Blog 1: Ireland

Over the summer I went on a two week trip to Ireland with my family. We arrived in Dublin on a Friday evening and one of the images I remember most was a small back- alley lit with green string lights. These green lights zig-zagged across an alley of old brick pubs, creating a sort of ceiling between them, and behind it a pink cloudy sky began it’s transformation into night. Orange open-signs and building lights began to switch on, lending warmth to the scene. Compliment to the sound of bagpipes and crowded taverns, this imagery made me feel the excitement of Dublin’s youthful city nightlife. The florescent green strung across the alley was cultural and patriotic, but friendly and inviting at the same time. I had very little idea where the “cool/hip” pubs in Dublin were located at the time, and most of the streets looked and sounded the same to my strangely eyes. But after turning the corner into this alleyway, those lights seemed to buzz with all the electricity and exuberance that filled the cool air, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.