Becky Colburn

Greetings, Knoxville!  

My time here in London has been wonderful thus far, and I love the history, architecture, and busy pace the city offers.  However, this weekend, 7 girlfriends and I all decided to make use of the close proximity London has to so many other countries and made the trek to the Emerald Isle!  I must say, just getting to the airport at 5:30 a.m. was half of the adventure! 

The first day, we began exploring Dublin and were excited to find out that we arrived just in time for a festival called TradFest.  This festival celebrated traditional Irish music and was the perfect way for us to get integrated to the Irish culture.  We were even able to see a troupe of bagpipers parading down the street within 2 hours of arrival!  Other than checking out the music scene, we spent time at Dublin Castle exploring the famous shopping of Grafton Street and touring and learning about the historical traditions associated with Dublin’s biggest industry: the Guinness Factory!   We learned some interesting facts.  For example, when it was first contracted, the Brewery was leased for 9000 years at an annual fee of £45, or $65 USD, including fresh water rights!  The factory also had an entire floor devoted to the various marketing campaigns that Guinness has used throughout the years.  As a potential marketing major, that was my favorite floor.

The next day, we got up early and went on a comprehensive 400 mile tour of the Irish countryside.  As a huge fan of the Smoky Mountains and the lush greens of East TN, I felt like I was coming home!  We traveled through small Irish villages, castle ruins, and even made it to the coast.  Our tour guide, Trish, was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Ireland and everything that we saw was accompanied by an anecdote.  The group’s favorite stop of the tour was the beautiful Cliffs of Moher, a stunning landmark that is in the running to be one of the new Greatest Natural Wonders of the World.  After living in such an urban setting for the past month, seeing the Atlantic Ocean and the lush green surroundings was a welcome relief for me.

Overall, I have loved my time exploring the different districts of London, growing closer with my fellow GLSers, and learning about the cultures of the other people who also live in the cultural mecca that London truly is.  Plus, it continues to astound me that I am residing and taking classes in a 17^th century building, minutes away from Big Ben.  I can’t wait to travel more but until then, I’m content having adventures in my own backyard!

Cheers!