August, 2024
This is more of a meta-analysis post, instead of an adventure log like I normally do… so, dear readers, please feel free to skip or skim if pure exploration and excitement are more to your taste.
On the 3rd of September, I landed in Dublin.
At the time, it didn’t quite feel like the end of my Grand European Adventure – I figured that the next two weeks would basically be like any other stage of my adventure, and that I’d blog about them accordingly.
It didn’t quite turn out that way, in the end. It was a subtle, but evident, mental shift for me – instead of exploring a town knowing that I likely wouldn’t be back, I was focused more on exploring for longevity… finding spots that I’d enjoy longer-term, and skipping over the spots that I had traditionally visited, such as art museums and tourist destinations.
I focused on restaurants and shops near Trinity. I looked at game shops where I could join a D&D group, and I methodically visited every rock climbing gym in the greater Dublin area. I spent a huge amount of time working with the relocation company, touring apartments and polishing my list of requirements down to a solid sheen.
Anxiety about where I’d end up living was omni-present, but kept at bay by keeping busy, and starting to lift weights and climb again.
It was distinctly different from my adventures; not in a better or worse way, of course, but simply a very different life.
All this is to say, this blog will likely slow down a bit in the near future.
The reptilian part of my brain is raging against losing out on my fancy “number of consecutive posts” streak, but the more intelligent side of my brain recognizes that the key goal in my life right now is the pursuit of my Master’s degree. This blog is awesome and amazing and enjoyable, as well as a valuable record of my adventures for posterity, but it’s still a secondary pursuit for now – maybe I’ll monetize it someday, or compile it into a book, but today isn’t that day.
Today, I’ve moved to Dublin.
Today, I’m biking to Trinity College to sit down for a lecture, in pursuit of an MBA and a forward shift in my career.
Today, I’m on a new Adventure.
