Oct4

At the end of the world, for the end of the year

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Monday, 23-Dec-2024, through Friday, 27-Dec-2024


I didn’t quite want to fly back to the United States for Christmas. Flights were long, they were expensive, and there weren’t any really good options that stood out to me.

Andrea was in Germany with her family, but we were still a bit too early in our relationship for me to join them. The invitation was there, of course, but it felt a bit intrusive for me to be a part of their Christmas celebrations this soon.

Staying in Dublin was an option, of course. But it didn’t quite feel right either… I’d been staying in town quite a bit, and I wanted the chance to see the Northern Lights, if at all possible… not something particularly likely on the Irish Island, regardless of how far North I went.

My thoughts strayed to Norway, to Finland, and to Lapland. Good options, but complex in terms of transit and connections.

Finally, a plan settled in for Iceland – a country I’ve been to, and rented a vehicle from, and knew at least vaguely well. Flights were booked, a campervan reserved, and campsites selected from the few still open in the long cold dark of Icelandic winter.

My bags were packed, my plan confirmed, and soon enough I was on my way.


I don’t mind the solitude – I really don’t.

It was calm, cold, and quiet… After the intense socialization of the MBA, the quiet and solitude was incredibly welcome – as was the cold, after the consistently mild temperatures found in Dublin proper. I took my time with walking around Thingvallir, with watching the latest Star Wars series on Disney, and with catching up on some blog posts.

I read, I relaxed, and I soaked up the glorious cold and the snowy environment.

I didn’t quite make it out to the hot springs, unfortunately, but I was able to catch a small glimpse of the Northern Lights one evenings, through a small gap in the clouds… They weren’t quite the intensity that I’d hoped for, unfortunately, and so my quest continues.


A few nights, a few hikes, lots of snow and wind… it was a glorious break.

Oct2

Climbing in Dublin!

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End of December, 2024

I haven’t gotten to climb outside in a while, but that doesn’t mean my harness has been sitting idle – In fact, I’ve been able to stay fairly consistent with hitting the local climbing gym here in Dublin since the semester started!

Now, I fully expect that 2025 will see that consistency slow down a bit as classes ramp up (Ed note: Ben may be writing with the aid of a bit hindsight here, as this post is actually being written in late 2025…), but for now… I’m enjoying the opportunity to stay on the walls, and get some good strength training in!

And, most excitingly… Andrea’s joined in on the fun! She joined in for her first-ever time rock climbing, and was an absolute trooper – getting on the wall, climbing a few routes, and hitting that coveted top hold on more than a few routes.

Three cheers for climbing through the end of 2024!

Sep30

Some Christmas Adventures

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End of December, 2024

2024 has been a year. Traveling, adventures, schoolwork, new friends, and countless little adventures. Christmas isn’t the end, of course, and I’m sure there’ll be more adventures before the year closes out… but here, with Christmas getting closer, it feels like this is the beginning of that wind-down before we close the book on an excellent year.

It starts with the 12 pubs of Christmas, which I learned is really more like the “three or four pubs, then we get bored”, or “As many pubs as we can stand before we realize that all of Dublin, half of Ireland, and a good quarter of the United States appears to be invading every pub”.

Frankly, I was excited for having a plan to hit 12 pubs, and sticking to the idea of grabbing a quick pint at each before moving on… But hey – I’m new to town, and I’m learning the ways of the land. I’ll follow the team’s lead, and then consider sprucing it up on my own later.

From the 12 pubs, we move onward to a cozy home, warm in spite of the cold and drizzly Irish weather outside. Andrea and I have tracked down some clay, and some paint, and are decorating our lovely Christmas tree with some cute homemade ornaments.

She’s being her usual meticulous self, and making a stunningly realistic  sled to hang next to a cute snowman.

I’m being my slightly ridiculous self, and making a “Christmas Octopus” which somehow looks like a frog, as an homage to (and reclamation of) a similar Crappy Christmas Craft that I made years and years back.

Together, we’re making “MBA” letters, alongside a rather adorable little statuette of ourselves, kissing on the rocks of Giant’s Causeway.

Were they high quality? Absolutely not.
Were they adorable and fun? Absolutely yes.