from an exhausting day or weekend of sightseeing. Dublin is starting to feel familiar, to feel like home. After spending a whole weekend in Galway, it was refreshing and relaxing to come home back to Dublin. Not only am I getting to visit and explore remarkable places, but I also have a place to come home to that welcomes me back with the familiar, albeit disorganized, streets that I've come to know and love.
Margaret Anderle
<p>I am a student studying history, political science, and international relations at the University of Rochester, interested in pursuing a career in law and politics. I love to travel, read, and go on new adventures, the next of which is my semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland studying at Trinity College. I like to express my thoughts and opinions through photography and blogging, and have organized my class structure such that I am always learning new things about the world around me. I think its important to look at our past to formulate positive change for the future, and I hope that with experience in politics and history I can hope to contribute in a positive way to the world around me, wherever my adventures may take me. </p>