i can't believe i am so far from home!

my flight from london to dublin was absolutely gorgeous - the sun was sooo bright and i could see how green ireland really is. it reminds me a lot of boston and sf, actually. it isn't nearly as cold as i thought it would be - but my apt was freezing - finally my heat kicked in probably at 2 am - until then i took 2 super hot showers to compensate. i thought dublin would welcome me with rain, and more rain - but it has been absolutely gorgeous - very sunny and brisk, but not freezing. If I had to guess, I would say it has been about 50 degrees...

everything here is really different - i went to the grocery store yesterday and was waiting for them to pack my bags - it turns out you pack your own bags here, and pay for plastic bags if you don't bring your own! i stared at the guy at the counter for at least a minute.