dublin diaries

A runny nose hits me but it doesn't develop into anything harsher, thank heavens. I arrive in Belfast—up Kneecap!—with Mara and immediately get a delicious dinner and dance at a pub. Our other flatmate,  Zoe, joins us the next day and we explore Belfast's botanical gardens, museum, city hall, West Belfast neighbourhoods, the Peace Wall, murals, and charity shops. If you go to Belfast, try Tribal Burger! We have lovely, long conversations with our hostel roommates from Winnipeg—up CANADA! We learn a lot on a day trip to Derry. Up Derry Girls! Sidney arrives from London to stay with me for the week so we head to a pub quiz with Nadia for a night out.

My final therapy session makes me cry from gratitude, that's a sweet moment. I complete an interview for a farm position for the summer, and the favourite of all my farm options and attend Igor's birthday night out! I see the Minecraft Movie and feel a little disappointed with it but at least it made me laugh. Sidney and I go on a few adventures to Howth and the Botanical Gardens before she leaves back to London. Poker is played, UCD Lyon's Farm is visited on a field trip, it's a busy seven days.

I accept a job offer from the farm I wanted most to work at this summer! AJ and I ride a mechanical bull over and over and get a few videos. Then my period hits hard. I stay in my room and watch a lot of Netflix. Then I'm alive again, hanging out with Robbie and his friends at a game night in Carter's and Sarah's apartment. Jessie—Sidney's flatmate from London—comes to stay with me for the week so, of course, we go on two hikes. I spot Finneas—Bille Eilish's brother, the musician—walking down the street in town!!!

This week, dread also hits me every time I think about going home. It feels like the clock is really ticking. Moving to Dublin has been one of the best things I've ever done for myself and I hate knowing that it has an end date that is drawing nearer every day.

I send Jessie off back to London and, unfortunately, feel the burnout hit me. I start a new habit of going to the gym every few days. It feels good to build my strength and stretch my body. I bake the most perfect carrot cake (click for recipe) as Easter weekend rolls around. I read more of my new book, Normal People and see a few movies... Basically I indulge in all my favourite hobbies to counter the burnout, and it works. At the same time, I gratefully find myself getting closer with Robbie's friends.

It's true that the best time of the month for a person with a uterus is ovulation time!!! I watch Nosferatu with friends, try a fireball shot for the first time (never again!), spend three hours waxing my body, go to another game night at Carter's, then fly away to Portugal for five days! The pastries are delicious, the weather is perfect, and the vibes are good, even when the power goes out for nine hours. My friends show me Wicked for the first time and, of course, I love it.