Travel Journal: Northern Ireland
Through all of this bureaucratic madness, there was only one thing I really wanted and, at this point, felt I really deserved: a nice bottle of Jameson. I left my things unpacked and headed out into the winding roads of Belfast again. According to my RA, a chipper third year who plays Irish fiddle, the local supermarket (Tesco) was a five-minute walk down the road and then I would turn onto “[incomprehensible at the time, but what I later discovered to be ‘Lisburn’ road].” Almost half an hour later, I was beginning to think I had missed something. I stumbled into a random supermarket (without too much emphasis on the ‘super,’ despite the claim on the sign outside) and found...Belle’s and Kenmore, two brands of scotch. I supposed whiskey was whiskey, and these would do for now.
friends already, I really miss my
family. I snapped this photo of my
brother while I was experimenting
with my new camera.
I turned in what I thought was the correct direction and walked for about 30 minutes again. Nothing seemed familiar. I saw a lady at a bus stop. “Am I headed in the right direction for Queen’s Elms?” I could see her facial expression falling for me.
“It’s about two miles that way.”
She suggested I take the bus down Lisburn and get off at the Tesco and turn right. She even sat with me to make sure I got off at the right stop. And it turned out Tesco was only five minutes away from Elms Village. I had just missed it by a block or two when I first got onto Lisburn.
Despite the fact that my first experiences in Belfast all involved getting lost, I believe I am going to have a great experience. The city is beautiful, the people are incredibly friendly, and there is a warm atmosphere that reflects these two realities. I went through the first day in a bit of a daze. The first week, insomnia allowed me three hours of sleep per night and my appetite only craved for two meals a day. However, by the middle of the first day I was already making friends with the few people other than me who had arrived at my building. My German and Australian friends decided to explore the pubs that night and ended up getting a little lost before finding a small sports bar with a bartender who talked (and cursed) like Doc from Boondock Saints. But at least this time I was lost with other people. And in the end, I expect this experience is going to be all about the people that I meet. So, here’s to the start of an adventure.
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