Breakfast came and was PERFECT. Both the bacon and sausage were different from what I was used to eating, but were also somehow better. I didn't think it was possible, but there it was.
Finally feeling somewhat human after sleeping(ish) at the Iceland airport and it being roughly 9am at this point, we set out to find out how to reach our airbnb in Dublin. We purchased a 3 day visitor pass that allowed us unlimited travel on buses and trains for €20, downloaded the local journey planner app, and walked out into the emerald isle....only to get immediately lost.
The bus lanes outside the airport were an utterly complete mess. There were no signs anywhere for the bus we wanted, and the normally reliable maps.me was trying to lead us through a locked gate. Thankfully we eventually found our stop, and boarded a cramped bus onto the top deck. Unfortunately, the sign for which stop was coming up was not working, and the driver's accent over a middling speaker meant we had no idea where to get off to hit our transfer to Raheney. I took a guess about which bridge was which that we were seeing...and got off about two stops early.
We found a place to sit on this boardwalk by the river. The sun was glaring, making it feel like summer...until the wind blew, making it fall...and then the rain fell...with the sun out. I looked around me at all the buildings and the bridges and the water and the seagulls and just went, "We've landed back in Seattle."
They say that at a certain point, every big city feels like every other big city. I finally understood that sentiment sitting there. And I'm not gonna lie folks, the weight of the journey hit me. Iceland had been different enough, beautiful enough, that it still felt like a vacation. But here, in this place that felt so very much like home but was so obviously not home, after a 6am flight and a confusing bus, and knowing that we weren't even a month into the journey...I got real down. Homesickness slapped me right in the face. But there was only one thing to do...keep going.
And get coffee.
We found a cafe across the bridge from a very impressive looking building we would later come to identify as the Public House. A chai latte had treated me well our first day in Iceland, and it remained a delicious pick-me-up here. Posters told us of various ongoing and upcoming performances, including The Seagull and The Father. Oh good, I thought, at least it's a theater town too.
Tired and sore, we finally found our transfer bus to Raheney, a suburb 15 minutes out from the city center. It was another slog of 15 minutes walking to our airbnb, making sure we had the right streets and were going the right way. But we made it. We knocked on the door...and nothing. Tried again...nothing. As we've been working completely from WiFi we have no way to contact our host to figure out where they are. Panic ensues.
We figure the local pub should have WiFi, but one of us should be here in case our host shows up. I opt to stay, Ashlen ventures out to the pub.
5 minutes later a car pulls into the driveway. Our host is extremely apologetic and talking so fast I can barely keep up, but in an Indian accent this time instead of Irish. She offers to drive me around to look for Ashlen, and I am far too tired to argue or realize that that's a bad idea. She drives back up the way we walked, even though the pub Ashlen was supposed to be at was in the opposite direction, certain that she knew where Ashlen was likely to be. However, there was a spot that could only be walked through, cars were impeded. Or intrepid host suggested I get out and look around, see if she was there.
Again, too tired to argue.
I get out, look around, and spot a curly haired girl in the distance...but as she gets closer I realize with dismay, it's just a girl on her way home from school. I turn back to get back into the car...and the host is gone. There is no sign of her. She turned around and left, once again certain she knew how to find Ashlen...and forgetting about me.
Officially DONE with this day, I did the only thing I could think to do and walked to the pub 10 minutes away. I walk in to find the barman tending to three obvious regulars...and no Ashlen. I ask the barman if a curly haired woman has stopped in looking for wifi, and it's almost no surprise when he has absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. One of the regulars jokes she must've just zipped out the other door right when I entered...I awkwardly laugh and walk out.
So. At this point I have no idea where Ashlen is, no idea where my host drove to, and only the vaguest sense of how to get back to the airbnb as my phone was dying. Oh sure I had already been officially DONE with this day, but now it was so official it had been adopted unanimously by congress and written into law.
So once again I did the only thing I could do, and started to walk back to the airbnb. I found a large field to cut through and...what was this? A form across the park? A very familiar green coat? CURLY HAIR?
I had found her, at last. I ran to her across the field, and she ran to me, and yes it was just as cheesy as you would expect. She had gone to the library to find WiFi instead of the pub, and I caught her up on the shenanigans that had come to pass. We trekked the rest of the way back together, arriving before our host but at least getting to know her roommate/friend while we waited.
Finally all things were settled. The host once again apologized profusely, we apologized for not having phone numbers, more introductions were made to other guests, and after a very, very long day...we slept.
And you know what? That was the best sleep I had had since we left home.
To be continued...
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