18 Days Out

Welcome to my Dublin Blog. This is set up to help me share my experience at Dublin Institute of Technology with all my friends and family. I'll try to post stories and pictures from my life in Dublin and any traveling I do. I leave for Ireland on Sept 9. Until then, I'll keep you updated on my last few days on Hoosier soil. So, here's the first post on Sarah's Dublin Blog, please, please, put name suggestions in the comments!


This has been an unusual summer for me. I lived at home full time for the first time since 2005, I had a "real" job, and I went to three concerts.

Having a regular 9-5 job allowed me to go to concerts this summer, something I've really never done. I'll post some thoughts and pics from these when there's no time or nothing better to post.
July 10, No Doubt w/Paramore, Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
July 14, Billy Joel and Elton John Face2Face, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
August 11, Green Day 21st Century Breakdown Tour, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO


Living at home was interesting... Mom doing (some) of my laundry was nice, but the lack of 20-somethings and all the free time I had was jarring. I worked at Epworth Forest (a senior high church camp) for the last 2 summers. My usual day there was 10 hours of work spread over 16 waking hours. This summer, the typical day was: wake up and work 6-8 hours then go home and do... what? I struggled with the regimen, I longed for the days of camp where work consisted of of stress, but was relieved by the 12+ people who shared it, and the 200+ people we were sharing Christ with each week. I had an awesome internship at a small manufacturing plant. The experience was invaluable, I found that the working world is a place I might struggle in. The feeling of not getting enough done in a day still hasn't gone away. I now understand the mindset of a workaholic-- there's always more to do, it never stops.I felt lonely a lot; I never realized how much I'd become accustomed to constantly being around people who live a life similar to my own (college students, camp staffers). Don't get me wrong, getting more acquainted with my parents' life again was good, and strengthened our relationship, but I wonder how I'll react to the feeling of being the only American in Dublin.