Cobh and Blarney

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So Ireland it is! After a lovely but rushed goodbye (it was so nice to hear ‘have a nice trip!’ rather than outright ‘goodbye’ for once!) I got on the local bus, and then successfully made two other bus connections, onto the ferry from Fishguard, UK to Rosslare, IE, then a final bus to Wexford, where I spent the night.

old abbey in Wexford
Immediately I loved Ireland. A lot of it was probably my impressions from childhood (Leprechauns! Luck! Rainbows! Magic!), stories from friends who love it here, or stories from books, (I’m reading …

Coast and Castle

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“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
-Howard Thurman
I have been reaffirmed. To make a long story short, after my posting about feeling like I was wasting time, a farm in Cornwall e-mailed me asking for immediate help. I won’t be going there now, since they don’t want to deal with the (remotely) possible VISA issue, but the place I’ve been staying at here in Wales has offered to let me stay for free in exchange …

West Wales

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This has been a wonderful place to relax and recharge. The home I’m staying in is about a 20 minute walk from the western coast; from there I can take the Ceredigion Coast Path, part of the All Wales Coast Path, along the entire coast of Wales in both directions. Yesterday I turned South and walked about 9 miles (14ish km) to Cardigan (yes, like the sweater!). The coastline is beautiful and I was spoiled by sunshine on my first day. I also got to watch a red kite (bird that used to be endangered) …

A Surprise at the Border

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On Wednesday I bid farewell to Turkey and my new friends and family there. I think I will be returning soon, although it is tiring for me to be there on some level. While the people I have met are all so welcoming and understanding, there are still some significant cultural differences and I think it is tiring for me to be aware and careful on a level I’m not used to. I feel that this time was easier than the last, however, and now that I have family there I suspect I will get …

New Family!! & Food!

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The wedding was wonderful! Beautiful, fun, sweet… There are of course no words good enough to describe it. At least no words I have mastery of. Cigdem was gorgeous and happy and Jeremy was handsome and so happy! We are so so happy for them; their joy is contagious and I pray for a long loving life for them together.

Cigdem with her Mother and Sister

The dancing before I got pulled in to it!
Over the last few days my cousin Ellen and I were lucky enough to spend time with a lot of Cigdem’s …