I tried to write a limerick for this post, but the truth is that rhyming is not my strongest field. Besides, limericks are supposed to be obscene by nature, and my trip to visit my good friend definitely could not be defined as obscene. Amanda was spending the semester abroad studying in Cork, so it was easy to fly out to see her while I was in Barcelona, especially on America’s favorite food holiday- Thanksgiving.
It seemed like to perfect time to do a quick weekend trip, because she was leaving soon thereafter to go back to the states, which meant that I wouldn’t see her again for nearly seven months. Visiting her was like having a little bit of home even though I felt so far away from Ohio and the Thanksgiving spirit. Holidays are always the most nostalgic time of the year, so I was glad to be spending my first major holiday away from family with a close friend.
My first night there, I joined her and a group of her friends for plenty of dinner and lots of laughing. Putting together a traditional Thanksgiving meal abroad, even in Ireland, was no easy feat and I was very appreciative of the warm stuffing and cranberry sauce that reminded me of home.
After a night of giggling and catching up, Amanda took me on a tour of her Cork. We walked around the places she had made her own; strolled through her campus; and visited the grocery store to grab supplies for a spaghetti dinner. She took me to ‘Penny’s’ where I purchased the most heinous, sparkly leg warmers ever made and we even had fish and chips (I had chips and peas). 
One of the evenings I was there, we went to hear traditional music and try a whisky before heading over to the ‘Old Oaks’ pub for dancing to oddly obscure 80’s pop music with a very bizarre crowd (example). It would be a long time before we would see each other again, so the trip was a little bittersweet. So we baked cookies, said our goodbyes and promised to keep the other updated on our lives. I’ve always wanted to spend more time in Ireland and next time, I’d like to visit Dublin and take in some country side. Hopefully I’ll be able to have Amanda as my wonderful guide again for more adventures.
