"In Dublin's fair city where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone...!"

Greetings from Dublin!

I've been here for four full days now and I must say, I feel as though I have found a place I couldn't have even dreamed of before coming here. Dublin is a fascinating, fast-paced city with pieces of history on almost every street to juxtapose the year 2010. After sticking with my group for the first couple days to avoid feeling lost, I now feel comfortable enough to venture out on my own, and the rewards of that independence have been substantial. Yesterday I walked along the River Liffey, which flows right through the middle of Dublin. A number of bridges run over the water, and the further you walk down, the more modern the bridges appear. I started by crossing a bridge that has been here since 1880, and eventually ended up on the Samuel Beckett Bridge, which just opened this year and bears a striking resemblance to the symbol of the Irish government and Guinness beer, a harp. Now I understand that bridges are not exactly enthralling, but my point is that Dublin is full of old and new. Elderly gentlemen sit and eat lunch in front of pubs while the younger crowd, clad in the latest trends that accommodate the rain and wind, passes by in a rush. Today I visited the Black Church, a humble old monument that quietly stands on a piece of land surrounded by streets that carry whirring buses and beeping motorcycles.

Hostel life has been an adventure all its own. Living with five other people in what I'm estimating is an 8' by 15' space has taught me to be patient and very quiet when I go to bed at night, as I am certainly the night owl of the group. I already wonder if it will be odd to sleep in a room by myself when I return home, so I'm actually enjoying the excessive company for now. The comfort that comes from sitting at a big wooden table with your friends for breakfast in the morning and that pre-bedtime calm time at night has become invaluable to me.

After what has already been a full week, I find myself wondering what Dublin has yet to show me. Tomorrow I plan to revisit the Viking/Medieval area and Grafton Street, my favorite places so far.