Return.

I have been back in the States for about 3 weeks now, and unfortunately my life has been consumed with work and a new summer class just started--I must graduate this semester, must must must--and therefore, I am only just now sharing my recollections upon returning. So let's go.

First, Ireland was amazing. Dublin was such a small city that I felt as if I was at home towards the end of my two weeks. I knew the River Liffey, I knew the bridges, and I felt Leopold Bloom and James Joyce as we walked around the city. More than that, the countryside was incredible too. Driving around, the hills really looked as if Mel Gibson would storm down in a kilt screaming, or that Michelle Pfieffer would throw her runes in the air to find the star. (Stardust, anyone?) Sheep were everywhere, cows were everywhere, and the middle of the country seemed little more than idyllic farmland. What a place to relax, to write, to breathe in fresh air and ponder. No wonder so many amazing artists and writers are from Ireland--inspiration is everywhere, from the city unrest and nationalism to the beautiful landscape.

Second, reading Ulysses was one of the most triumphant moments of my college career. As an English major who has is often drawn to modernist literature, I always meant to read it--finishing it, I have truly finished something great. Though I will be eternally grateful for the help of my professors and classmates--triumphing over this book was truly a battle sometimes, and without their insight and motivation I would've stopped when the language was too unclear to follow. And damn you Joyce for making the two best chapters the last two--Ithaca and Penelope finally fulfilled all my desires both for the characters and for myself. Stephen and Leopold are finally united, and Molly FINALLY tells her side of the story. And what a fascinating side of the story she has. A married woman in 1904 with blatant sexual needs and an understanding of herself to share her wants, needs and feelings about Bloom in a frustratingly unpunctuated soliloquy--amazing. I applaud Joyce's ability to both understand humanity on all points and to present it in a way that doesn't make bad guys and good guys. Bloom and Molly are both at fault for their marriage falling apart. Stephen is a bit of a jerk, though we understand why he is walking out on his sisters. No one is perfect, and no one is completely flawed--everyone is everything, and Joyce shows us this.

Third, I am so glad I got to go on this trip. After my semester in Berlin I was itching to leave the country again, and Dublin was an entirely different experience. I think that is important. Americans often lump Europe as one place with similarities and differences like the United States--Texans and New Englanders, for example. But its more than that. Ireland has a fascinating history that people are proud of and willing to share with everyone--Germany has an equally enthralling history, one we think we all know, and one which Germany is trying to escape and become more than. I will explore more of this in my final paper--which will be the next entry--so I will not explore it here. I will just say that traveling to more places is always better. Seeing more of the world is always amazing, experiencing the people and the places and the lives of different places, climates, and cultures is incredibly rewarding, and something I wish to do for the rest of my life.