I accidentally overexposed this entire roll, and I was so pleased and relieved that it came out quirky instead of catastrophic.
My mom and I were in Killarney on a bank holiday weekend that was also the weekend of the Rally of the Lakes (I still don't really get what that is, but something with cars). The main streets of this charming little town were consequently PACKED that weekend, especially at night. Young 'uns, couples in noisy cars, and hen parties galore.
My favorite part of it was this long walk we took along the Deenagh River, all the way to where it empties into Lough Leane.
May 2024. My mother and I spent a couple weeks in Ireland and Scotland this spring, a long-planned and long-awaited trip together.
"Plenty of fresh air to be had in Ireland." - our driver from the airport, in response to our commenting how nice fresh air felt after the long flight
Dublin highlights included...
teapots at every occasion
vegan afternoon tea
beautiful parks full of holly trees and lush unfamiliar birdsong
especially St. Stephen's Green at 7 am, hardly anyone there but the birds and me, especially knowing its name from a Mary Chapin Carpenter song from childhood
choosing a silver ring from a museum shop as my primary souvenir
the charming pedestrian bridges across the River Liffey
the history we learned on our excellent (and exhausting) walking tour
the bookstores
finding and buying two particularly interesting books on the Irish language
getting to see the Oscar Wilde memorial in Merrion Square
My feet were so tired. My mom and I were so jetlagged. It only rained a tiny bit.
A few things I would have liked to see with a bit more time: Marsh's Library, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Phoenix Park, the Irish Emigration Museum, the Museum of Literature.
"It's so multicultural now. It's just crazy how much it's changed. When I
was growing up, there was nobody different. Now I get my hair cut by
Mohammad and the guy I buy the paper from is called Raj." - cabbie on our last morning, re: Dublin
I had really hoped to see the wondrous Long Room at Trinity College's library, but it was empty of books at the time, so we did not go.
"Is there any Irish connection?" - literally every driver and guide we encountered - meaning, is there any Irish ancestry?
Hopes and fears and daydreams, all a-whirl for now The names of our destinations alone are like wine to my imagination I fear the size of the suitcase my mother will pack I fear the days flying by too quick for me to catch I wonder what London will look like from its airport's windows - the closest we'll get, having prioritized Celtic splendor I worry about my aerial calluses and muscles failing, plot to find all the monkey bars I paint vague and glorious landscapes in my mind I am doing my best to warm up my writing muscles, ought maybe consider my photography muscles too... (St. Christopher protect us and grant us worthy travel journals)
Came to this class/sequence/song on a worn-out night, just tired enough to sink into the music and let it carry me.
I've been focused lately on spinning. It makes everything require more strength, to deal with the added forces, and more thinking, to figure out how to work with rather than against those forces as much as possible.
It's also so much fun (and so much more interesting to watch). Feeling all that force, and being in charge of it, reminds me of the joyful feeling of accelerating on an open freeway - and of course, good music is a must in both scenarios.
Everything I learn is little by little, but there is everything to love about the process.
Thank you, old journal, for your service (April 2023-March 2024). I retire you now, bulging slightly with stickers, to the closet shelf of honor.
Welcome, new journal; I will enjoy your charming Tolkien watercolor cover, your smaller size, and the advantages of a hardcover for writing on public transit. We'll be best friends before I know it.
I'm looking at some film pics I got back from the lab recently (will share some soon), headphones on, introverting whilst my girlfriend putters around the apartment talking to her mom on the phone. My muscles are pleasingly sore from a class yesterday. We have a bit of joint time off right now. We went to a beautiful public garden today and strolled between botanical continents as the sun passed in and out of cloud cover, the air becoming somuchcolder every time it disappeared.
January is not traditionally a power month for me. I'm feeling a bit of seasonal blues currently and I struggle in general with feeling out of sync with the cultural vibe at this time of year. In November and December, it feels like we're getting it right for the colder darker time of year - focusing on rest, food, loved ones, warmth, coziness, adding beauty and light to our homes. The holidays are overblown and overly stressful for sure, but at their most basic, the priorities feel correct.
Then in January our culture switches abruptly into "GET OFF YOUR ASS and IMPROVE yourself!" mode. I love self-improvement, but it's a bit harsh and it's not what I'm personally feeling at this time of year - I consider winter a success if I keep up most of my existing positive habits and do some things that are interesting to me.
